WHY THERE IS NO SINGLE PRICE

Interior decorating is not a one-size-fits-all service. Every home is different, and so is every brief.

One project may only need help refining a room that already has a solid base. Another may involve several rooms, with decisions around furniture, layout, colour, lighting, rugs, artwork, and window furnishings. The amount of thought, planning, sourcing, and coordination involved may be quite different.

That is why I tend to look at cost in relation to scope. The more there is to resolve, the more time and care the project usually requires.

WHAT TENDS TO AFFECT THE COST

A few things usually make the biggest difference.

The first is the scope of the project. A single room is naturally more contained than a whole home. The second is the level of detail involved. Some projects need broad direction and help with key decisions. Others need a much more developed furnishing plan, along with sourcing, refinement, and support as the room takes shape.

The third is how hands-on you want the process to be. Some clients are comfortable taking a clear direction and managing the rest themselves. Others want me more involved in helping select, source, and pull everything together. Neither approach is better or worse. They simply involve different levels of support.

IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT ROOM SIZE

People sometimes assume the cost is mainly based on the size of the room. Size does matter, but it is not the only thing that shapes the work.

A smaller apartment may still take a great deal of thought if every piece needs to work hard and the layout has to be handled carefully. A larger home may have more rooms, but not every space may need the same level of attention.

What often matters more is complexity. How many decisions need to be resolved? How much sourcing is involved? How much refinement is needed before the room feels settled? Those are usually the factors that shape the workload more accurately.

THE DECORATING FEE AND THE FURNISHING BUDGET ARE DIFFERENT

It helps to separate two parts of the overall spend.

One is the decorating fee, which covers the time, thinking, planning, sourcing, and guidance involved in the work. The other is the furnishing budget, which covers the items themselves, such as furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork, and window furnishings.

They are connected, but they are not the same thing. My role is to help you make better decisions about what to buy, where to spend, and where to hold back. The cost of the furnishings still depends on the pieces selected.

That is why having a realistic budget from the beginning is useful. It keeps the process grounded and makes it easier to shape a plan that feels achievable.

VALUE IS NOT ONLY ABOUT SPENDING LESS

When people ask about cost, they are often really asking whether the investment is worthwhile.

For me, the value lies in helping a home come together properly. It is about reducing uncertainty, making decisions feel clearer, and helping avoid expensive second-guessing. It is also about saving time. Searching, comparing, measuring, refining, and trying to picture how everything will work together often takes far more effort than people expect.

Having support through that process may take some of that pressure away. It gives the project shape and helps make sure the money being spent is actually serving the home well.

A BETTER WAY TO APPROACH THE BUDGET

The most useful way to think about decorating cost is usually to begin with priorities.

You do not always need to do everything at once. Sometimes it makes sense to begin with the rooms you use most, or the spaces that feel most unresolved. Sometimes one or two key pieces are worth investing in first, with other layers added gradually over time.

That often leads to a better result than trying to rush everything in one go. It also makes the budget feel more manageable, because each decision is being made with more purpose.