How much does an interior designer cost? There is no official scale of fees: the French professional council of interior designers (CFAI) points out that fees are freely set. Prices therefore depend on the professional, the assignment and the project. The price guides published in 2025 and 2026 nevertheless give fairly consistent ranges, which we have gathered here with their sources. Everything below describes the French market: prices are in euros, observed in France, and the VAT mentioned is French VAT.
Fees are freely set, with four ways of charging
The CFAI distinguishes four methods of payment, which can be combined in a single contract:
- A percentage of the cost of the works, mostly for full assignments that include site supervision.
- A flat fee, set in advance for a defined assignment (a room, a plan, a study).
- Time spent, billed by the hour or by the day.
- Time and materials, for assignments whose scope changes as they go.
As for VAT, the CFAI states that the reduced French rate of 10% can apply to a full assignment including supervision of the works, in a home more than two years old.
As a percentage of the works: usually 8% to 15%
Percentages published by the price guides (fees excluding VAT)
Hemea
- Range
- 8% to 15%
- Detail
- Sliding scale: 13% to 15% for €20,000 to €50,000 of works, 11% to 12% up to €100,000, 8% to 10% above that; flat fee below €20,000.
ABC Travaux
- Range
- 8% to 15%
- Detail
- Guide updated on 27 July 2026.
Camif Habitat
- Range
- 10% to 15%
- Detail
- For an interior design assignment.
This method of calculation presupposes building work: it mainly applies to renovations where the interior designer designs, consults the contractors and supervises the site. For a decoration and furniture project with no building work, it is rarely used.
By the hour: €50 to €200 depending on the source
- Hemea: €70 to €200 an hour.
- ABC Travaux: €80 to €150 an hour.
- Camif Habitat: €50 to €200 an hour.
An hourly rate suits short assignments: a consultation visit, a few hours of guidance. For a complete project it makes the budget hard to predict, which is why most professionals offer a flat fee.
By the square metre: €40 to €150 for the study
Hemea gives a range of €40 to €150 per square metre for the study alone, falling as the floor area grows: about €60 to €70 below 50 m², €50 to €60 between 50 and 150 m², €40 to €50 between 150 and 250 m². This method is common for a whole home.
Flat fee per room, online: from €90 to nearly €600
Online decoration and interior design services (also called e-design) most often charge a flat fee per room. Our survey of the public pricing pages of about ten of these services, on 16 October 2026, runs from about €90 per room for an inspiration board and a shopping list, to nearly €600 for a package with a plan, 3D renders and several rounds of changes. Camif Habitat, for its part, quotes €200 to €350 per room for a decorator, excluding supplies, and €350 to €1,500 for plans.
These gaps are mostly explained by what is delivered: a mood board alone does not take the same work as a dimensioned plan drawn from your measurements, with renders of every angle and production sheets. Our e-design starts at €290 per room: see what is included.
What makes the price vary
- The floor area and the number of rooms, and their type: a kitchen or a bathroom needs more plans than a bedroom.
- The scope: design alone, or design plus consulting contractors and supervising the site.
- The complexity: number of variants, renders, pieces of furniture to draw.
- Travel, which some professionals bill on top.
- The city: Paris rates are generally higher.
The budget does not stop at the fees
In a layout project with no building work, the biggest expense is almost always the furniture, light fittings and textiles. A reasonable fee followed by furniture bought at full shop price can cost more, in total, than a more complete design combined with furniture made to your measurements directly by the workshop. To compare two proposals, look at the cost of the delivered project, not just the fees line.
How to read an interior designer's quote
- The exact scope: which rooms, which deliverables (plan, renders, sheets, shopping list).
- The number of rounds of changes included, and the price of further ones.
- Travel: included, or charged per trip or per kilometre.
- The method of charging and the VAT rate applied.
- What is excluded: site supervision, purchasing, installation.
- The lead times for each stage.
And with us?
We work entirely remotely, with no travel costs. E-design starts at €290 per room, depending on the number of rooms and their complexity, and its amount is deducted from your order if you have furniture made with us. Every piece made has an all-inclusive price: manufacture directly from the workshop, transport, duties and taxes (included within the EU; outside the EU, import duties and taxes are payable by the recipient) and delivery. The details are on the services and prices page.
Sources
- CFAI, frequently asked questions on fees, accessed on 16 October 2026.
- Hemea, interior designer prices (in French), accessed on 16 October 2026.
- ABC Travaux, interior designer prices (in French, updated on 27 July 2026), accessed on 16 October 2026.
- Camif Habitat, prices of interior designers' plans (in French), accessed on 16 October 2026.