Save money with an interior architect? A service accessible to everyone.

“An interior architect, what a luxury!”, “It’s not for me” or “I don’t have the budget”. 

In this endless crisis where every day we want everything, right away and for nothing, at a time when everything is being democratised at the expense of quality, when you become an entrepreneur by opening an Instagram account, a designer by browsing Pinterest, a decorator by taking a 2-month online course: faced with this proliferation of offers, consumers lose their bearings and make mistakes. We want to go for the cheapest option, and it isn’t always a good idea.

There is a difference between slashing your prices and making a service affordable by adapting it to your client. 

I wanted to write this article first of all to restore the importance of advice and of a quality designer in a project, but also to shake up these preconceived ideas about an interior architect’s fees and the fact that this service is often seen as a luxury. We must not forget that it is these ideas that will allow you to bring your wishes to life. 

You can make pasta at home – it seems simple – and then you can take a cookery class with a real Italian chef and discover that behind the simplest of gestures lies a great deal of work and experience. 

We hear them every day, preconceived ideas about the interior designer’s profession, until the moment we take a real interest in the subject, dare to ask questions and discover that there is a multitude of different studios offering different services at different prices. You need to be able to find the formula that suits you, while avoiding the scams. 

For me, my profession, my mission, is to make people feel good at home. Whatever their budget, I’d even say. Feeling good at home is not a luxury; it should be a fundamental right, and sometimes the smallest thing can make all the difference. But of course, yes, there is a minimum threshold: even for the simplest dish, you still need a few ingredients, a base. You can’t make something out of nothing, as you well know.

Hiring an interior architect may seem like an expense at first, but in proportion to the time and money you will save, it is a very small price to pay. Example: a client bought a house a few months ago – the moment comes to receive the keys and nothing has yet been clearly set in motion. You think you have time, you tell yourself it isn’t that complicated, and then you quickly realise that construction vocabulary isn’t limited to paint and tiles, that there are a great many things to think about in advance, and that comparing price lists also takes experience. Yes, it is a profession, and often a very under-recognised one. To come back to my client: had we started working together as soon as the deed was signed, his works file would already be complete, a quote signed with a trusted contractor, and work on site could begin as soon as the keys were handed over. Some will prefer to go it alone, to make mistakes or not, to gain their own experience – and why not, that’s needed too. But for the less daring, the sums are quickly done.

One important thing to know is that an interior architect can work in different ways: generally on a full-assignment basis, for a fixed fee or by the hour.

The full assignment: a renovation, design and site supervision project from A to Z, with a works budget to respect, on which the architect takes a percentage. 

Fixed fee: not always related to the cost of the works if the client decides to take charge of certain parts of the project, the fixed fee is a set amount defined at the outset. For example, for the “creation, sketch” stage, it is difficult to define the exact number of working hours, but they can be estimated. Or again, for a decor coaching assignment, the fixed fee is set in advance according to the scale of the assignment and the level of detail requested. 

By the hour or “à la carte”: for advice, an opinion, quicker work such as surveying a small space, viewing a property you plan to buy, a few ideas on the fly, and so on. 

Together, we discuss your project, budget, needs and wishes, and decide together on the most suitable formula. It is important to have a fairly clear idea of your means; that way, the interior architect can steer you straight towards the formula that suits you. 

Having an expert opinion, letting yourself be guided, is reassuring, and I like to make advice accessible as far as possible, hence the idea of the “assistance” appointment – this à la carte consultation can be done by phone. For clients who don’t need structural changes to their space, I recommend “decor coaching”. It is an advisory, supportive assignment, but one in which the client agrees to get personally involved in carrying it out (measurements, etc.), buying the pieces, and so on. Within decor coaching there are also several levels: we can go for a complete layout, or more simply advice on colours and materials, a shopping list of objects, addresses or trades to recommend. 

Whatever stage of life you are at, whatever your means, if you feel stuck, if you need a change, there is a formula to suit your budget. 

In this article I have mainly talked about the interior architect’s fees, as this is often a hazier point for clients. You need to be able to factor the design share into your budget; otherwise it is difficult to plan a project.

Then comes the time to buy the pieces and carry out the work, and here again several options are open to you: do it yourself, wait and do it little by little, find alternatives, buy second-hand, and so on.

You can create a pleasant interior for less, but you need the right ideas, the right addresses, the right finds as they say.

Depending on your project, above all, surround yourself with the right people. It is better to work with a professional from the outset and save money with a more affordable layout, or to work in stages, in phases, than to try to go too fast and end up in a space that doesn’t suit you. We don’t have that many renovation projects in a lifetime, so: yes, some savings are foolish ones 😉 You can’t imagine the impact your interior layout can have on you and your daily life…

V.