What does luxury interior design actually cost? A guide to thinking about the investment

Photo credit: Sharna James Photography

Project by: Estetica Design Studio

It's the question every client wants answered before they pick up the phone. Rather than give you a number that means nothing without context, here's how to think about interior design as an investment, and what shapes the scope of any project.

If you've searched "how much does interior design cost" and found yourself reading a range so wide it's essentially useless, you're not alone. The honest answer is that interior design fees vary significantly based on the scale of the project, the complexity of the brief, the level of service engaged, and how early the designer is brought in.

Rather than give you a number stripped of all context, this post is about helping you think about the investment in the right way, so that when you do have that conversation with a studio, you're asking the right questions and understanding the real value on the table.

First: reframe it as an investment, not a cost

The most useful shift in thinking is this: interior design is not an expense sitting on top of your build budget. Done well and engaged early, it is one of the highest-returning investments you can make in your home.

Here's why. A designer who is involved from the early stages of your project identifies spatial opportunities, prevents costly mistakes, and ensures that every material and finish decision is made as part of a coherent whole - not in isolation. The variations, the mid-build changes, the post-handover fixes that so many homeowners find themselves dealing with? Most of them are preventable with proper design input from the beginning.

"One variation during construction can cost more than a significant portion of your design fee. Getting the decisions right on paper isn't a luxury - it's protection for your budget."

Beyond the build, a considered interior adds measurable value to your home. In Perth's luxury residential market, properties with cohesive, architect-quality interiors command stronger resale premiums and spend less time on the market. The design fee doesn't disappear - it compounds.

What shapes the scope - and therefore the investment

No two projects are the same, and any studio that quotes you a fixed price without understanding your brief isn't doing you a service. The factors that most influence the scope and investment of interior design work are:

Scale of the home

A 300m² home and a 600m² home require very different scopes of work - in planning, documentation, selections and project management.

Level of service

From a targeted consultation through to full bespoke design, the depth of involvement varies significantly - and so does the outcome.

Complexity of the brief

Bespoke joinery, custom finishes, and architectural detailing require more time and expertise than standard builder selections.

Stage of engagement

Early engagement - pre-slab, allows for the most thorough and effective design process. Later engagement is still valuable but more constrained

The Estetica Service Levels: A starting point

At Estetica, every project receives a personalised proposal based on your specific brief. That said, here's how our services are structured, to give you a sense of where an engagement might begin.

Service	Starting From
Design Consultation A focused session to provide clarity, direction and real-time design solutions. Includes a summary booklet, mood boards and marked-up plans relevant to your desired outcome. This is great for inspiration, confirmation of direction or for those self motivated to action on their own timeline.	$1590+gst
Colour Selections Full curation of colours, materials and finishes - internal and external. Takes the overwhelm out of builder selections, with over 200 decisions being made and guided by industry professionals.	Proposal Based
Bespoke Design Our full-scope service - spatial planning, joinery design, selections, documentation and project oversight from concept to handover.	Proposal Based
Furniture Curation Full furniture specification, layout planning, budget management and ordering - with styling on handover.	Proposal Based

How much should I budget for furniture?

Furniture is a separate consideration from design fees - and one that catches many clients off guard. For a full home fit-out at the luxury end of the market, a useful rule of thumb is to budget 10–20% of your construction cost. This can be achieved for less with careful curation, and exceeded easily with bespoke or imported pieces, but it's a realistic starting point to hold in mind.

One of the things Estetica manages as part of the furniture curation service is your budget. Before any order is placed, you'll have complete visibility of where everything sits financially. There are no surprises.

The cost of not investing in design

It's worth saying plainly: the most expensive interior decisions are often the ones made without a designer. A floor tile chosen in isolation that doesn't work with the cabinetry. A kitchen layout that looks fine on a builder's plan but creates daily frustration in practice. Furniture ordered before the space was properly planned, that arrives and doesn't fit - or doesn't feel right.

What good design actually saves you

Costly construction variations from decisions made too late. Furniture that doesn't fit, flow or feel right in the space. Materials selected in isolation that don't read as a coherent interior. The emotional cost of living in a home that almost works - but doesn't quite.

These aren't hypothetical risks. They're the conversations we have with almost every client who comes to us having already made some of their decisions alone. The design fee, in almost every case, is recovered many times over.

The best first step

If you're not sure yet what level of engagement is right for your project, the Design Consultation is designed exactly for that moment. In a single focused session, we'll get to know your project, understand your goals, identify any challenges in your current plans, and give you clear direction on the path forward. You'll leave with a summary booklet, mood boards etc - and a much clearer sense of what's possible.

From there, if a broader engagement makes sense, we'll put together a personalised proposal. There's no pressure and no obligation - just a genuine conversation about your home.

Ready to start the conversation?

Every Estetica project begins with understanding your brief. Get in touch and we'll explore how we can add the most value to your home - whatever stage you're at.

Speak with the Studio today