How to Structure Your Interior Design Services Offers
Okay, it's a new year, and I have decided to blog more regularly. I promise that this won't be a blog filled with general rambles. My blogs on Design Ink have been pretty much filled with highly researched articles, and I am committing to still give you these highly polished pieces in addition, I am going to be writing shorter pieces as well that focus on questions that my coaching students ask me.
So here's the deal.
On Monday ( or over the weekend), I will publish a YouTube video and a blog related to that. It will come with a free download: a checklist, an information list, and a guide.
On Wednesday, there will be a blog post that is highly researched. I have planned this content out at the beginning of the month as I have a planning week where I plan out all my long-form content for the month ahead.
I want to do a Designer this Week blog post each week. Probably on a Thursday. I'll confirm the day later. I also want to start regularly writing my newsletter, which will be a round-up of all the content I have been posting through the week and some links to some great ideas in the creative space I have come across. It will include books that I have read, that sort of thing.
On other days, I want to feel free to write a shorter blog post (less than 750 words) which I am going to write on the app 750words.com. This app reminds you to write around 750 words daily (umm...duh!). It is a really clean interface, and I haven't made much use of it at all. When you get to 750 words, it throws confetti at you! Cool!
I always feel like a failure when putting out content, but I will keep on going and be kind to myself. I have to remember where I started. I'm naturally techy, but when I started this year, I didn't know much about making videos or sound. Now I understand a lot about the tech and can go to an av store and understand what they are all talking about. I'll take that as a win!
So let's move on to the design content...
The big question for many interior designers is how to price and how to structure fees.
I like to start with your offers...
Most designers that I have coached only have one offer. They think that if they put prices on their websites, it cheapens their services.There is quite a lot of debate about this. You can check out this blog post here.
✨However, if you are wary of this, you can look at a pricing model that is more complex than just one offer.
Of course, we are naturally drawn to the high ticket offer...the full-service interior design package. This is where we can go through the whole design and build process with a client. We offer one way of working: design consultation leading to the full design. This may be your ideal scenario, but there are other ways of working with clients who can't afford you or don't need your full package or have never worked with an interior designer and are unsure of the process.
This gets back to your philosophy about design. Interior design is a luxury product. Not everyone can afford a Chanel bag, but we probably can afford a bottle of perfume or a scarf. I used to see it all the time in Hong Kong.
I can’t tell you the amount of times I get served in a store in Hong Kong and the staff are wearing a real Rolex or a Panerai (usually an entry model, but a big investment all the same). I’m a watch collector so I know my watches! We end up talking about watches and they invariably tell me it was either a gift, or that they can’t afford to buy a home so they spend their money on designer stuff at the entry point level. We then have a mutual watch admiration session and then they tell me that they love watches and are saving up for something more expensive. This is how it works…you start with one and you work up to your dream, taking steps up along the way.
I speak from experience….
We can think of our interior design services in the same way. Maybe only a tiny proportion of people can afford/or can be ready for a full interior design service. Still, you can offer them different services that require less financial and time commitment.
Services such as your Consultations can be structured so that they may not have to lead to a booked full interior design service. You could come into space as a consultant and give your advice in an actionable way. Check out my video on holding an interior design consultation.
There is a myriad of other service offerings that you could put forward. These are sometime called packages. They include a fixed list of services for a fixed price to be delivered within a certain time frame.
Here is a list:
Designer for a Day
Design packages ( a limited number of hours for a fixed fee)
Spatial concept design: a fixed price for a particular space, such as bathrooms and kitchens
Floor plan Consultations: a fixed fee for redoing a floor plan.
You could add in render services on top of this if you offer these.
And finally, your full-service offer.
These offers should be carefully structured with a full scope of work and transparent pricing attached. Be clear about how this fee will be paid and exactly what is included in your offer. It is best to have a services splash page on your website and then lead your ideal client to the different pages within your funnel. I have a guide to help you with this.
I'll be writing more details on how to structure your offers on the blog- so stay tuned! Need help with this? I can help you structure your offers and help you redo your web pages. Send me an email. In the meantime, download the free Guide to Interior Design Offers.
Hi 👋🏽 I’m Joanne!
I’m an interior designer, educator and business coach. After studying Economics and Education at uni, the design world beckoned, drawing me to Christie’s in London, where I completed post-grad studies in art & design and then to Hong Kong, where I founded Eclectic Cool, a design firm and design store. . Eclectic Cool represented international brands such as Gubi, &tradition, HAY, Armadillo Rugs & Dinosaur Designs to name a few. My work and store have been featured in Monocle, Conde Nast Traveller, Elle Decor, Expat Living, Cathay Pacific inflight magazines, South China Morning Post and the ABC (Australia) network and more. I live on the south coast of Australia on a country property between the beautiful Australian bush and the Pacific Ocean with my husband and cavoodle. I’m the mum of three adult children.
