By Stacy B
you can afford not to have a New York interior designer
A better question might be whether you can afford not to have a New York interior designer. There's a general misconception that New York interior designers charge more – but actually, the opposite Is true. New York interior designers tend to charge 30% or 35% commission (although a fewstill charge retail) plus a design fee. The design fee varies – some
designers charge by the room, others by the square foot. But it's generally a flat fee and
you know how much it is when you sign the contract. By contrast, most non-New York interior designers tend to charge an hourly fee instead of a design fee; this hourly continues throughout the length of the job – along with the 30% or 35% commission.
Generally, these hourly fees tend to add up beyond the cost of the New York interior designer's fee. It's always been my theory that the general misconception about New York interior designer fees being higher is because their look is so expensive.