Interior Design Cost Guide in Singapore

When you are thinking about reshaping your home, hiring an interior design firm can provide you with the required expertise, reliability, and creative vision that checks all the right boxes. Partnering with an interior designer is no small affair, especially when you want to make your dream home a reality. You can draw upon the interior designer’s extensive network of suppliers and contacts to find the right colours, materials, furniture, and decorative elements that seamlessly merge into a living space you love.

Planning your interior design vision still takes a lot of work to achieve the living space you have always wanted. It is not a matter of “pick the best interior designer and go with it;” you will need to carefully consider your choice of themes, the overall budget, the type of materials you need, and more.

Let our handy guide give you a rundown on everything you need to know to ensure your interior design dreams are brought to life in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Deciding on an Interior Designer

Renovation costs in Singapore can get pricey, so selecting the right interior designer will require research beforehand. You should consider between independent designers and design firms, along with other criteria that make them the more attractive choice.

Reputation

An interior designer’s reputation goes a long way toward driving interested clients to them. Whether it is thanks to excellent customer service, a keen eye for detail, or a combination of positive factors, positive customer reviews can quickly drive traffic towards these well-regarded designers.

References

Personal experience also helps build on an interior designer’s good reputation. If you have friends or family with prior experience working with a designer or firm, ask them if they would recommend the designer’s services. They can also share other helpful information on how to leverage the designer’s capabilities.

Portfolio

Visit the designer’s website or social media accounts and review their portfolio. How do their completed projects look? Does anything strike your fancy? Would they be the right choice to make your ideal space become a reality? If their portfolio can convince you, you may be on the right track.

Communication

Send them an inquiry about your interior design needs and see how long it takes them to respond. When you do meet with them in person, it helps to observe how they interact with you. Open and transparent communication and regular feedback and discussions can ensure smooth sailing on your project and avoid costly miscommunication that can delay renovation work.

Overall Interior Design Cost

While we will discuss what affects the overall interior design cost in more detail, speaking to your chosen designer should give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend. Your choice of materials, furniture, and the like can influence this, so it helps to be flexible where possible.

Transparency

Openness can go a long way in facilitating more accessible communication and avoiding issues. That can boil down to the designer providing a meticulous breakdown of the proposed quotation and potential overruns that could be incurred.

Make Comparisons

Before you sign the quotation, consider using it as a baseline for comparison with other well-regarded interior designers. All is fair in business, so you might find a similarly capable (and communicative) designer who is more than willing to work within your budget and requirements.

Things to Ask Your Interior Designer

You have questions to ask about how the designer will work their magic. If you are looking for a few more questions to ask, we have you covered:

• What other services do you offer?
  • It would be good to learn more about the designer’s offerings, especially if there are other services they must actively promote in marketing materials.

• Do you have a signature style?
  • Some designers may be very versatile and can take on any kind of style; others may prefer specific styles over others.
    
• What is your design consultation process like?
  • It never hurts to find out about this; every designer has a different process.
    
• How do you handle the billing?
  • Open, transparent communication is vital here.
    
• How long have you been involved in the industry?
  • This question can give you an idea of the designer’s experience.
    
• Can you stick closely to my budget?
  • Set clear budget boundaries so the designer understands how much flexibility they have to create your desired design without going overboard.
    
• Could I see your portfolio?
  • This question should be reserved for those who may need a portfolio available online.
    
• How do you manage the project from start to finish?
  • Some designers prefer complete control to ensure everything goes according to plan. That can help keep the project on track, but it could also incur extra costs.
    
• What happens if I disagree with your design(s)?
  • Not all initial designs will be successful; talk through things with your designer to ensure they understand what you want from your home.
    
• Are you able to secure discounts on materials and furnishings?
  • Some designers may have arrangements with particular vendors and suppliers, helping you save a little extra on costs.
    
• How many projects are you involved in at any one time?
  • It may give you peace of mind if your chosen designer solely focuses on one project (like yours) at a time.

How Much Does Interior Design Cost?

The overall cost will hinge on many reasons beyond the interior designer’s fee for services rendered. There are plenty of important considerations you must work out carefully, especially if you have a budget to stick to.

According to Qanvast, the average interior design renovation cost ranges from $45,800 to $55,700 for a 3-room BTO. Price range of 4-room and 5-room BTO falls between $49,500 to $62,800 and $55,000 to $69,000 respectively.

Cost of an Interior Designer

Different designers will have various methods of calculating your interior design cost. Ideally, they will notify you of their rates during the initial consultation, even if you have yet to agree to hire their services. This information can give you a better grasp of the overall project cost and a comparison point with other designers you are considering.

Here are some of the more common payment options available.

Flat Rate

Alternatively called the fixed rate, the designer charges you based on the scope of work needed for your home. The square footage of your home may influence the rate, the designer’s experience, the project timeline, and your budget. It may not include costs like labour, furniture, paint, and decorative items; it mainly emphasises the designer’s talent and abilities.

Generally, you will be given a flat rate estimate upfront for the entire scope of work, which you can then pay in instalments. Ensure that your designer walks you through their pricing structure before you agree to anything.

Square Foot Rate

Instead of a flat rate, the designer may charge you on the square footage of your home that will be renovated. Much like the flat rate, it will not include furnishings, labour costs or fixtures, as those will be calculated separately.

Hourly Rate

This structure charges you for each hour of the project, including your consultations, the actual renovation work, and follow-up inspection. You should generally be given a detailed scope and estimated hours for the interior design work.

Percentage of Project Cost

In other cases, a designer may estimate the cost and charge you a percentage of the total project cost as the design fee.

Hybrid Structures

Some designers may choose a hybrid payment structure: for example, the design phase will be billed at a flat rate, while the actual renovation work will be billed at an hourly rate.

Additional Fees

Depending on the scope of interior design work, the designer may incur additional charges or fees. Some designers, for example, may charge a markup fee to account for expensive additions such as fine dining furnishings. They must disclose any additional fees incurred beforehand to measure trust and transparency. After all, you would feel cheated if the designer notified you about this at the last minute.

The Nature of Your Interior Design Needs

The renovation work can also determine how much you will need to spend creating your desired living space.

Design Consultation

For those who are planning to do renovation work later, a design consultation service can still be beneficial in planning how your living space should look like. The designer will listen to your ideas and make suggestions based on your requirements to enhance the look and feel of your design concept. There will still be quite a bit of back and forth on the right choice of colours, decor, furniture, and other details and finishes that are important to you.

Interior Styling

If you are not looking to renovate your entire home but want to give it a nice makeover. In that case, you can still rely on interior styling works to redecorate your living space. You will be working with your existing space while the designer helps you choose furniture and decorations for that aesthetically pleasing look that you always envisioned. The cost will include all design fees, furniture, and decor purchased for your home.

Partial/Complete Interior Design

This option offers a comprehensive approach. Your designer oversees the project directly, helping you through the initial conceptualisation, renovations, and final installation. They will also coordinate with contractors and order the necessary furniture and materials. They will closely follow up on the project’s progress and give you frequent updates on its current status and any potential delays or issues.

Partial interior design projects may have a slightly smaller scope, usually involving renovating a minor area or select rooms in your home. Depending on how it goes, some people may opt to completely redesign the other areas of their home, especially if the designer did an excellent job of bringing their client’s vision to life.

Factors Determining the Interior Design Costs

Home Size and Layout

Your home’s size can determine how much you will need to spend on the renovation project. The simple rule of thumb is that the larger a home is, the more work is required to renovate it nicely. That can mean more expenses on labour, materials, furnishings, and even time taken to complete the project.

Other considerations may also be necessary. With a smaller home, you may maximise available space to create a functional yet beautiful layout. You should accentuate the space with luxurious stylings and advanced features for larger properties.

Project Scale

One of the main culprits behind high interior design project costs is not the house itself but the entire project’s scope. Even in an HDB flat, your choice of furnishings, fixtures and decorative items can quickly snowball into high expenses, especially if you opt to go the luxurious route.

It could also be the choice of interior design style. An interesting observation is that minimalist approaches – one that emphasises decluttering and quiet luxury – tend to have higher price tags for renovation work. Compared to Scandinavian or even industrial styles, minimalism does involve careful curation of unique pieces that help accentuate the minimalist look, which can mean spending a little extra on these unique additions.

Of course, different designers will take different approaches to a particular style. Discuss with them how you can achieve your desired style without incurring a hefty bill at the end of the project.

Design Complexity

This element refers to the level of detail in your preferred design, including custom elements and the coordination required to bring everything together. Your revamped space may incorporate custom carpentry, intricate fixtures, and fancy lighting setups, impacting the project timeline. To achieve this, you will also need an appropriately skilled designer with prior experience with such complex designs.

Typically, the more complex an interior design plan is, the more it will cost to incorporate all its elements.

Material Choices

Your choice of materials, such as glass, ceramics, stones, and metals, can affect the overall look of your home, its functionality, and the mood it sets. High-quality materials like marble and leather will raise your bill substantially. In contrast, affordable materials like vinyl flooring can help you manage your budget more efficiently. Your designer will make suitable recommendations that are light on your budget.

Labour Costs

Much of your bill will stem from the labour costs of the project, which are interrelated with other aspects of the renovations. Complex designs may require more labour or require experienced contractors who can do the job correctly. With the need for various contractors for the amount of work needed (from plumbing to flooring and painting), you may want to adjust your budget carefully for labour requirements. That also includes factoring in unprecedented delays or accidents.

Project Timeline

With all the core elements in place and the design blueprint ready to go, your designer will commence with the project and adhere to the approved timeline as closely as possible. Part of keeping to the schedule is ensuring that the required materials are in sufficient stock to provide uninterrupted renovation work.

Even so, delays are bound to happen even with a watertight plan. Stay in touch with the designer regularly so you know what is happening and ensure issues can be safely and quickly resolved.

Renovation Work Considerations

Putting your home concept together will require significant care and thought in choosing materials. All elements need to seamlessly merge in harmony to create a living space that is special and meaningful to you.

Textiles

Cloth and woven fabrics are some of the most versatile materials for any home. The proper selection of textiles can give your home a cosy or even luxuriant vibe. At the same time, including customised options can help accentuate your home’s beauty, befitting the theme you want. Cotton and linen can make your home feel comfortable to lounge in, while silk adds a touch of exquisite classiness.

Lighting

Lighting is a crucial element in any home. Natural lighting can help emphasise your home’s airiness and spaciousness, but as night falls, keeping your home lit requires various light fixtures of different accents and colours. However, you will need to be mindful of electrical capacity issues. Rewiring and adding more power points can quickly add up, especially when you need to hire a professional electrician and the expense to set up the necessary electrical wiring safely.

Paint

Paint is an essential element of a home, mainly because it comes in many colours that match your desired theme, whether bright pastels or minimalist-friendly neutral tones. Avoid using paints containing heavy metals and organic solvents that may harm your health. Look for water-based paints or have the Singapore Green Building Label on them, certifying their safety for human (and pet) health.

Furniture and Decor

Both your furniture and decor go a long way toward shaping the look of your home, especially when they match the colour themes nicely. Suppose old furniture and decorative pieces fit your home’s thematic scheme. In that case, you can repurpose them, giving them a second lease on life while saving on costs. You could also find restored or secondhand options at a decent price that can go nicely with your home arrangements.

Flooring/Tiling

Flooring and tiling also augment the look and feel of your home. Marble lends itself to classy, luxurious homes with its cool touch and smooth appearance, while vinyl offers an affordable, good-looking alternative that is easy to apply and maintain. The amount of space to renovate can influence your overall flooring or tiling cost, so carefully weigh your available options. Most people tend to incorporate tiles only for the kitchen for easier cleanups, but your preferences may vary.

Plumbing

Proper plumbing installation ensures a clean, hygienic home. However, some elements—like pipes, taps, and shower units—can also enhance the appearance of your home. Ensure that your designer enlists a licensed plumber to oversee all plumbing works. It is vital to rectify leaks and other complications before putting the aesthetic elements into place.

Ventilation

Proper ventilation is essential for a variety of reasons. Natural ventilation can help keep your indoor climate comfortable despite the heat and humidity. Secondly, plan to install air conditioning. Good ventilation can help cool your home without needing multiple units installed. Lastly, it can help reduce the risk of mould damage by ensuring conditions are not ideal for mould growth.

Handy Tips and Tricks for Managing Interior Design Costs

Do Your Research

Even once you have found the right interior designer to turn your dream home into a reality, your research should also extend to other aspects of your interior design requirements. That means reading up on the theme you want for your home, the suitable materials, the appropriate furniture, and so forth. Some may even memorise their home’s floor plan if it gives them new insights on improving their home concept.

Arming yourself with this knowledge ensures that when you meet the designer, you can better understand what kind of work they have in mind to renovate your home. Rather than asking questions to clarify what they mean, you will have more confidence in relaying the relevant information to the designer more precisely while avoiding any confusion before work begins. You also benefit from research by having a better grasp on overall costs, allowing you to find alternatives to furniture or materials that are affordable while retaining the same quality.

Of course, we are not suggesting that you can single-handedly replace the designer. The important thing is that you can accurately detail your every need for your home to the designer, which is all the more important since the concept is yours; the designer is providing expert assistance to turn that concept into a reality.

Stick to the Plan

It can be very easy to get distracted by the renovations, especially when you have occasional flashes of inspiration that lead you to make numerous changes to the entire concept. On many occasions, you might even find yourself stressing the aesthetics of your home while completely neglecting the more essential parts of the renovation work, such as plumbing and lighting.

Come what may, you should always stick to the plan as closely as possible. Some changes are OK, but be sure to resolve the critical aspects first, especially structural concerns, rewiring needs, etc. Draw up a flowchart to highlight which areas need to be worked on before moving on to other, less essential features. Ask the designer to help you with this, too; an extra hand to keep the project on track never hurts.

It also helps to stick to the plan, so you save time and money on frivolous or last-minute upgrades and changes that do not meaningfully improve your desired living space. Not only are you wasting money, but you are also at risk of delaying the project timeline. It is better to be safe than sorry, after all.

Maximise Space

Pay close attention to each room and pathway in your home and think of how they interact with the rest of your home. Even if you are entirely remodelling every nook and cranny of your home, you want to maximise all available space so that nothing is wasted. Space maximisation revolves around clever compartmentalisation and harmony in form and function so your home feels comfortable while offering utility where needed.

In your eyes, achieving space maximisation can mean having clear pathways that inform the flow of foot traffic in your home, opening up walls for storage space, incorporating multifunctional furniture to add more storage while retaining aesthetic appeal, and making full use of corners or blank space as decorative highlights or more storage.

On that note, reducing the amount of clutter in your home is also a good idea, even if you are not pursuing a minimalist approach. Less clutter in any room can make it feel much more comfortable and inviting. Simplicity can add value to your home while improving its ambience.

Avoid Complexity

Design complexity can come in many forms. Take woodwork, for example. Complicated or odd-shaped carpentry will need a professional carpenter’s expertise to create, which can take time and a considerable amount of money. Moreover, hiring a professional to create your furniture can quickly get expensive, especially if you plan on having multiple unique pieces scattered across your home.

You can still get plenty of value from ready-to-assemble furniture and decorative elements from places like IKEA or Courts. At the same time, you can save a substantial sum of your renovation funding for more critical structural upgrades for your home.

Avoid Demolition Works

With resale homes, it can be daunting just thinking about the amount of work needed to reshape your home. Much of the work will require some walls to be demolished and rooms to be opened up. It might surprise you that removing a small part of the wall can be just as expensive as removing the entire wall; more precision is necessary to remove a set amount of wall without causing extra damage.

Why not consider working around these limitations instead? Conceptualise your design around the existing elements of your home instead; if you have to hack some walls, try to keep it to a minimum. You can save substantially by cleverly incorporating your home’s features around your new concept.

Be Present

Being around while the renovation is underway is essential so you are always in the loop of the project’s overall progress. It can make it easier for the designer to talk to you about potential complications or unwanted delays during renovation, giving you a better idea of what is happening and how to resolve issues. The same can be said about critical discussions surrounding cost hikes owing to extenuating circumstances or accidents, giving you complete control over how to proceed.

You also get to see the quality of work first-hand, ensuring you can make necessary adjustments on the fly if an element does not turn out as you hoped.

Find Contractors

While you could opt to go with the designer’s preferred contractors to help with the renovation work, there is a chance you may need to pay the designer extra as a finder’s fee and coordinate with these contractors. If you are not entirely comfortable with that or have your contacts, you can always choose to hire your contractors instead. It may be helpful to have a more reliable contractor to help you when you know them personally or someone you know recommended their services in good faith.

Take Away the Hassle with Design Identity’s Support

Our talented interior design team is always ready to take your living space ideas and create something you would love to call home. Contact us today, and we will walk you through our process and guarantee a hassle-free interior design experience at affordable prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I hire your interior design services?

With a wealth of industry experience, Design Identity aims to serve as your trusted partner to deliver limitless design solutions based on your conceptual ideas and working within your budget. Our years of expertise help us to transform your living spaces into works of art that seamlessly blend form and function. We also pride ourselves in delivering your home makeover needs to the highest of standards in combination with exceptional customer service and transparency.

Which style (i.e., minimalism) is more budget-friendly compared to the others?

The price of a design style you aim for can vary between interior design companies, even if some firms charge more for minimalism than others. The overall cost can depend on the number or type of materials and elements you want to incorporate, the project’s scope, the fees the designer charges, and various other factors. Speak at length with a few designers first to gauge the overall cost before settling on your choice of designer.

Can I source my own furniture or decor elements?

Let us know if you have a reliable source for these items, and we will focus on the other arrangements for your renovation work. Feel free to speak to us at length if you need any auxiliary support.