Interior design proposal
Interior design proposal example for a 1920s home
An interior design proposal for a homeowner has to price the design separately from the furniture, show each stage the client can stop at, and quote in prices that already include GST. This example from a Hobart studio to a family renovating three rooms prices the design at $13,090 including GST, with a styling day and window furnishings as options.
The proposal, page by page
Every page as the client sees it and as it prints, pricing table included.
The pricing, line by line
- Concept design
- 1 × $3,300.00
- Design development
- 1 × $4,950.00
- Documentation for the builder
- 1 × $2,860.00
- Procurement and site visits
- 4 × $495.00
- Styling day (optional)
- 1 × $1,320.00
- Window furnishings design (optional)
- 1 × $990.00
- Tax
- $1,190.00
- Total
- $13,090.00
- Deposit due on acceptance
- $3,927.00
Section by section
- Cover
- An overlay cover naming the rooms, the house and the designer.
- About us
- A two person studio that works mainly on older homes.
- Understanding your needs
- A dark kitchen, a 1990s living room, a family of four, the fireplace and floors to keep, and a March build start.
- Our approach
- Concept, develop, document and deliver.
- Deliverables and timeline
- Concepts, joinery drawings, lighting and finishes, procurement, four dates to the end of February, and a note on furniture costs.
- Investment
- Four design stages including GST, with styling and window furnishings as options.
- Terms
- Deposit then stage invoices, revisions, approved purchases, stopping after any stage, copyright and validity.
- Next steps and acceptance
- Accept, tick options and sign, then the measure at home.
Why homeowners need a different proposal
A business client reads prices before GST because it claims the tax back. A homeowner cannot, so the price that matters is the one including GST, and Australian consumer law expects the total price to be shown when prices are quoted to consumers. This example is set to tax inclusive: each line already includes GST and the summary shows the GST share as Includes GST rather than adding it on. Homeowners also worry about the furniture budget, which is usually much bigger than the design fee. This proposal separates the two completely. The design fee is the pricing table; furniture and fittings are quoted item by item at trade price, approved in writing and paid before ordering. A client who can see the designer's fee on its own is more likely to trust it.
How the fees add up
Concept is $3,300, design development $4,950, documentation for the builder $2,860 and four site visits $495 each, a total of $13,090 including GST, of which $1,190 is GST. The styling day at $1,320 and window furnishings design at $990 are optional and marked as suggestions; with both the total is $15,400. The 30% deposit, $3,927, is invoiced when the clients accept. Clause 1 then invoices each stage as it is finished, which is why the stages are priced separately: the clients pay for concept when they have seen the concepts, and can stop there with the work they paid for.
How to adapt this proposal
Price your stages the way you actually work, and give each one a clear output the client can hold: boards, drawings, a schedule. Set the proposal to tax inclusive for homeowners and exclusive for commercial clients. Write the purchases clause carefully. If you add a margin to furniture instead of passing on trade prices, say so, because a client who later finds the same chair cheaper will remember the proposal. State who owns the drawings: here the client may build from them, and the studio keeps copyright in the designs, which is the usual position under Australian law unless you agree otherwise.
What makes this proposal work
Prices are what the client pays
The proposal is set to tax inclusive, so every line includes GST and the summary reads Includes GST. A homeowner comparing designers compares the number they will pay, $13,090 here, not a figure that grows by ten percent at the end.
Design fees and furniture are kept apart
The callout says furniture, lighting and tapware are not in the price and will be quoted item by item at trade price, and clause 3 requires written approval before any order. The client sees what the designer earns and keeps control of the bigger spend.
Every stage is a place to stop
Concept, development, documentation and site visits are separate lines, and clause 4 lets the client stop after any stage with the drawings for it. For a family committing to a renovation, that makes the first $3,300 an easy decision.
Questions people ask
What should an interior design proposal include?
The rooms and the brief, the design stages with what each delivers, a timeline tied to the builder, the design fee by stage, how furniture and fittings are bought and paid for, revisions, stopping points, ownership of the drawings and how to accept. This example covers all of it in five pages after a cover, for three rooms of a 1920s home.
How do interior designers charge?
By fixed fee per stage, by the hour, or as a percentage of the project cost. This example uses fixed fees per stage: $3,300 for concept, $4,950 for development, $2,860 for documentation and $495 per site visit, all including GST. Stage fees make it clear what the client is paying for at each point.
Should an interior design quote include GST?
For a homeowner, show prices including GST, because that is what they pay. This proposal is set to tax inclusive: every line already includes GST and the summary shows the GST share. For a business client, prices before GST with GST added as a line are usual, because the business claims it back.
Is furniture included in an interior design proposal?
Usually not in the design fee. This example keeps furniture, lighting and tapware out of the price, quotes each item at trade price for approval, and requires the client to pay before anything is ordered. Keeping the two apart stops the design fee looking larger than it is and protects the designer from carrying stock.
Can a client stop an interior design project part way?
In this proposal, yes. The work is priced in stages and clause 4 lets the clients stop at the end of any one, paying only for stages completed and keeping the drawings for them. Most clients do not stop, but knowing they can makes the first stage easier to agree to.
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