Overview: Interior Designers and Decorators
In Ontario, the words on the business card carry legal weight. The title interior designer is reserved by law for registered members of ARIDO. The law protects the title, not the work, so a decorator can still plan your living room under another name. Elsewhere, ask what the letters after a name really mean.
Ask how the firm charges before anyone brings out paint chips. Some bill by the hour, some set a flat fee for a written scope, and some earn their money on the furniture they order for you. Then ask which stages are in: the concept alone, or drawings, ordering and installation day as well.
Condos add their own layer. In Ontario, most changes to common elements need board approval and a written agreement with the condo corporation. Moving walls or plumbing usually needs a municipal building permit too. Get both answers before the drawings are final.
Our listings show what each firm states on its own website, from services to hours. Choose your province, then your city, to reach designers and decorators who work on homes like yours.
What do interior design services cost in Canada?
Separate advice, room planning and hands-on implementation. Design fees do not buy the furniture, renovation work or installation.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Initial design consultation | C$200–C$600per consultation | Initial design-advice session, commonly up to two hours; location, duration and follow-up notes agreed.Agree the session length, whether it is in person and what written follow-up is included. A consultation is not a complete room plan.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Consultation time; Agreed notes Budget separately or confirm: Detailed drawings; Purchasing |
| Design work by the hour | C$75–C$250per designer-hour | Named professional role; task scope, time tracking and budget cap agreed.Ask who will do the work, how time is recorded and what requires approval above the agreed hours or fee cap. This is an alternative way to price or book the work. Do not add it to another complete package for the same work.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Professional time; Specified deliverables Budget separately or confirm: Furniture and materials; Travel or disbursements |
| Single-room plan with an in-home visit | C$700–C$1,000per room | One room: in-home assessment, concept, layout and sourcing guidance; the client arranges implementation.Design fee only. Agree measurements, drawing detail and revisions; hands-on project delivery and custom kitchen design are separate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed room plan and sourcing list; Specified visit and revisions Budget separately or confirm: Furniture purchases and installation; Technical or permit drawings |
| Remote room-design package | C$750–C$2,200per room | Remote concept, layout and sourcing list for one room; revisions and drawing detail specified.Remote advice and documents rely on the agreed photos and measurements. Compare deliverables and revisions; these packages do not include in-home implementation.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed design documents; Specified revisions Budget separately or confirm: Purchases; Site implementation |
| Site and installation coordination | C$100–C$125per designer-hour | Agreed design-implementation visits or furnishing-installation attendance; authority and reporting defined.Design attendance does not automatically include contractor supervision. Agree the visit length, travel and authority to approve changes.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Professional coordination time; Agreed reporting Budget separately or confirm: Trade labour; Contractor supervision unless agreed |
| Purchasing and order-management fee | Scope-based quoteper agreed purchasing arrangement | Ordering, tracking and delivery coordination for an agreed product list; fee formula and responsibilities stated.For a percentage fee, state whether the base is net trade cost or retail price, exclude the fee itself, and agree how freight and taxes are treated. Studios may include ordering in a design fee, charge for time or add a product markup. Send the shopping budget, product list and logistics needs, and request the fee formula and total.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified ordering services; Agreed logistics coordination Budget separately or confirm: Goods, freight and storage; Installation labour |
What changes the price
- Decorating advice versus technical design, drawings and construction coordination.
- Number of rooms, custom joinery, sourcing complexity and revision rounds.
- Procurement fee basis, product markups, travel, freight and storage.
Ask before accepting a quote
- Which in-person visits, drawings, selections and revision rounds are included?
- How are purchases charged, what is any percentage based on, and who receives trade discounts?
- What happens to the fee if I change the brief, buy items myself or need help implementing the plan?
Check the full purchasing cost
- Ask for design fees, product costs, markups, delivery and installation as separate lines.
- Clarify returns, cancellations and ownership of drawings before approving custom orders.
Canadian context
Confirm which provincial or municipal approvals, specialist drawings or permit submissions are outside the interior-design fee.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
What separates a designer from a decorator?
A decorator works with the room you have: colour, furniture, fabric and light. A designer changes the room itself and produces drawings that trades can build from. In Ontario the difference is also legal, since the interior designer title belongs to ARIDO members. Anyone can offer either service, so ask what the firm will actually draw, and who takes responsibility for it if a permit is needed.
Can a designer draw the plans for my building permit?
In Ontario, only if they're qualified for it. Permit drawings have to come from an architect, an engineer or a designer registered with the province, unless an exemption applies. Designing your own house is one common exemption. Ask for the designer's BCIN, the identification number the province issues, and search it on the province's QuARTS registry. Many interior firms hand structural work to an engineer anyway.
Who keeps the trade discount on furniture?
It depends on the deal, so ask which one you're in. Some firms pass their trade price on and bill for their time. Others keep the margin and charge a smaller fee or none. Watch the border too. Furniture shipped from the United States is usually taxed on arrival, and the carrier can add its own brokerage fee. Get all of it written down before the first order.
What if furniture arrives late or damaged?
Settle the receiving plan in writing at the start: who takes delivery, who opens and checks each piece, where it waits, and who chases the carrier. Damage found after the driver leaves is much harder to claim. Anything coming across the border can sit in customs for a while, so ask for lead times in writing and leave slack before the install date.
Do the changes I want need permission?
Paint and furniture, no. Moving walls, drains or wiring usually needs a municipal permit and inspection. In a condo, ask the board before you touch anything outside your unit. Ontario's Condominium Authority says most changes to common elements need board approval and a written agreement that sets out costs and responsibilities. Read the declaration and rules before you fall for a hardwood sample.
How do I check that a designer is really registered?
In Ontario, search ARIDO's public directory. It lists registered members in good standing, and it's how the association expects you to confirm the title. The directory doesn't recommend anyone, so you still need references and a careful read of the contract. For permit drawings, the province's QuARTS registry is the place to check. A polished portfolio proves taste, not registration.
