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How to Make Money as an Interior Designer: A Comprehensive Guide

March 8, 2023
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Interior design can be a lucrative business. It’s about more than just changing paint colors and swapping out old furniture. It requires a skillful eye and the ability to collaborate with other people. However, there are many different ways interior designers can make money. The COCOCOZY team is sharing some of our best tips and expert advice on how interior designers can find ways to monetize their design skills. Check out our guide below.

Different Ways Interior Designers Can Make Money

There are many levels to interior design. It’s a complex process that requires an expert to help clients achieve their design goals. There are a variety of different ways to monetize and scale a business.

  1. Full-Service Design – Professional designers can offer their expertise by brainstorming concepts, sketching layouts, project management, and overseeing execution. Designers can charge an hourly fee or a retainer with clients.
  2. Affiliate Marketing – In the age of digital marketing, designers can now sell their own products on an e-commerce store or earn commissions from their recommendations. Platforms including Chirpyest, offer designers the opportunity to make affiliate links from 1000s of brands. Or established designers can create relationships with home and decor brands by joining their affiliate programs.
  3. Consultations – Consultation services are one of the most popular ways for designers to make money. For clients who don’t have a budget for a full-service designer, it’s a great opportunity to pick their brains. Designers can advise clients to help them achieve the design of their dreams. That includes consulting color palettes, and furniture styles, and even teaching online courses. The magic of the internet now allows interior designers to do virtual consultations too.

A designer’s main goal is to collaborate with clients to deliver high-quality work that exceeds clients’ expectations. Happy clients will lead to referrals that will help increase business revenue and reputation.

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Wall Art 1 | Wall Art 2 | Bed | Pendant Light | Rug

Side Table | Duvet | Throw Blanket | Pillow 1 | Pillow 2

Earn 7.5% cash back from Lulu & Georgia with Chirpyest

Build Your Online Portfolio

No one will market yourself better than…yourself! Building an online portfolio isn’t as difficult as you might think. An online portfolio should feature your best work and the services you provide. Share as many details about yourself and your design style as you can. It will help potential clients learn about your design process to see if it’s a good fit for their interior design needs. Make sure it’s consistently updated to show how your design skills have evolved with design trends

Interior Designers Should Leverage Social Media

If you’re not on social media already then you better start right now. Social media is the best way to expose your business to potential clients. Prioritize platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, & TikTok. Use the platforms to share your work and connect with new people. A strong social media presence will increase your chances of attracting clients! This is also a great opportunity to network with other interior designers to learn and find inspiration. Interior designers can now become their own influencers. Designers with s loyal following can do content partnerships with major brands like Target, Wayfair, and more to earn money. And if a brand likes your style, you can get an opportunity to design custom collections to be sold at the retailer. There are endless possibilities to make money on social media.

Leverage Social Media Platforms and Online Marketplaces to Reach a Wider Audience

Social media platforms and online marketplaces can be great tools for interior designers who want to expand their client base. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Houzz allow you to showcase your portfolio and reach potential clients who are searching for inspiration or ideas. You can also use these platforms to connect with other professionals in the industry and build relationships with key influencers. In addition, online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and Chairish can help you sell handmade or vintage items directly to consumers. By listing your work on these marketplaces, you can potentially reach a wider audience than you would by selling solely through your own website or brick-and-mortar store.

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Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 | Book 4 | Book 5 | Book 6

+ 7.5% cash back at Assouline with Chirpyest

Offer Additional Services like Home Staging & Personal Shopping to Diversify Your Income Streams

Home staging is a popular service that can help realtors sell their clients’ homes. Realtors are constantly looking for designers to style a listing to give the space an upscale makeover. Home staging is the process of styling a home for sale in order to maximize the home’s value. This includes minor adjustments like decluttering and adding modern art pieces. Or it can be a more intense design makeover that includes swapping out furniture and reorganizing the space.

Shopping for clients with Chirpyest is an easy way to generate extra revenue for your interior design business. Chirpyest offers members the ability to earn cash back from over 850 brands including Soho Home, One Kings Lane, Pottery Barn, Wayfair, and more. Designers can also use the platform to earn cash back by sharing their recommendations on their curated shopping boards. Join for free at Chirpyest.

Offering innovative services for clients can help generate new streams of revenue.

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Chandelier | End Table 1 | Mirror | End Table 2

+ 7.5% cash back at Overstock with Chirpyest

Why Interior Designers Are Using Chirpyest?

Colette started Chirpyest to help empower small business owners and micro creators to monetize their recommendations as the big influencers do. Everyone’s voice has value. So why not be able to earn money by sharing recommendations? You’re always going to share items you love. You might as well earn cash back too! Since Colette has a passion for interior design, Chirpyest is affiliated with home brands including Soho Home, Lulu & Georgia, Scout & Nimble, One Kings Lane, and more. Making her platform the go-to for interior designers to earn cash back. Chirpyest is super easy to use. Add the browser extension to your toolbar to automatically be alerted when cash back is available while shopping online. The platform also has sharing tools to make affiliate links and digital storefronts to share recommendations and earn commissions. Interior designers, realtors, and home stagers are now using the platform to make even more money for their businesses! Check it out here.

Featured Image by COCOCOZY / Melissa Gayle

Want to learn more ways to make money as an interior designer? Check out this blog.

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
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JOIN ME TOMORROW! Celebrating the Legacy of the Bl JOIN ME TOMORROW! Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home with @aphrochic! This Friday I'm excited to chat with @simplybridgid who is hosting a talk about the book through the beautiful community space she has founded at @the.blackbird.house! 

Myself and Camille Simmons of @shopplanningpretty will be joining the conversation! I'm super excited!

WHEN & WHERE? 
Join us this Friday at 12pm PST / 3pm EST for a virtual event on Blackbird’s YouTube channel for what’s going to be a great conversation about the Black family home.
Photography by @patrickclinephotography

See you there! 

#coffeetablebook #blackcreatives #blackcreators #interiordesigninspo #interiorinspo #myhometrend #myhome2inspire #cococozy #socococozy #bringstylehome
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Photography by @paul_massey @houseandgardenuk 

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🎥: @cococozy 
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Design by @zoefeldmandesign 
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