Let’s get something straight: getting clients is not the same as getting paid. You can be fully booked, working nonstop, and still end up wondering where the money went.
For most interior designers, income comes from two main sources:
Design fees
Selling product
There are other revenue streams like affiliate links, workshops, and coaching, but these two are the foundation of a sustainable design business. Fees pay for your time and expertise. Product sales build profit and help support the business long-term. Without both, you risk burning out or working for free—and nobody wants to be RH’s unpaid personal shopper.
Why Selling Products Matters
Many designers feel unsure about selling product. The logistics can be overwhelming—freight, storage, receiving, customer service, markup conversations—but it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
You don’t need to be a store to think like one. That chandelier that showed up in a giant crated box? Not something you want arriving at a client’s doorstep. You need a receiver, a solid vendor list, and a shift in mindset.
If you’re new to wholesale, start small. Most trade accounts are easy to open with just a resale license and no minimum order requirements. Keep in mind, most vendors will only ship to a commercial receiving dock, so you’ll need a warehouse partner. If that feels like too much to handle, consider joining a buying group. You’ll still make good margins, and they often manage the admin for you.
A few buying groups we’ve worked with and recommend:
Set a Minimum Product Spend
One of the biggest game changers? Adding a minimum product expenditure to your contracts.
It’s all too common: a client gets cold feet, pops into a retail showroom, and suddenly your profit disappears because they impulse-bought a junky sectional that costs the same—or more—than what you would have sourced. Setting a minimum might feel intimidating at first, but it’s the best way to get on the same page with the client and make sure your time and income aren’t chipped away piece by piece.
Be upfront about it. Let your clients know what that spend covers and why it matters. It protects the design process, keeps the project on track, and helps you stay in business. Most clients are more receptive than you’d think, especially once they realize how many decisions they won’t have to make alone. And the truth is, many genuinely want to support you as a local business. Giving them a clear way to do that can shift the whole dynamic.
Pro tip: use a Budget calculator to help them understand where the money goes. We also send our Procurement Guide to walk them through how the process works. Whether they’re into vintage, custom, or a little bit of everything, setting expectations early leads to fewer surprises—and a more profitable project.
Flat Fees vs. Hourly Rates
When it comes to design fees, we’re split: one of us charges flat fees, the other hourly. Both work but you have to understand what makes sense for you.
Flat fees give you predictability and let you be as obsessive or ruminative as you want without worrying about time logs. They also simplify billing. But they only work if you’re clear about what’s included (and what’s not).
Hourly can be great for project management or variable contractor involvement. But you need solid tracking systems and a clear plan for evaluating how long tasks actually take, especially if you’re thinking about moving to flat fees in the future.
The Big Picture
A healthy design business isn’t built on hope or vibes alone. It’s built on systems, boundaries, and knowing what you’re worth.
- Ask for 100% product payment upfront
- Build strong vendor relationships and consolidate your sourcing
- Stop eating the cost of time-consuming retail orders
- Set minimums that reflect the real cost of your creative labor
- Track your hours (even if you billed a flat fee) to know your true costs
Design is creative, yes. But it’s also business. And it’s time to stop apologizing for making money doing what you’re good at. And for the love of your back and sanity, stop trying to make a profit off 15% retail discounts. That’s not income—it’s pocket change.
Need help figuring our your numbers?
We created a Budget Calculator to help you confidently structure fees and set realistic purchasing minimums. It’s the tool we use to write clear, no-guesswork proposals—and it’s available to our Patreon members.
Want help explaining procurement to clients?
Our Procurement Guide breaks down the furniture sourcing and ordering process in a way that clients actually understand. It’s great for setting expectations, avoiding misunderstandings, and reinforcing the value of working with a designer.
🎧 Want to hear more? Tune in to Episode 66 of the Hot Young Designers Club Podcast.
