EP 144 | Flat Fees vs Hourly Fees for Interior Designers with Marylou Sobel (Part 1)

Should interior designers charge hourly fees or flat fees?

In this episode, Kimberley Seldon answers questions from award-winning Australian designer Marylou Sobel about pricing structures, specialization, and how designers can create more profitable businesses by following proven systems and processes.

Many interior designers struggle to choose the right fee structure and worry about positioning themselves too narrowly. Kimberley explains why profitability, process, and specialization all play a critical role in building a successful interior design business.

In this episode, we learn:
• Why hourly fees should be structured for profit — not just to cover overhead
• How different clients may prefer different pricing models
• Why hourly fees often carry less risk for interior designers than flat fees
• How to handle clients who want you to deviate from your established process
• Why specialists tend to earn more than generalists
• How following the BOD™ 15 STEP Project Management Strategy improves project outcomes
• Why “full service” is not a meaningful differentiator in today’s market
• How stronger systems and positioning lead to greater profitability and client confidence

Design Intervention

To grow a business, employ the correct staff, that can benefit your business, even if you feel like you can’t afford the salaries. Instead of wearing all the hats, hire staff to free up some of your time.

Marylou Sobel, one of Australia’s premier interior designers, is known for the exceptional service and the unique, one-of-a-kind interiors she creates for prominent clients around the country.

Marylou, an award-winning full-service designer, provides everything from space planning to project management. She customizes and personalizes her designs to fit each client’s lifestyle, saving them time, money and stress in the process.

Clients use words like “fantastic,” “outstanding,” “incredible style and taste,” “extremely talented,” and “a pleasure to work with” to describe her. She has designed four homes for a single client, and often works with different generations of the same family.

She is a past winner of the “Top 50 Rooms” honours by Australian House & Garden magazine, and other design awards, and her work has been featured in several publications, including the book “Interior Design Review” by Andrew Martin.

www.marylousobel.com.au

Thank you to our amazing sponsor!