Interior design is a rewarding and highly creative process. Once you've established your business, you may find yourself with more work than you can handle. However, in some regions, the market is oversaturated with freelance designers, or demand is low. Diversifying your services into related niches offers alternative revenue streams, ensuring a steady income flow even during slower periods.
This article will explore...
- Diversifying your interior design services can boost income and prevent burnout by allowing connections in other sectors, finding new clients, and learning new skills.
- Offering online design consultations can expand your reach and income. Promote these services on your website and social media to attract more clients.
- Explore related niches like home staging, window treatments, renovation contracting, professional organizing, and landscape artistry to open new revenue streams and reduce dependency on traditional projects.
Why you should diversify as an interior designer
Adding alternative branches to your interior design business provides more than just another income stream. Other benefits include:
- Avoiding burnout
- Making connections in other sectors
- Finding new clients
- Learning new skills that enhance your design expertise
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average interior designer earns about $61,590 annually, with a growth rate of around 3% per year, which is average compared to other professions.
To reach a six-figure income, you need either elite clientele or to offer additional services. Here are some alternative revenue ideas that align with the skills of a professional interior designer.
1. Online professional design consultant
As an interior designer, adding an online component to your services can significantly expand your reach beyond your local area. According to the BLS, there are 94,900 available jobs with a modest 4% annual growth rate, making freelancing a viable alternative. By consulting with clients online, you can access new markets and increase your income. For instance, you could provide design concepts to a doctor’s office in Japan or a homeowner across the country.
Many clients prefer to avoid the higher costs associated with full-service design and instead seek a plan for furniture purchases and placement. Forbes estimates that consultations range from $450 to $1,500 per room, while a designer handling the entire process can cost between $2,000 and $12,000. Just adding two online consultations per week could boost your revenue by $12,000 annually.
To get started, create a dedicated tab on your website or social media page for these services. Inform your followers about the new offerings and how they can learn more. Encourage them to share your posts and their positive experiences with others. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful marketing tools, as people tend to trust recommendations from peers over those from unfamiliar business owners.
2. Home stager
According to the National Association of Realtors, 81% of agents believe that viewing a well-staged home helps buyers envision themselves living there. As an interior designer, developing close relationships with real estate agents can open up alternative revenue streams by offering home staging services.
Start by practicing staging rooms and creating a portfolio with photos to showcase your work. Use items the homeowner already owns and find unique pieces from swap meets and auctions. Identify companies that lease furnishings for staging, retrieving them after the sale unless the buyers choose to purchase them. Alternatively, rent storage space to keep items for future staging projects. A significant bonus of working as a home stager is receiving referrals from satisfied clients, potentially leading to redesign projects for new homeowners.
The income you can earn as a home stager varies widely. Factors such as location and demand greatly impact your salary. For instance, stagers in San Jose, California, experienced a 97% wage increase, while those in Las Vegas, Nevada, saw no growth. Salaries can range from $23,636 to $209,896. Working part-time may limit your earnings, but hiring additional employees to handle furniture moving can free up your time for more clients, boosting your revenue.
3. Window Treatment Expert
Deciding on the right window treatments, finding the correct size blinds, and choosing the best curtains can be daunting for those without design experience. Many people might not have the budget to hire a professional designer for an entire room but are willing to pay for help with window treatment options.
Highlighting beautiful windows can enhance a home's appeal by allowing more light in and showcasing natural beauty. Begin by cleaning the windows, then use curtains to accentuate the architecture. Consider getting certified to install window blinds and earn a commission on sales. According to Salary.com, a blind installer’s salary ranges from $69,260 to $87,369, depending on compensation and working hours.
As an interior designer, you can make a room look fantastic while providing privacy by using long, flowing curtains to create the illusion of high ceilings. Leverage your design skills to give any room personality and charm through the subtle yet impactful addition of window treatments. This alternative service can be a valuable revenue stream, adding variety to your offerings and boosting your income.
4. Renovation Contractor
As an interior designer, you have the unique ability to envision and showcase what a finished project will look like. Offering project management services allows you to bring these ideas to life by leveraging the relationships you've built. As a renovation contractor, you act as the project manager, connecting homeowners with the right experts, including electricians, plumbers, framers, installers, and painters.
Contractors typically base their fees on the overall project cost. Some manage the entire job from start to finish, delivering a turnkey product to the homeowners. Others focus on finding the best quotes and workers to complete the job, charging a fee for their consultation services. Discuss the budget with the homeowner, determine which tasks you'll handle, and agree on your fee. This alternative service can provide a significant revenue stream, diversifying your income as an interior designer and offering clients a comprehensive solution for their renovation needs.
5. Professional Organiser
People often feel overwhelmed when trying to organize their homes, especially families who have lived in the same place for decades and are preparing to downsize. As an interior designer, you can utilize your layout skills to create innovative storage solutions for closets and rooms, making everything look like a model home. You can help reduce clutter and encourage clients to part with items they no longer need. If an item has been collecting dust in the attic for 40 years, it might be better suited for charity or a family member.
The best way to start organizing is with a clear storage plan. Encourage homeowners to sort their belongings into three piles: keep, throw away, and donate. Lay out the closet like a puzzle, creating designated spaces for each type of item. Arrange all the "keep" items back in an orderly fashion and label each space so the homeowner knows where everything belongs long-term. These solutions help current residents and future buyers maintain organization from the start.
As you gain more clients and confidence in organizing, you will attract more customers through referrals. Reach out to your former interior design clients to see if they need help organizing or know someone who does. Inform your network that you offer organizing as an alternative service, so they can refer you to new homebuyers and sellers. Angi's List estimates that hiring a professional organizer costs between $250 and $833 per area, depending on the job size and your experience. Filling your schedule with organizing tasks during slower interior design periods can significantly boost your income
6. Landscape Artist
As an interior designer, you're already skilled at creating beautiful indoor spaces, so why not expand your expertise to the exterior as well? You can develop stunning hardscapes or landscape works of art using plants, rocks, and other design elements. According to Zippia, landscape artists earn about $22 per hour, but your unique skills and design talent can significantly impact your earnings.
Collaborate with real estate agents to stage the exteriors of homes, enhancing curb appeal which is crucial as the outside is the first impression for potential buyers. You don’t need to do the physical landscape work to create the designs. Instead, you can focus on adding color with potted plants, designing the porch area, or incorporating outdoor furnishings to expand the living space and make the backyard more inviting. This alternative service can provide a valuable revenue stream, diversifying your income and broadening your design portfolio.
Diversify into interesting areas
The above ideas can help you start diversifying your interior design business, making it more recession-proof. As you work with clients, pay attention to their needs. Often, the best alternative revenue ideas arise from unresolved problems that you can solve with your expertise.
Flexibility is key to success. When your income as an interior designer falls short, or you start feeling burnt out from constant creative work, it's time to seek a side hustle to break the monotony and maintain a steady cash flow. The more streams of income you generate, the less dependent you'll be on a few clients. This approach ensures you find success regardless of market conditions or industry saturation.
Evelyn Long is an interior design expert passionate about improving the businesses and services of professional interior designers. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Renovated Magazine, where she shares interior design tips for renters and homeowners. Subscribe to Renovated for more posts by Evelyn.
