Updated October 2026
E-design costs roughly USD 159 to 1,099 per room in 2026, depending on who you hire. Havenly lists USD 159–499 per room, Decorilla's standard packages run USD 599–1,099 per room, and independent online designers and small studios typically sit between the two. A traditional in-person designer, by comparison, often charges USD 150–300 an hour.
The price gap is real, but so is the gap in what you get. Here is how online interior design cost breaks down, what's included, and how to tell whether it's worth it for your space.
How much does e-design cost in 2026?
Most online interior design falls into three price bands per room: platform entry tiers under USD 500, platform premium tiers and independent studios at USD 500–1,100, and hourly or full-service work above that. The figures below come from each company's own pricing page or published guide, read in October 2026.
Havenly: USD 159–499 per room, flat fee, according to Havenly's interior design cost guide.
Decorilla: Bronze USD 599, Silver USD 859, Gold USD 1,099 per room, with promotional prices of USD 479, 739 and 979 shown at the time of writing. Platinum, with project management, starts at USD 1,980, and Decorilla offers 10% off multiple rooms (Decorilla pricing).
Desynte Remote Design: USD 650 per room, or USD 1,650 for a full apartment of up to three rooms (our pricing).
Design-only flat fee, in-person designers: USD 450–1,500 per room, per Fiverr's August 2026 interior designer cost guide.
Hourly designers: USD 50–450 an hour, averaging USD 150 (Fiverr), or USD 150–300 for traditional designers according to Havenly. Decorilla quotes USD 119–500 an hour for custom work.
Remember that the design fee is only one part of the budget. Havenly puts a typical full room, design fee plus furniture, at USD 2,500–7,000.
Platform vs independent designer: what does the price difference buy?
Platforms sell volume: a fixed process, a large pool of designers and a shopping list tied to retail partners. Independent designers and small studios sell judgment: you work with one person, they often specialize, and they can source from any retailer. The price is similar; the experience isn't.
Questions that reveal the real difference:
Who designs your room? Decorilla says two designers submit concepts on each standard tier. With an independent studio you know who you're getting before you pay.
Where does the furniture come from? Some platforms favor partner retailers. Ask whether you can buy from anywhere, including local stores in your country.
Does the designer specialize? A small-space or rental-property specialist makes different calls from a generalist, especially on furniture scale.
Is there a markup? Fiverr reports traditional designers add 17–45% to product costs. Ask whether the prices on your list are the retail prices you'll pay.
What's included in e-design, and what isn't?
A good e-design package includes a to-scale floor plan, at least one visual (a 3D render or mood board), a shopping list with real products and prices, and a set number of revisions. It doesn't include site visits, ordering, delivery management, installation or contractor coordination, so you carry out the plan yourself.
Havenly's own description of online interior design lists a floor plan, a 3D render, a shopping list and revisions, with most designs returned in about a week. It is also clear about the limits: online design "isn't the right call if you're mid-renovation with contractors on site."
Before you book, check each of these in writing:
Is the floor plan to scale, and annotated with dimensions?
How many renders, and are they photoreal or collage-style boards?
Does the shopping list include product names, dimensions and prices, or only links?
How many rounds of revisions, and what counts as a revision?
What's the turnaround in working days?
Can the designer work around furniture you already own?
How does e-design cost compare with full-service interior design?
E-design costs a fraction of full service. Havenly quotes traditional designers at USD 5,000–20,000+ per room in fees, often with a USD 15,000–50,000 project minimum, against USD 159–499 per room for its own online service. The trade-off is that with e-design, you do the ordering, scheduling and installing.
A simple way to think about it:
E-design: you pay for the plan. You're the project manager.
Full service: you pay for the plan and for someone to run it, usually with trade pricing, markups and site visits built in.
Hybrid: some studios offer design plus sourcing, or a remote plan with local installation. This is often the best value for small homes and rentals.
For a studio or one-bedroom apartment, project minimums alone can rule out traditional full service. That's one reason online design suits small-space owners so well.
Is e-design worth it?
E-design is worth it if you're furnishing or refreshing a room, are comfortable ordering and assembling furniture yourself, and want a plan that stops expensive mistakes. It's not worth it if you need structural changes, can't manage deliveries, or want someone on site to make decisions for you.
E-design suits you if:
You're moving into a new apartment and starting from empty.
You've bought pieces that don't work together and need a plan to fix it.
You own a rental and need it furnished well, quickly, from a distance.
Your furniture budget is closer to the USD 2,500–7,000 per room Havenly quotes for a full room than to full-service levels.
It's the wrong fit if you're moving walls, changing plumbing or need contractor management. Get a contractor or full-service designer for that work.
The math usually favors a plan. If a USD 650 design stops you buying one wrong-sized sofa, it has largely paid for itself.
How is Desynte's Remote Design priced, and why per room or per apartment?
Desynte's Remote Design costs USD 650 per room, or USD 1,650 for a full apartment of up to three rooms, which works out to USD 550 per room. That puts it between Decorilla's Bronze and Silver list prices and above Havenly's range, with a photoreal render and a full sourcing list included in every project.
Each Remote Design project includes:
Layout options with an annotated, to-scale floor plan
One photoreal render
A palette and materials direction
A full sourcing list with product names, dimensions and price bands
Two rounds of revisions
Delivery in 10 working days
Why the full-apartment price? In a small home, rooms aren't separate projects. A studio's living zone and sleep zone share one floor, and a one-bedroom's palette should run from the entry to the bedroom. Designing them together is faster for us and more coherent for you. We explain the thinking behind fixed-scope design in our post on design as a product.
Not ready for a full design? Our Floorplan Review gives written layout direction on your plan for USD 125, credited in full if you book Remote Design within 30 days.
How do you prepare for e-design to get the most from it?
Send accurate measurements, clear photos and a real budget. Most e-design delays and disappointments come from missing dimensions or a budget that doesn't match the brief. Ten minutes with a tape measure can save a round of revisions.
Measure everything: wall lengths, ceiling height, window and door positions, and the height of window sills.
Photograph every wall: in daylight, standing in each corner.
List what stays: furniture you're keeping, with dimensions.
Set a furniture budget: a total, not "as cheap as possible".
Share how you live: working from home, hosting, pets, guests, or rental guests.
Save references: five to ten images you like, and a few you don't.
Not sure your plan works before you start? Our furniture clearance guidelines and studio apartment layout ideas will help you check.
FAQ
How much does an online interior designer cost per room?
In 2026, expect roughly USD 159–1,099 per room. Havenly lists USD 159–499, Decorilla's standard tiers are USD 599–1,099 before promotions, and Desynte's Remote Design is USD 650 per room. Furniture is always extra.
How much does an interior designer charge per hour?
Fiverr's 2026 guide puts the US range at USD 50–450 an hour, with an average of USD 150. Havenly quotes USD 150–300 for traditional designers. Online platforms usually avoid hourly billing and use flat per-room fees.
Can an online designer work with my existing furniture?
Yes, most can. Send the dimensions and photos of each piece you're keeping, and the designer will plan around it. Confirm this before booking, since some packages assume a full furnish.
Is e-design good for small apartments?
Small apartments are where e-design works best. Furniture scale matters most in small rooms, and a to-scale plan catches problems before you buy. Look for a designer who specializes in small spaces.
Does e-design include renovation plans?
Usually not. E-design focuses on layout, furniture, finishes and decor. Havenly says online design isn't the right call mid-renovation with contractors on site. For wall or plumbing changes, you need a contractor and local permits.
How long does e-design take?
Havenly says most designs come back in about a week. Desynte's Remote Design is delivered in 10 working days, including the floor plan, render and full sourcing list.
How Desynte can help
Desynte is an independent studio, designing since 2020 for clients in the US, Latin America, the EU and the UAE, with a focus on small apartments and rental properties. You work directly with the designer, and you get a to-scale plan, a photoreal render and a sourcing list you can buy from anywhere.
