As an interior designer, there are several ways to generate additional income. One of the most effective ways is to create a digital course, which can be a quick and affordable way to generate income. Another option is to write an e-book, which can be a quick and affordable way to generate additional income. Additionally, you can use affiliate links to introduce VIP Days and start a YouTube design blog.
Passive income for interior designers can be generated through various sources, such as offering design consulting services, selling products like furniture or décor, or offering online courses or webinars. Diversifying your revenue streams ensures that you always have income coming in.
One of the main types of passive income for interior designers is product licensing for interior design products. This can be achieved through ecommerce, product lifecycle management (PLM), and brand promotion through blogging.
Another way to generate additional income is by offering e-design services, offering courses for clients, offering courses for other designers, and repurposing lightly used or vintage products.
In addition to these income streams, interior designers can also offer additional services such as writing and publishing an e-book, coaching fellow designers, and creating ebooks, look books, rooms-to-go guides, or courses. These digital assets can be created with their expertise and sold to increase client loyalty and stabilize their firm. By focusing on these strategies, interior designers can increase their earnings and become more successful in their careers.
📹 My 4 streams of income as an architectural designer (passive and active)
In this video, I want to share how I grew from one side hustle to four in a couple of years out of architecture school that has added …
How do interior designers make money?
Set fees are a method where a designer creates a detailed project brief and provides a set fee to complete the work. The fee is calculated by estimating the time and resources needed, along with a percentage of profit. The proposal should clearly state the scope, payment schedule, and additional work charges if needed. This approach is suitable for well-defined project briefs but less suitable for complex projects or when the project party is prone to changing their minds or scope.
Can interior design be a side hustle?
Interior design is a lucrative side hustle for those who enjoy decorating their homes. Many people develop a desire to become an interior designer after completing traditional college, but may not want to return to the traditional college system. This can be a daunting task, but with the internet and social media, it has become easier than ever. Many people don’t even try to pursue a non-traditional design education, but the internet and social media have made it easier than ever to find clients and start a career in interior design. The Interior Design Institute offers a comprehensive review series on the subject.
How does an interior designer add value?
An interior designer can significantly increase the resale value of your home by understanding the specific market and recommending the most effective remodels, finishes, and features. Their professional design style will enhance the home’s appearance, leading to more showings in the future. They also offer industry knowledge on obtaining the best prices on high-quality items and where to find them. Working with an interior designer can save time and help stay on budget by identifying where to splurge and save.
They can also act as a liaison between you and the construction team, understanding construction jargon and acting as your advocate to ensure your design vision is upheld. They not only design but also problem-solve any issues that may arise during the project.
Who is the richest interior designer?
Michael Chow, Ontario Foster, Twinkle Khanna, Cortney Novogratz, and Frank Lloyd Wright are among the top ten wealthiest interior designers, with an estimated net worth of $25 million each.
Is it profitable to be an interior designer?
Starting an interior design business can be a profitable venture, but requires dedication and organization. To get started, follow these nine main steps:
- Research the market: Understand the market and its options to determine how to run your business.
- Develop a business plan: Develop a detailed business plan that outlines your goals, target market, and legal requirements.
- Secure funding: Secure funding from investors or lenders to start your business.
- Register your business: Register your business with the appropriate authorities and obtain necessary licenses and permits.
Do interior designers save you money?
An interior designer can help avoid costly mistakes by guiding design and purchasing decisions. They can help avoid purchasing items that don’t fit or match the overall design concept, reducing wasteful spending. Interior designers often have established relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, allowing them to access trade discounts not available to the general public. They can also manage projects efficiently, coordinating with contractors and vendors, ensuring timely completion.
They also know how to optimize space, preventing over-purchasing of furniture and unnecessary remodeling, ultimately saving money. Overall, an interior designer can be a valuable asset in any project.
Can interior designers be millionaires?
Interior design is a creative and fulfilling profession that can lead to significant financial success. With the right combination of skills, experience, and strategic business practices, interior designers can become millionaires. The demand for skilled interior designers has been steadily increasing, as homeowners and businesses recognize the value of well-designed spaces. Designers can specialize in residential, commercial, or hospitality design, allowing them to tap into different revenue streams.
Successful interior designers often develop strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, giving them access to exclusive products and discounts. This enhances their profit margins and allows them to charge competitive rates while maximizing their income. In addition to project fees, interior designers can explore passive income opportunities such as teaching design workshops, creating online courses, or launching product lines that reflect their personal style.
Networking plays a crucial role in the success of interior designers. Attending industry events, joining professional organizations, and collaborating with other professionals can expand their reach and gain referrals. Word of mouth is a powerful tool in this field, and a strong reputation can lead to more high-paying clients.
The rise of technology and online platforms has opened new doors for interior designers. Tools like Coohom allow designers to create stunning visualizations and presentations, making it easier to attract clients and close deals.
In conclusion, the journey to becoming a millionaire in interior design requires dedication, creativity, and business acumen. By capitalizing on market trends, diversifying services, and building a robust network, interior designers can pave their path to financial success.
How to make profit in interior design?
To run a profitable interior design business, define your industry niche, create a memorable brand, curate an impressive portfolio, build an active online presence, be transparent in pricing, outsource everything possible, monitor your work closely, and build long-lasting relationships with clients. With adults spending an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes on digital platforms daily, it’s crucial to attract and engage prospects through online mediums like social media and websites. Even before submitting a proposal, potential clients will search for your company online and judge it based on your online presence.
How to make $1,000 a month passive income?
The following nine passive income strategies have the potential to generate a monthly income of $1, 000 or more: establishing a YouTube channel, creating a membership website, composing a book, developing a lead generation website for service businesses, joining Amazon’s affiliate program, marketing niche affiliate opportunities, creating an online course, and investing in real estate.
What type of interior designer makes the most money?
Interior design positions offering competitive remuneration include the roles of Interior Design Director, Senior Interior Designer, Interior Decorator, Space Planner, Commercial Interior Designer, Residential Designer, and Design Studio Consultant. The remuneration for these roles is typically within the range of $86, 500 to $133, 500 per annum.
📹 HOW TO MAKE MONEY AS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER: multiple revenue streams of an interior designer
IN THIS VIDEO YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT: – The difference between your income as an interior designer within a company vs an …
Nice to hear your life/work history and I am glad youre happy and doing well, Henry. I am an architect from Brazil. Graduated in 2004 and worked for 9 and 1/2 years for 3 firms (including 2 years in New York). Since 2013 I have my own practice here in São Paulo, a very small one, with two architects helping me out. Only now in 2022 I am starting to really have an income which I finaly think is decent. I almost gave up two times in the past years. Our profession takes a LOT OF pacience. This is key for somene willing to enter an architecture school to keep in mind.
I think it would be very valuable to also put in perspective the contacts/networking you developed to get opportunities/advantages. Someone with the same skills in a vacuum would not be able to launch the same side hustles; creating opportunities through interactions (jobs, emails, coffee meeting, friends/family connections) is really good context to decide if reducing a secure job is a good plan. A article on how you developed your network would really help people understand how to make a social framework for supporting their decisions😊 i’m currently in a foreign country (norway) and it’s a struggle to visualize my side hustle. Thanks for considering my comment!!!!
Americans are so wild, imagine calling “working a second job in the evenings” after five years of university a “stream of income”. You’re being tricked into a society where you work 80+ hours, friends. You’re not entrepeneurs, you’re not turning your passions into streams of income, you’re not diversifying your revenue trickles, or whatever your self help books call it. You’re working 2-3 full time jobs, when you should only be working ½ time for what you produce in value and commodities for society. You’re being scammed, friends. Please resist.
I’m an Arch. Designer and have been on this path since 2008. I’ve been solo full time now for 7 years now. I also have pursued web/graphic design and photo/video work alongside my design work. My wife also runs a family owned printing and graphics shop (vinyl decals and wraps, plans, card stock items like business cards, banners, etc.) and it compliments my work very well. None of it is easy by any means or super profitable (sometimes it can be) but we enjoy it. We most recently purchased our first commercial investment property as well (small storage facility) and are always working on growing and living debt free. With that “semi retired” freedom also comes sacrifice.
Side hustles (that is an expression that I would not have heard when I was your age) provide income but also keep your brain in a satisfied realm. They are a kind of emotional and creative safety net. I’ve been freelance (full time photographer) for 22 years now and so has my partner (full time set designer and prop stylist). I worked in publishing full time and my partner was a designer at an architectural firm before quitting full time corporate jobs ). You need to feel comfortable with knowing your income might be erratic. However, if you have skills that set you apart from your industry peers you can generate a good income. I probably tripled my income and and my partner maybe made 4 times as much. We still have side projects—we run a rental photo studio, a prop house, I make porcelain wheel thrown ceramics and we also have a few rental properties. All basically the fruits of side hustles that became full time endeavors. Your different ways of being creative and making income give you a broader view of job potentiality and most likely in a year or two you might find yourself pursuing one of these “side” hustles because it brings you more satisfaction and money.
I’m a current architectural student and the money is the only thing that makes me nervous about it. Money doesn’t mean everything to me and I love the work but school is expensive and paying off a 5 or 6 year degree on a relatively small income for that time frame makes me more and more worried after each semester.
I’m 31, switching to interior design for the past 1.5 years, and thrilled, but money is serious shit. I’m currently an intern at an architectural studio (it took already a long way to be there) but I obviously couldn’t make the same money as my previous job (business). it’s hard to crack the way into doing what you love and be able to live with it comfortably. Thinking about going back to business while finding ways to practice design, but time is limited. what a headache! thanks for your sharing.
I am a landscape architecture student who is close to graduating. This was a very helpful article! I often find my favorite part of the design process is 3d modeling and sketching/drawing ideas and illustrations on photoshop and rhino. This gives me hope that I can not only continue these pursuits, but can make extra money off of them. Thanks!
You’re a hero, man… I too am so dissapointed with how architecture profession is so underpaid. In a way, I understand why that is…but a tech person with less years in university than me has 3-4 times my salary when he begins…not to mention the possibility for growth in the field. And architecture is a difficult profession as well…
Great article Henry, I started taking a similar path, I decided finishing architecture school at this point wasn’t worth my time/ money. I’m currently working full time at an Architecture firm but do freelance drafting on the side and it has been great for me. Tried the Fiverr route originally but like your archviz, found it hard to compete with people who would draw plans for minimum wage. Love the idea to make prints into a passive income! I’ve always been a good illustrator but never thought of actually making it a source of income. Will have to see if it takes me anywhere… Thanks again for such an informative article!
Omg i can so relate, the expectation vs reality did slap me to horror of real life work. Especially the pay! 😮💨 Been practicing for years already and i’m thinking of shifting to a new career since I don’t really have any fulfillment yet on the job unlike the one that i’d imagine to be leading or managing lol and the pay! Yes the pay is a major letdown too, since we’re a thinking workforce yet the pay doesn’t match the stress we have. And maybe because I keep moving to different countries that I really hate starting from scratch again but oh well.. now i’m thinking of staying when I stumbled upon this… so maybe it’s the sidelines that will make it work instead of the main job 😐🤐🤭
Hi Henry Great article. Just subscribed. I’m an interior designer with my own business in Sydney. $ not too bad. I have been looking into other opportunities using my skills like rendering. I think Fiver has really killed opportunities for designers in western countries – we just can’t compete with people o/s willing to work for (relative) peanuts. Such a shame architecture and interior design rarely attract pay which is commensurate with the training and creativity required. Looking forward to checking out more of your articles.
This was suggested on my feed and all I can say is wow. You nailed it. As a full time intern architect right now, I am definitely feeling the creative stimuli lack. For my thesis I started this youtube website and to showcase a design-build project. Since then it’s turned into a side hussle, one that I want to grow and put more time in. Thank you for bringing to light all the different streams of “expertise” architecture schools teach as well as their shortfalls. This hit home. Glad to have found your website, subscribed!
While I live in Iraq, where medicine is the only profession in which graduates are recruited, I want to enter engineering and cooperate with other engineers where we can create something beautiful in my imagination always, But I don’t know how to do it later while my parents pressure me to do a thing that I never in it Is there anyone to guide me?
Yeah, arch viz used to be a great side hustle. Started doing it while still in college and after a couple years found enough recurring clients that I was making an extra $2k a month from only 4-5 days of work. Was never able to find enough clients to justify doing it full time, so I stopped, but as a college student it was a great way to pay rent.
Giving me a lot to think about. I graduated my architecture degree and have found a job in a building design firm as a building designer. Today really hit hard in realising that what I’m doing is not architecture and I was more or less told that I will not be making architecture in this job. I’d like to apply more of the skills I’ve learnt from my study partly to make more money, part not feel like I’ve wasted my time studying architecture and partly to keep developing a folio and series of ideas to try and make an impact on the built environment. I really need to look at what I was good at during my study and what I enjoy and develop the skills more. I’m glad to know it’s possible. I’m going to look into rendering I think
I am an architectural designer who got layoff recently and I have the photograph and free hand skills but I really don’t know how to start!! And after my first time getting layoff I feel the corporate companies don’t deserve my hard work because at the end they don’t appreciate it and once they run over budget they will let you go. Right now I feel disappointed and lost and I really don’t know who to start or even considering changing career especially with the job market nowadays it’s awful!
I’m a professional engineer with 15+ yrs experience and a MASc in Sustainable engineering, but I’m contemplating going back to do architectural technology to start my own design firm. I’m tired of having ideas and expertise that clients don’t use to actually do great things! Love the advice, very practical and real. I’m trying to claw my way into the hands-on side to get things built, but I may consider Canadian Arch Tech’y programs that bridge into an accredited MArch program to complete an architecture degree (ideally with some added benefit such as landscape or interior design capability being gained for the extra time and $). I have a lot of side skills to develop, business, marketing, photo/videography etc. Thanks!
My “side hustle” was always hands-on self-building ECOhomes these past 40+ years. Good to kill the Mortgage-Monstwr 😉 Job #1, actually, no matter your career! Especially If one considers themselves an “architectural designer”. Graphics is certainly NOT what Architecture is about. Hope y’all learn that vital Lesson…Buona fortuna! Don’t waste your talents on just creating “eye-candy”, kids
Really appreciate you being so open. I have had a side hustle for years providing residential architectural design. It’s not for everyone one has to develop some serious discipline and focus. I like many here are always seeking ways to decrease stress and streamline our processes. Nonetheless, I have found that vetting great people to support you in the beginning was my greatest challenge. Again, really appreciate you sharing your experiences and that there are many fulfilling opportunities as designers we can fill.
Great article topic. Years ago I worked as a director of leasing in a luxury high rise in NYC. Three young ladies rented a 1BR there and put up temp walls to make it accommodate three. All three were recent graduates of Cornell architecture school, and all three subsequently left the profession for more money in other fields. I saw it essentially as an artistic field, which like other artistic fields has a high barrier to entry, and initially low pay with few making it to the top. Seems unfair for such a rigorous academic endeavor.
How much time does it take for you to package your prints/drawings per week to ship out? or do you use a distribution centre. Asking out of curiosity because this adds time to your work/life balance, so wondering how much time that adds on. Thanks!! Love that you shared a diverse way to build income through things you are skilled at and enjoy doing too.
I’ve been struggling with this lately, trying to find a way to make some extra income. I don’t particularly excel at any one thing over another so I’m not sure which direction to go but as we all know, we don’t get paid much as intern architects/designers. It’s difficult to get started and to know which would be the more beneficial options…
I wanted to become an architect, but couldn’t afford the schooling..money or time as I went back to school when I was 50. Instead, became a structural drafter, and on to millwork drafting. After doing freelance work to gain experience, I saw how little money was made in architecture, and I’m glad I didn’t go that route. What has opened up possibilities though, was doing more freelance millwork design. It gives me freedom to get creative, and a fair bit of extra income. I’m still exploring more possibilities though, and seeing your article is getting me thinking. Thanks and subscribed.
Hello there! I’m a student of architecture from india, I’ll be graduating next year, my journey as an architecture student was amazing till last semester, securing outstanding grades in all design studio subjects, i had no intention for marks but, my intrest drew me to, after seeing the world outside the intrest droped all of the sudden, should i consider career shift?
Helo, Well first thank you ! Since I was young I wanted to be an architect, I have always been really artistic, but I have struggle to make it to the architecture master vs university in arts, so I decide do study 3 years to be an architectural technologist here in Canada. I just started the job, and seriously I hate it, but when I see the architects next to me, at least I know am almost sure I don’t want to be an architect. In reality I just want to be creative and have free time !
Really enjoyed listening to your skills and am very impressed by your sketches. Details are so well proportioned. I am a B.Arch grad and completed a B.A. in asian languages simultaneously. It was the latter that led me away from studio work to field work when I apprenticed as a garden constructor in Japan for 5 years. Today I yearn to do more design/build projects in residential architecture as the combination of home and nature is regaining popularity, especially in rural places.
Do you have a article that gets into the hourly rates or quotes you give for rendering or architectural photography? As you mention, there are some crazy cheap rates out there on places like Fiverr, but to counter that, firms must realize the value of working with a dependable person who is trained in architecture and can also do local shoots of buildings and such.
I’m a soon to graduate civil engineering student, and I have been thinking of pursuing an M.Arch, but this type of thing keeps me nervous. I wanted to pursue it to hone my design skills, I’m similar in that I’ve always loved to sketch and am pretty decent at it. Im not keen at the ideas of starting my own practice or business, but perhaps those smaller scale side businesses are something I could consider to still have some form of creative income and keep working a good wage in civil, instead of committing 3.5 yrs more for an architectural license…
Hi! I’m a sophomore student and I find your content very informative! I’m interested in selling sketches and holiday cards. I’m curious about how does it work? Specifically the workflow from producing on iPad(?) to printing (what kind of paper) and shipping, a process that doesn’t take too much time away from my schoolwork. Thank you so much!
I am in similar situation. But I choose to focus in architecture for side hustle as well. simply because there are so much to learn in architecture. I would rather spending the spare time perfecting the craft. True about the low income, I am in Australia, most of my friends working in other professional jobs earns at least double. They have all the spare times after working hours to themselves. They progress much faster in the hobbies such as tennis, surfing etc because they get to practice more while I have to work in the second job.
I am an odd case where I work almost full time at a firm and do part-time uni because I have support myself. This can get tough financially and it’s easy to get discouraged and want to move away from architecture because of all the lucrative web based stuff and side hustle propaganda, but this article has really helped with my mind set! No need to chuck poor architecture down the drain.
From what i understand, it’s illegal and against the law to promote or advertise as an architect but on the other hand, they get paid $2.8k SGD, starting salary for a Top university fresh master degree graduate e.g. @SUTDSingapore, almost 95% of their fresh graduate switch or change field upon graduation. to UX UI field.
A major factor in the professional service industry is acquiring and servicing clients. Servicing clients on a side hustle is extremely limiting, complicated and frustrating. The other side of moonlight work is you are eating into your own free time. working 60, 80, 100/week is a burn out…I did it for years. Balancing a professional career with some endeavors into the sales industry may have some financial/schedule perks. After 40 years in the profession, I feel it is best to balance your life…a full bank account does not equate to a full life. Over my career, i invested in passive income while pursuing my architectural practice until I could retire from full time work. I can now pursue my new goals-enjoying luthiery and raising funds for my favorite charity…-We see your tech no logical society devour you before your very eyes we hear your anguished cries exalting greed through progress while you seek material advances the sound of flowers dying carry messages through the wind trying to tell you about balance and your safety.” John Trudell
Here is what I would tell students as well as reasons why I hate side hustling. 1) You are in school forever. Once you get licensed, you maintain licensure by accruing annual learning hours with LunCH anD LearNS 2) Two categories of jobs in life: set-time and deadline. Arch is a deadline job. That means if you don’t hit your deadline, you work over and most jobs are salary based, so you work for free past 5. Also means you never know your schedule 100%. 3) Visualization is great and all, but you spend a lot of time in the software landscape. 4) You might get burnt out. If you do, side hustling becomes harder. 5) Following the #4, if you are overworked, or work normal with multiple side hustles, you have less time for GF, wife, kids, learning skills like fixing your own car, remodeling experience, just things you do yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. Constantly having to pay someone to do things for you means less income 6) Watch the movie Click. Unless you are super duper passionate about architecture, make life about work/life balance and not just working more and more to make up for an underpaid profession. I understand people who make a lot worked hard, but this is not what life should be. 7) Avoid big companies like SOM. Might look good on a resume, but they work you till you die.
Henry! I have a question, how would be a good way to sell my services on a freelancer page as an architect? My question is because I’ve Just graduated of architecture and I’ve seen a hard competition in this market and I would like to know how to gain clients. Thank you for the article I really liked it☺☺
I love this article! Thank you Sintija! 🙏🏼 I feel like I am not there yet to grow the digital platforms income streams yet but I would like to learn more about the structure/managing of margins and trade discounts when overseeing projects. Would love you to expand on this in one of your next articles please 🙏🏼
Im a residential interior designer (with commercial experience) in Canada and the studio I work at, we are the project managers as well! We don’t give our discount to our clients so we make money off the trades discount for sure hehe but we also don’t upcharge the FFE and I know some designers do this