One of the first questions clients understandably ask is: how much should I budget for my interior design project?
The honest, if slightly frustrating, answer is that no two projects are quite alike. The cost of renovating a London home depends on its size and condition, the extent of the work, the quality of the finishes and furnishings, and how much is being designed or made especially for you. Refreshing and furnishing an apartment is a very different proposition from reconfiguring and restoring an entire period house.
There are, however, some useful starting points. Understanding how a project budget is structured can help establish realistic expectations from the outset and, importantly, ensure that money is directed towards the things that will make the greatest difference.
What does a high-quality London renovation cost in 2026?
As a broad starting point, in 2026 I would suggest allowing around £2,500–£3,500+ per square metre for a substantial, design-led London renovation encompassing high-quality construction, finishes and fitted elements.
For highly bespoke projects, where there might be extensive custom joinery, specialist craftsmanship, exceptional materials or particularly complex work, the figure can rise considerably. For projects of this nature, or homes in prime central London areas such as Belgravia and Chelsea, £3,500–£5,000+ per square metre may be more realistic.
To make those numbers a little less abstract, take a four-bedroom, four-bathroom London house of approximately 250m². At £2,500–£3,500 per square metre, the renovation budget might sit somewhere around £635,000–£885,000. At a particularly bespoke or prime London level, this could rise towards £885,000–£1.27m+.
These figures are starting points rather than rules. I have yet to encounter two houses, or indeed two clients, with quite the same requirements. Structural work, the condition of the building, access, craftsmanship and specification can all move the dial considerably.
It is also important to remember that the renovation figure is not the complete project budget. Interior design and other professional fees, loose furniture and furnishings, artwork, procurement, delivery and contingency all need to be considered too.
These figures are indicative of design-led London residential projects in 2026 and are intended as general guidance rather than quotations. Individual project costs vary according to the property, scope and specification.
What should the overall budget include?
I find it helpful to think of a project budget as a number of interconnected pots rather than one intimidatingly large figure.
Design and professional fees cover the creative and technical work required to develop the scheme, alongside any architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors or specialist consultants the project requires.
Construction, fixtures and finishes encompass the physical renovation itself, together with elements such as flooring, stone, tiles, sanitaryware, brassware, architectural lighting and decorative finishes.Costs can vary considerably according to the scale and complexity of the work and the level of specification, particularly where specialist materials, finishes or craftsmanship are involved.
Bespoke joinery and fitted furniture might include kitchens, wardrobes, libraries, bathroom vanities and fitted storage. Costs vary considerably according to scale, materials, hardware and craftsmanship, and meaningful quotations generally require a sufficiently developed design.
Furniture and decoration include furniture, decorative lighting, rugs, window treatments, artwork, mirrors and accessories: the elements that transform a completed renovation into a layered and personal home. Not everything needs to occupy the same price point. A beautifully made sofa or wonderful rug might sit alongside an antique, a modest vintage find or something a client has owned for years. What matters is that everything earns its place.
Procurement, delivery and installation should have their own allowance too. Storage, specialist handling and London access can add considerably to costs. Getting a cast iron bath to a top floor master ensuite can occasionally prove rather more complicated than choosing it.
Finally, always establish whether figures include VAT and retain a genuine contingency, particularly when renovating an older property. Even with careful planning, work can reveal outdated wiring, plumbing problems or previous alterations that need to be addressed. The contingency is there for the things nobody expected to find behind the wall, rather than the one off artwork we have already fallen in love with.
Where should you invest?
I don't believe the best interiors are created by choosing the most expensive option at every turn.
For one client, it might make sense to invest heavily in a family kitchen that will be used from breakfast until bedtime. For another, the priority might be beautifully made joinery, wonderful lighting, an important piece of art or curtains that completely change the atmosphere of a room.
Our role is to look at the project as a whole: where will craftsmanship have the greatest impact, what can be retained, and where will a more economical choice work every bit as well?
Some of the most interesting rooms come from mixing something beautifully made with something old, unexpected or pleasingly ordinary. A successful budget gives us the freedom to make those choices deliberately.
Begin with an open conversation
You don’t need to arrive at our first meeting with every figure resolved. It is helpful, however, to have a sense of the overall investment you feel comfortable making and what you expect that figure to encompass.
An open conversation about budget allows us to shape an appropriate scope, establish priorities and consider whether the home is best approached as one complete project or in thoughtfully planned stages.
For me, the useful question is rarely simply, “How much will this cost?” It is, “How can we spend the available budget intelligently?”
That is ultimately what good budgeting is about: making discerning choices and investing in the things that will bring character, function and lasting pleasure to the home.
