There’s no single number that answers “how much does interior design cost in Lagos,” and any figure quoted without context isn’t especially useful.
A single-room refresh and a full apartment renovation are different projects with different budgets, and material choices alone can shift a price significantly. What’s more useful is understanding the specific factors that drive cost, so that when you do request a quote, you already know what’s shaping the number.
Why Interior Design Doesn’t Have a Fixed Price
Interior design pricing in Nigeria is project-based because it depends on so many variables including the size of the space, how many rooms are involved, whether you’re starting from scratch or working with existing furniture, and how custom the work is.
Two three-bedroom apartments in the same estate in Lekki Lagos for instance can end up with completely different costs depending on what the client actually wants done. This is why credible design companies avoid quoting a flat number online and instead price based on a proper look at the project.
Ten Main Factors That Affect Interior Design Cost in Lagos Or Nigeria
Size of the Space and Number of Rooms
This is the most straightforward factor. More square metres and more rooms mean more materials, more labor hours, and more decisions to make. A single living room project will always cost less than a full three-bedroom apartment, all else being equal.
Scope of Work
Scope is where costs diverge the most as a project can range from styling and decoration only, to full design involving layout changes, custom joinery, and finishing work. Full design and finishing projects involve more coordination and more trades, which naturally increases cost compared to a decoration-only project.
Design Complexity
A simple, clean layout with standard furniture placement costs less to execute than a highly customized design involving bespoke pieces, unusual layouts, or intricate detailing. Complexity isn’t a bad thing, in fact it’s often what makes a space distinctive, but it’s worth knowing that it does affect the budget.
Furniture – New vs. Existing
Either you’re furnishing a space from scratch or working with pieces you already own makes a real difference. Reupholstering existing furniture is generally a smaller cost than sourcing and buying entirely new pieces, but it depends on the condition of what you have and how much of it fits the new design direction.
Curtains and Window Treatments
Custom curtains, pelmets, and blinds are priced by fabric type, quantity of material needed (which depends on window size and how full you want the curtain to hang), the complexity of any pelmet work, and whether motorised or standard tracks are used.
A single large living room window with layered curtains and a fitted pelmet will cost more than a simple sheer curtain on a bedroom window.
Upholstery
Upholstery cost depends on the size and number of pieces being covered, the fabric selected, and the condition of the underlying furniture. Reupholstering a worn sofa frame that’s structurally sound is usually more economical than replacing the piece entirely.
Materials and Finishes
Material quality has one of the biggest effects on final cost. Fabric grade, blind material, and finishing materials all come in a range of price points, and the choice between them is often where clients have the most room to manage their budget without cutting the project’s scope.
Installation and Labour
Installation like fitting curtains, mounting blinds, finishing upholstered pieces, general contracting work takes skilled labour and time. This is a real cost also, not an add-on, and it’s factored into most quotes as well.
Custom Work
Anything made to a specific measurement or unique specification like a custom curtain, a bespoke pelmet, a tailored upholstery job, takes more time to produce than ready-made alternatives, and pricing reflects that.
Project Location
Where the project is located within Lagos can affect logistics, how far materials and teams need to travel, and how accessible the site is. This tends to be a smaller factor than scope or materials, but it can play a role in the final figure.
Decoration-Only vs. Full Design: An Interior Design Cost Comparison in Concept
It helps to think of interior work on a spectrum and not one fixed service. At one end, decoration-only work including new curtains, cushions, bedding, minor upholstery involves fewer trades and less time, and tends to be the more accessible entry point for people testing out working with a design company.
At the other end, full interior design with layout changes, custom finishing, and general contracting involves more planning, more materials, and more labour, and is priced accordingly.
Most projects fall somewhere between these two ends, which is exactly why an actual site assessment or detailed conversation produces a far more useful number than any general price list could.
How to Get an Accurate Quote
The most reliable way to understand what your specific project will cost is a direct conversation with a designer, ideally supported by photos or a site visit.
Before that conversation, it helps to have a rough sense of your scope (which rooms, decoration or full design), your priorities (what matters most like new furniture, window treatments, finishing), and whether you’re working with existing furniture or starting fresh.
Walking into that conversation with this clarity tends to produce a faster, more accurate quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to buy furniture myself and just hire a designer for layout advice?
It can reduce project cost, but it also means the designer is working within the constraints of what you already have, which sometimes limits what’s achievable. Whether this makes sense depends on how attached you are to your current furniture and how much flexibility you want in the final design.
Do curtains and blinds usually get quoted separately from the rest of the design work?
Often yes, since window treatments are priced by fabric quantity, window size, and style, which are specific to each window rather than the project as a whole.
Does reupholstering existing furniture always cost less than buying new?
Usually, but not always, it depends on the frame condition and the fabric chosen. A structurally sound sofa reupholstered in premium fabric could, in some cases, cost close to a modestly priced new piece.
What’s the most cost-effective way to start if I have a limited budget?
Starting with a defined scope like one or two rooms, or decoration instead of full design, lets you manage cost while still getting a properly finished result instead of trying to spreading a limited budget too thin across an entire home.
Should I get more than one quote before deciding?
Comparing quotes is reasonable, but make sure you’re comparing similar scope and materials. A lower quote using different materials or a narrower scope isn’t necessarily a better deal.
Book an Interior Design Consultation
The clearest way to get an accurate cost picture for your specific space is a direct conversation about your project’s scope and priorities. Reach out to Mr. Udeze today, let’s get your project started.
