In this guide
Ask three interior designers in Kuala Lumpur what a project costs and you will get three different kinds of answer: a percentage of your budget, an hourly rate, a price per square foot, or an honest it depends, let's talk. None of them are wrong. They are different ways of pricing the same work, and each one comes with its own incentive.
The short version
For a new two-bedroom condo in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor, budget RM91,000 to RM297,000 for the renovation itself, depending on finish level, plus a fixed design fee of RM23,310.
- The design fee is charged per room and does not move when your budget does.
- Contractor works are quoted by the contractors and billed to you directly. We take no margin on them.
- Finish level changes the cost of the works, never the design fee.
What interior design costs in KL & Selangor
Interior design in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor is priced in one of four ways: a percentage of your budget, an hourly rate, a rate per square foot, or a flat fee per room. At Sundays in Bed it is a flat fee — RM1,715 per room for styling, RM3,565 for full design — with contractor works quoted separately by the contractors themselves.
| What you pay for | Sundays in Bed | How it is usually charged |
|---|---|---|
| Interior styling, per room | RM1,715 | Per item, or a share of spend |
| Interior design, per room | RM3,565 | A percentage of project budget |
| Open-plan living-dining | RM2,635 / RM5,485 | Counted as two or three rooms |
| Contractor works | At cost | Often bundled and marked up |
Why quotes differ so much
Pricing models are not neutral. Each one quietly rewards a different behaviour, and it is worth knowing which before you sign anything.
| How it is priced | What it quietly rewards | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of budget | A bigger budget | Your fee rises every time your spend does |
| Hourly rate | Slower work | You cannot know the total until it is finished |
| Per square foot | Floor area | A large simple room costs more than a small complex one |
| Flat fee per room | Finishing well | The number agreed at the start is the number paid at the end |
None of these are dishonest. A percentage fee is standard practice and plenty of excellent designers use it. We chose a flat fee per room because it takes the incentive out of the conversation — when we suggest spending less on something, you never have to wonder why. There is a longer piece on flat fee versus percentage if you want the full argument.
What the flat fee covers
Every standard room is priced the same, whether it is 100 sq ft or 300 sq ft. A small bedroom that needs three storage problems solved takes as much thought as a large one that needs a bed and a rug — so charging by floor area would price the wrong thing.
If you have been quoted per square foot instead, we have set out what that rate actually covers in Malaysia. The full rate card, room by room, is on the pricing page. Open-plan living-dining spaces are their own category because they are planned as one room. Splitting them into "living" and "dining" would mean charging twice for a single set of decisions.
The number you agree to at the start is the number you pay at the end — whatever happens to your taste or your budget in between.
The other half: renovation costs
Sundays in Bed is a design and project management studio, not a design-and-build contractor. Where physical works are needed — painting, flooring, carpentry, wiring, plumbing — we gather and compare quotes from reputable contractors across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and advise on how to split your budget between materials, carpentry and furniture.
This is the half that actually moves. Three finish levels — Essential, Curated and Bespoke — change the cost of the works considerably. They do not change the design fee at all.
| Finish level | Works on a 900 sq ft condo | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | RM91k – RM141k | Solid, hard-wearing, sensibly specified throughout |
| Curated | RM172k – RM297k | Better materials, more built-in joinery, more detail |
| Bespoke | RM346k – RM670k | Specified without compromise, including bespoke pieces |
These ranges come from our own bill-of-quantities estimates for new-handover condominiums in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, at 900 sq ft with a full scope of works. They are planning figures — your real number comes from contractor quotes.
What the finish levels actually mean
These three words do a lot of work on this page, and they are our own definitions rather than an industry standard. The clearest way to explain them is by where the furniture and fittings come from.
| Finish level | What it means | Brands you would be shopping |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Chosen to work hard and last, rather than to be photographed. Standard sizes, laminate and melamine, available now and easy to replace. Nothing here is waiting three months on a container. | Ikea, SSF Home, Harvey Norman, Fortytwo.my, Heesz, Kinsen Home, Neo Livin, Ruma Home, Joy Studio, Mumu Living |
| Curated | Our own term, and where most of our projects sit. Not the cheapest of everything and not the most expensive — a deliberate mix, where a few pieces are chosen to be looked at and the rest are chosen to be lived with. Engineered wood and quartz rather than laminate, and joinery built to fit the wall instead of bought to stand against it. | Commune, Cellini, Fella Design, Dezign District, Poet Living, Big Brain, Gudang, Crown Livin, Dadswood |
| Bespoke | Specified without compromise. Imported and made to order, natural stone, full custom carpentry, lead times measured in months. You are buying the exact piece rather than the closest one available. | Space Furniture, Tekni, BoConcept, King Living, Ambient Living, Stanzo, Forest Furniture, Roche Bobois, XTRA, Urban Edge, Molteni&C, Nostaloft, Flexform, Janine, Chesters Collection |
Brands are named as examples of where each level typically shops. We have no commercial relationship with any of them and we do not take a margin on what you buy.
Why that matters to your total. The contractor portion is a planning range that gets refined when real quotes arrive — not a number we invent and mark up. The contractor invoices you directly and we take no margin on the works, which is also why we can tell you honestly when a quote looks high.
Worked example: a KL condo
A 900 sq ft condo with a living and dining area as one open-plan space, a kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. That is six chargeable spaces.
For an actual quote on your own home — the design fee and the works together — run the free quote. It takes about two minutes and comes back with a number rather than a range. If you only want to sanity-check the design fee, the cost calculator does that on its own, and the KL renovation cost guide breaks the works down by area and property type.
Where to see this in practice
If you want to see what those finish levels look like rather than only what they cost, here is where our own work sits:
- Our Portfolio — the finish levels above, in finished homes rather than descriptions
- Our Services — the four ways we work, and what the flat fee covers in each
- Interior Styling — the smaller-scope option, if the worked example above is more than you need
Notes & further reading
This piece reflects ongoing work across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
About Angelica Lee
Chief Home Maker and founder of Sundays in Bed, award-winning interior designer. Learn more about Angelica →
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What's included free
- A Klang Valley site visit is RM200, and it comes off your project cost if you go ahead.
- Yard, utility and foyer spaces are designed free on any project that includes a bedroom and an open-plan space.
- Take Interior Design and you get 50% off the styling fee on any additional room that only needs restyling.
- Procurement Concierge — sourcing, ordering and delivery management — is included with Interior Design.
Common questions
How much does interior design cost per room in KL?
RM3,565 per standard room for full interior design, or RM1,715 per room for styling only. An open-plan living-dining space is RM5,485 and RM2,635 respectively, because it is planned as a single larger room.
Is the design fee the same for a small bedroom and a large one?
Yes. A 100 sq ft bedroom and a 300 sq ft bedroom are both one room. A small room with three storage problems often takes more design work than a large one, so charging by area would price the wrong thing.
Do you charge more for an open-plan living and dining area?
It is its own category rather than a surcharge — RM5,485 for design, against RM3,565 for a standard room. Splitting it into "living" and "dining" would mean charging twice for one set of decisions, which would cost you more, not less.
What is not included in the flat fee?
The contractor works themselves — painting, flooring, carpentry, wiring, plumbing — and the furniture and fittings you buy. Those are quoted by the contractors and suppliers and billed to you directly. We do not mark them up.
How much should I budget in total for a two-bedroom condo in KL?
For a 900 sq ft new handover with a full scope of works: roughly RM91,000 to RM141,000 at Essential finish, or RM172,000 to RM297,000 at Curated, plus the RM23,310 design fee. The condition of the property matters more than its floor area — a unit needing plumbing moved sits in a different range entirely.
Get a price for your home
The fastest route is the two-minute style quiz — it asks about your rooms and sends an estimate to your inbox. If you already know your room count, go straight to the cost calculator. And if you would rather talk it through first, a discovery call is free and there is no obligation attached to it.
If you are still deciding between hiring a designer and going direct to a contractor, we have compared the two on cost in detail, and what each of them is actually responsible for.
