Do you want to start an interior design business but you want to go niche? If YES, here are 50 best interior design business ideas & opportunities.
Interior design is a profession that has many layers, that requires the application of creative and technical know-how in order to beautify the interior environment. The solutions that interior decoration presents are not just aesthetic but also are functional and enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupant.
Designs are created in response to and coordinated with the building shell, and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project.
The business of interior decoration is blooming and it can be a good business for people who want to work from home. According to the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the number of interior designers was expected to grow 19 percent between 2008 to 2018 – from 71,700 designers to 85,600.
This is faster than average for all occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which publishes the Handbook, expect that demand for interior designers will grow in homes and businesses, making this a great career option with a lot of scope for niche work. Here are 50 interior design related business ideas that you can start in the united states of America.
Best Interior Design Business ideas
1. Interior Redesign
Instead of the regular way of purchasing new furniture and decorations for clients, this niche of interior design focuses on using people’s existing furniture and accessories, and rearranges them to give the space a different look.
Some redesigns specialize in real estate staging, where the designer rearranges furnishings specifically for real estate viewings, and to help homes sell faster. Other designers work for residential or business customers, to give them a new look at a cheaper cost than a complete design.
2. Professional Organizer
A lot of people have a loft of junk in their house or office that clusters up their living space and they do not know how to get rid of it. This is where the services of a professional organizer comes in. A professional organizer tailors filing and storage systems for each customer’s particular needs.
Organizers may also teach organizations goal-setting and time-management skills, and can help organize house moves and financial record-keeping.
Organizers can also work with businesses to increase productivity by improving work-flow, filing systems, space design and time-management practices. The National Association of Profession Organizers offers careers advice, training and certification.
3. Restoration
This area of interior design requires some skill or training in carpentry, painting, general construction or plastering. Restoration designers, also called conservationists, specialize in preserving and restoring vintage features and furnishings.
Many restorers specialize in a specific area of restoration, such as furniture, plasterwork, period paints and painting techniques. Others may specialize in sourcing vintage accessories and materials to be used in restoration projects.
4. Design Consulting
A lot of interior design businesses are product-driven – they offer clients design advice and sell them furnishings and other products to achieve a particular style and “look.” In this niche of interior design, the designer makes most of their money from product sales.
However, interior designer businesses can also focus on consulting. In this type of business, the designer is selling their advice and expertise and is more often paid by the hour, or by the project. For instance, they can choose to specialize in children’s rooms or feng shui.
5. Faux Painting business
Faux painting is another niche of the interior decoration business. Faux painters apply decorative finishes to walls, ceilings, floors, furniture and accessories. They use paint, glazes and other media, and must be masters at mixing colors and applying them with just the right touch.
Among the types of faux finishes popular today are marbling, precious stone, patina, trompe l’oeil and stenciling. This purely decorative art form is usually practiced by true artists, although it is possible to achieve a certain level of competence through hands-on instruction.
The job is highly technical and it pays well. Because of the specialty nature of the job and the technical skill involved, faux painters can earn $400 a day or more, or around $60 by the hour.
6. Sell Fashionable Home Décor
You can start a business of selling fashionable home decor that are aesthetically pleasing. There are several do-it-from-home direct sales companies that focus on decorating and design. Starting with one of these companies can be a good way for beginners to break into the decor sales business.
It is very important that before you begin any home-based business, you should do extensive research. Check out the history and integrity of the company you are interested in representing to make sure you would be making a sound investment.
Research the home business tax laws in your state because as an independent consultant, you’ll be responsible for your own taxes.
7. Sell artificial flowers
Artificial flowers are a very integral part of interior decoration. There are used in domestic houses, on events and occasions, in hotels, restaurants and to decorate commercial places also.
You can start your artificial flowers business from home, but you will need to have a catalogue you can show your clients for them to make their choice. Any individual can initiate this florist business by two ways. You can initiate it as home based and part time basis. Another way is opening a flower shop
8. Antique Furniture refurbishing business
Antique furniture does not come cheap and their owners know this very well, that it is a lot easier to repair them when they are damaged or worn out instead of out rightly replacing them. You can start and operate this business from home if you are creative and have good carpentry skills. This kind of business is quite lucrative if you are good at what you do.
9. Windows Installation business
During the makeover of a building, there is usually need to change the windows. This need has provided a unique business niche.
By only replacing old windows, a whole makeover of a room is possible. Modern manufacturing methods and materials can be accredited for this booming industry. This is one of the most demanded interior designing services globally. You can maximize your income by also selling the windows you install.
10. Start a Fabric Shop
Fabrics and linens are needed to bring out the beauty of a space during interior decoration. This is a very lucrative retail business in the interior designing industry. In addition to fabrics, you can also sell sewing patterns, buttons, zippers, curtain rods, sewing machines, other sewing notions and craft items can be sold to increase revenue.
11. Cabinet Door Making and maintenance
Cabinets and doors are needed in order to complete the interior look of a house. Most times, interior decorators may think that a new building needs new cabinet doors or if the doors it came with are antique, and may request to have them repaired and refurbished.
You can start this specialized service providing business. You can help the people to get new cabinets or repair the old ones they have and give it a new look.
12. Tiles Sales and Installation business
The fact that most homes during remodeling would need new tiles makes this business related to interior designing. To start this business, you must have construction expertise and knowledge. People nowadays prefers tile instead of marble or mobile floor. Selling and installing ceramic tiles is a profitable business idea.
13. Start a custom furniture cover manufacturing business
Furnishing would always need covers to add that extra beauty and elegance to the room. For furniture covers, everyone needs to depend on custom made, because the covers must be fitted to match with wall colors or other furniture of the room.
You can also work on a subcontract basis for an established furniture upholstery service or retailer of home furnishings. Note that it is your ability to market to the right clients would make you successful in your business.
14. Interior Light Shop
The Lighting fixtures in a house helps to bring out its beauty in the dark and give it an air of grace during the day. When redecorating a home, lights are among the important things to be considered. Starting a business that sells interior and exterior lighting products is a wise choice for a new business enterprise.
This sort of retail operation does not require a lot of floor space and as a method to reduce startup costs, you may even consider forming a joint venture with an established retailer in your community.
15. Home office planning
With a lot of people transitioning from working outdoors to working at home, the need for a cozy place in the home where someone can concentrate has increased. The Home Office Planner is the perfect resource for transforming any space into a functional work area.
With the resource available, he or she can create a comfortable space for people where they can stay comfortable for hours working. This is another good business an interior designer can start.
16. Set up Home Theater Rooms
Home theaters are becoming very popular. People want to enjoy movies within the comfort of their home. With the right installation and with other construction aspects, you can convert a room into a home theater room. Knowing that not everyone may want or be able to afford home theater rooms, you should know the kind of people to market this service to so you do not waste money doing random marketing.
17. Vlogging
Every day, over 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube and your video can be one of them. When well-managed, a YouTube channel can be just as or even more profitable than a traditional blog. For starters, you don’t require a domain nor do you need to spend money on hosting your channel.
You also have a large audience and a readymade platform for you to work with. Furthermore, AdSense approval through YouTube is easy and what’s more, you can start earning from the very first day you create your account and make a post.
You can start up a YouTube channel where you will give tips on how to match colors and do interior decoration the right way. You can just go to YouTube, upload a video and you can get started from there.
You can get paid through by enabling Google AdSense on your channel, through sponsored videos and through sale of your services or the services of others on YouTube. In addition, as your channel grows larger, you can also use your channel to advertise your services as an interior decorator.
18. Hot tub sales and Installation business
Hot tubs are luxury items that give a home extra value. Starting a business that specializes in the delivery and installation of hot tubs is quite profitable and it can be started from home. You can learn this business from scratch, but you have to be knowledgeable about plumbing and fixtures to run the business.
If you do not have this knowledge, you can just stick with selling the tubs and then have installers you can recommend at short notice. If you cannot afford a full store that stocks different makes of hot tubs, you can sell online or dropship.
19. Sell designer lamp shades
Designer lampshades are always on demand. People prefer the lampshades that match with other aspects of their space like the furniture, wall color, and arrangements. You can start this business as home-based also. So as not to limit your client base, because clearly, not everyone can afford designer lampshades, you can stock general lamp shades too.
20. Open a mattress and beddings store
Homes must have mattresses if they are to be livable, and those mattresses must have beddings. In fact, most homes usually change their beddings at regular intervals even without needing full interior decoration. Mattresses and bedding products have the demand not only for domestic uses but also commercial uses in hotels, hospitals, hostels etc. The gross profit margin is very lucrative if you can sustain the business.
21. Party Balloon Supply
A party balloon service business is certainly not limited to only children’s birthday parties. Yes, people open their homes after they have tastefully furnished it. These are sometimes called house warming parties.
If you know how to use balloons to make great decorations, you can start selling your services in the interior decoration sector. You can establish business tie-ups with catering services, party planners, and wedding planners et al. to get more business.
22. Skylight installation business
A skylight is a light-transmitting structure that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting purposes. A window on the roof lets in significantly more light than a vertical window, so even a small skylight can make a room feel larger and airier.
Installing skylights are a great way to have a glow in the room, but it must be installed in the right places, so ensure to take into consideration the sun’s path. Skylights on the south- or west-facing portion of the roof will collect direct sun—skylights facing north or east may not get any direct sunlight.
You can start this business from home with small startup capital. Be sure any skylight you intend to install will meet local codes for load, wind resistance, and related factors. Building permits are required for installation in most regions.
23. Start a wallpaper business
Wallpaper is a material used in interior decoration to decorate the interior walls of domestic and public buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is applied onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Nowadays, wallpapers are becoming very popular.
It is more cost-effective than wall painting. You can start wallpaper selling and installation business from a retail space and also from your home. You would need to have a very detailed catalogue to show your clients so they can make their choice.
24. Sell Specialty Rugs
Specialty rugs are unique and unusual one-of-a-kind custom printed rugs. There are a lot of ways one can approach this business, and the first option is to locate and secure a foreign supplier for the carpets and negotiate an exclusive sales and distribution contract to represent their products in the United states.
The second option is to purchase second hand, high-quality carpets and resell them for a profit. Regardless of the way the business is approached and established, the fact remains that handmade specialty rugs and carpets are in very high demand by consumers and professional decorators.
25. Become a Patio Furniture Retailer
Garden furniture, also called patio furniture or outdoor furniture, is a type of furniture specifically designed for outdoor use. It is typically made of weather-resistant materials such as aluminum which does not rust, so that the weather does not destroy it.
Great patio furniture brings comfort and function to outdoor spaces. With a spacious table and easy-to-use, comfortable chairs, a basic brick patio is transformed into a sensory-rich dining destination. If you know a lot about patio furniture, you can start retailing them. This is a good and profitable niche area in the interior design industry.
26. Become a Nursery Designer
A nursery is a very important part of the home especially if the home owners are still within child bearing age or if they are expecting.
Knowing how to decorate a nursery that would be comfortable for the mother and as well help to develop the early cognitive skills of the child is a very valuable skill to have. If you have this skill, you can become a nursery designer to help parents plan a home for their newborn.
To sell your skills, you can advertise in your social media pages and as well as your blog if you have one. You can also frequent where expectant mothers gather such as birth classes and baby stores. Leave your flyers and cards in these places and you can start expecting the calls.
27. Sell Mosaic Tile Creations
Mosaic tiles are the proper choice for interior and exterior floors and walls, and it has steadily held down the market. Creating home decoration items featuring mosaic tile designs is an exceptional business venture to set in motion. Not only can this enterprise be started and run from a home based location, but this business is also very inexpensive to initiate.
Mosaic tiles can be purchased ready to install or you can create your own simply by buying discontinued styles and colors as well as collecting broken tiles from local building and renovation companies, or you could create them yourself.
Marketing the mosaic tile creations can be by way of traditional advertising media, as well as by renting a weekend sales kiosk in a market or mall.
28. Start a Kitchen Facelift Service
Kitchen facelift involves a simple replacement of the doors, drawers and worktops in an old kitchen with new ones, so they fit like a glove and make the kitchen appear to be brand new. A lot of time, people desire to give their kitchens a facelift and this service is listed under interior decorations.
To start this business, you must have had some training and practice in the industry. Your customers would also appreciate it if you can save them some money by reusing things that are not so bad but giving them an entirely new look.
This business would not cost you anything to start, you just need to come along with your experience and ability to market your business.
29. Interior decoration TV show
You can start a show where you help people remodel and decorate their houses. There are a lot of interior decorators who have shows like this on TV and they have a lot of viewership.
30. Sell futons
A futon is the Japanese traditional style of bedding. A complete futon set consists of a mattress and a duvet. Both elements of a futon bedding set are pliable enough to be aired, folded and stored away in a large closet during the day allowing the room to serve for purposes other than as a bedroom.
To maximize space, a lot of homes buy futons. You can start stocking these home essentials for sale. You can equally make them if you have the skills.
31. Framing Service
As people go ahead in life, they accumulate pictures and most times they desire to put these pictures into frames. This is a very good business to start as it is also quite profitable. The cost for custom framing varies greatly, depending on the materials.
The frames themselves can range from $16 per foot to $200 per foot. A 7×5-inch double-mat, clear-glass mounting for a photograph costs about $120, while an 8×10 conservation-glass frame for a college diploma averages $200.
32. Provide Fireplace Installation
Fireplaces add a host of benefits to a home. They not only increase your home’s value, but can also reduce your heating costs and provide a nice, cozy focal point in any space.
A great fireplace usually indicates that an interior decorator has done a great job. To carry out this service, they usually reach out to fireplace installers. Fireplace installation is a popular business in the industry and its services are widely sought after.
33. House Preparation Service
Every seller wants her home to sell fast and bring top dollar, but for a house to sell, it has to be made ready for the market. Indeed they are people whose jobs are to do this and they are called home preparators.
These people clean, touch up, paint and do everything else that would make a house appealing to a buyer. The main focus of this enterprise is to source buildings, stores, and offices to list for lease, and find suitable tenants to occupy these locations.
In exchange for your services you can charge the landlord of the building one month’s rent as your fee, or leasing commission.
34. Drapery Studio
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles. It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows. The interior of every home needs drapes and decorators would always scout high and low for the best drapes at a great budget. This is another niche business in the interior decoration industry.
35. Bed and Bath Business
A bed and bathe business is a business that stocks beds and baths of different types and specifications; think bed, bath and beyond.
No home can do without beds and baths and these necessities take up most of the budget when decorating a house. This is a very good business to start because most times people usually don’t compromise on the quality of their beds and baths.
36. Become a Closet Organizer
A closet organizer simply put is someone that brings some sanity to a disorganized wardrobe. People always say they do not have what to wear even with their closets overflowing with clothes.
Professional closet organizers offer tips, unique methods and organizing systems that can help people get organized and, more importantly, stay organized. To be successful as a closet organizer, you should have years of experience under your belt.
You should also be able to provide numerous references and pictures of completed projects as your clients want to see these.
37. Manufacture Office Dividers
One office furniture that is often overlooked when planning to refurbish an establishment are office dividers. With the increasing popularity of open plan offices, dividing partitions and office screens are becoming increasingly forgotten about.
The right office partition solution can help strike a balance between collaboration and concentration by sectioning off areas for special uses and reducing interruption in the workplace. This is a viable niche in the office interior design and decoration industry and it suits entrepreneurs that have carpentry skills.
38. Manufacture Window Shutters and Blinds
Blinds are window coverings have slats or vanes that enable the raising and lowering of the blind to cover the window but also to adjust the aperture of the vanes when the blind is down to let in more or less light.
A shade is either open, exposing the window or closed, covering the window. Window shutters and blind are very essential items in interior designing. The manufacturing process of window shutter is very simple and it doesn’t demand much space.
The demand for wooden window shutters and blinds is enormous, especially with recent news that plastic miniblinds can give off toxic fumes into a home. The profit margins can be terrific on this type of product, as there is not a lot of competition in the industry.
39. Blogging
A blog is an individual website that is updated on a regular basis. If you love to write, then you can open up a blog where you can discuss a range of issues. You can start a blog where you will write about your experience as an interior decorator and tips for doing interior decoration the correct way.
There are many different ways by which a blog can be monetized so you should not stick to just one. You can make money through blogging by putting up adverts on your blog, selling your own courses and books, affiliate marketing and of course Google AdSense.
The more traffic you have, the more money you’ll make. Even if you post to your blog every day but only have ten people looking at it, you won’t make much money. You can also upload pictures of house that you have worked on and also use the medium to solicit for more customers.
40. Start an Online Home Repair service
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spent nearly $43 million on home maintenance and repairs in a single recent year. The advantages to this business are that you can work from home, you can start on a shoestring, you’re always doing something different, and it’s gratifying. People are delighted when you can save them money by doing the job yourself.
You’ll need a variety of home-repairs skills–everything from minor plumbing to minor electrical to painting and carpentry.
You’ll want people skills because you’ll be dealing with a variety of personalities on their home turf. If you have right knowledge and expertise, you can start this business from home. With the help of the internet, you can connect with your customers in real time.
41. Mirror Art and Installation business
Mirror art is simply small pieces of mirror in varying colors and shapes that have been assembled together to resemble a picture, landscape or even abstract design. Nowadays, mirror production is easy and relatively cheap. Mirror-like surfaces can be manufactured using different materials, in various shapes and sizes. Therefore, they are often used by artists and architects.
If you are an expert of mirror art, then start your own business of creating and installing mirror art as per your client’s choice. You can earn handsome revenue from this business as the equipment needed to create the art is inexpensive and includes a few hand tools and a glass grinder. Also, patterns are available to make the mirror art or you can create your own.
42. Sell Junkyard Furniture
If you’re looking for a unique home based business that has minimal competition and potential to generate a six-figure income, then look no further. Starting a business that manufactures and sells junkyard furniture is a very interesting.
The key to its success is to create funky, yet functional furniture from discarded items typically found at a wrecking yard or junkyard. You can make good looking furniture out of those junks and sell them to people that need them for their homes.
This is an innovative business that has minimum competition as yet. The business is very profitable and your creative abilities can stand you out from your competition. You may need a little space where you can display your furniture, and you can decide to sell them online exclusively
43. Start an Interior Landscaping business
When people hear about landscaping, the outdoors usually comes to their mind. However, Indoor landscaping, also known as “plantscaping” or “interiorscaping,” does something similar to outdoor landscaping. Interior plantscaping, otherwise referred to as interior landscaping, is a branch of interior decorating that focuses on indoor plants and containers inside buildings and offices.
An interior plantscaper will design, arrange, and care for plants in a walled space. Plantscapers need to have an understanding of angles, horizons, color, sculptural elements and focal points, just like landscapers would. Apart from domestic houses, there is a great demand of interior landscaping for commercial places. This Green business allows you to start with a small startup capital.
44. Become a house painter
A house painter and decorator is responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings. The purpose of painting is to improve the appearance of a building and to protect it from damage by water, rust, corrosion, insects and mold. House painting is a very simple business to start. It only requires a small investment to get going and even a smaller learning curve to master.
45. Create and sell Headboards Art
A headboard is a great way to visually frame up your bedroom. But the thing is, your headboard doesn’t have to be a headboard at all. An oversized piece of framed art can do the same work for you, giving your bedroom or guest room tons of unique style in the process.
The headboard art is one interior decoration fad that has hit the industry, and it is quite beautiful and always on demand. If you have the skills, you can use your creativity by using different types of materials like wood, glass, leather et al.
46. Interior design Podcaster
A podcast is like a personal radio show where you talk about specific topics. You can create a podcast aimed at talking about topics related interior decorating. Before you think about monetizing your podcast, you have to make sure that it is filled with rich and engaging content. You can monetize your podcast through sponsorship, affiliate marketing or even sale of your own product.
47. Design throw pillows
A throw pillow (also known as toss pillow), is a small, decorative soft furnishing item made from a wide range of textiles including cotton, linen, silk, leather, microfibre, suede, chenille, and velvet. Decorative pillows are the most creative way to add style or introduce fresh ideas and life to your home.
They are commonly used to tie in color accents within a room, often drawing on the colors in drapes, walls or area rugs. From a functional perspective, throw pillows may provide back, neck and head support. Designer pillows are mandatory items for not only the bed but also for the sofa and any type of sitting arrangements. The business is profitable and you can operate it from home.