Setting the Benchmark: Terry Interior Designs Featured in Construction Kenya

In December 2019, Construction Kenya — one of East Africa's most widely read trade and industry publications — approached Terry Interior Designs for insight into a question that homeowners, developers, and institutions across the country were asking: how much do Kenya's leading interior designers actually charge for their services?

That they came to us is not incidental. Over 25 years of completed commissions — spanning embassies, five-star hotels, university facilities, and private residences from Karen to the Coast — Terry Interior Designs has become the practice against which the industry measures itself. The feature was a recognition of that standing: when Construction Kenya wanted to explain how professional interior design is priced in Kenya, they asked us.

Why Transparent Pricing Matters

One of the founding convictions of this firm is that a client should know the full cost of their project before a single item is ordered or a day of work begins. We built this practice in direct response to the most common frustration clients carry from previous design experiences: the hidden cost, the shifting estimate, the invoice that doesn't match what was agreed.

Pricing in interior design is not arbitrary. It reflects the scope of work, the complexity of the space, the specification level, and the degree to which a firm owns and manages the process on the client's behalf. What follows is how we structure our quotations — by service.

How We Quote, by Service

Space Consultation

A Space Consultation is a fixed-fee engagement. It covers a professional site visit, a structured conversation about how the space is being used, what is failing, and what can be improved — followed by a written brief with actionable recommendations. The fee is agreed upfront; there are no hourly additions or ambiguous extras. For clients who then commission further work, the consultation fee is credited against the broader project.

Interior Design

Our Interior Design service is quoted as a fixed project fee, scoped against the brief. The fee covers the full design package: space planning, concept development, finish schedules, material specifications, technical drawings, and a complete FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) schedule with quantities, supplier references, and indicative pricing. Nothing is left for the client to interpret or source independently. The quotation is presented before work begins — and it does not change unless the brief changes.

Design and Build

Design and Build projects are quoted as a single, all-inclusive bill of quantities covering design, materials, fabrication, and installation. This is the most complete service we offer — and the most transparent. Because design and construction are held by the same team, there is no contractor gap, no cost shifting between disciplines, and no ambiguity about who is responsible for what. The quoted figure is the final figure. Variations, if required, are agreed in writing before any additional cost is incurred.

Procurement and Sourcing

Where clients are working with their own contractors or project managers and need material and furniture procurement handled professionally, we quote on a per-specification basis. Our procurement service covers itemised sourcing across furniture, lighting, fabrics, and finishes — with full supplier traceability and documented provenance. Fees are structured against the value and complexity of the specification, agreed before sourcing begins.

Soft Furnishings and Fittings

Curtains, blinds, carpets, rugs, and upholstery are quoted per item or per room, based on measurements taken on site. Because we carry out our own fabrication and installation, the quote covers everything: fabric, fabrication, hardware, and fitting — in one line, from one team. There are no surprises on installation day.

The Standard the Industry Measures Against

Construction Kenya's feature noted what our clients have known for over two decades: that the firms commanding the highest respect in this market are those with the most rigorous processes, the clearest pricing, and the longest track records. Terry Interior Designs has built all three — not as marketing language, but as operational practice, refined across hundreds of completed commissions.

If you are approaching an interior design project and want to understand what it will cost — properly, completely, and without evasion — we are the right firm to speak to first.