Premium Residential Interior Design in Brighton & Sussex: Budgets, Timelines and Value-Driven Decisions
- Martyn Baxter
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Planning a high-impact home transformation in Brighton, Hove or across Sussex starts with clarity. Clarity on scope, budget and realistic timelines is what separates stressful projects from successful ones.
This guide outlines realistic investment ranges for premium residential interiors, explains how professional interior design adds measurable value, and sets expectations from concept to completion with Baxter Interior Design, an SBID-accredited studio.
What a Realistic Budget Looks Like in Sussex
While every home and brief is unique, there are established cost ranges that consistently deliver quality outcomes in homes across Brighton and Sussex. These figures should be used as early planning markers before going out to tender or requesting formal quotes.
For whole-home spatial planning and interior design, a professional design and documentation phase typically runs for 12 to 14 weeks. Fees are proposed following a free initial consultation and are tailored to the number of rooms, complexity, and level of technical detail required.
Bespoke joinery and fitted storage is one of the most value-adding investments in period and contemporary Sussex homes. Painted MDF or birch ply wardrobes and built-ins generally start from £2,500 to £4,500 per linear metre. Veneered or solid timber, curved forms, integrated lighting, fluted fronts and specialist finishes can range from £4,500 to £8,000 per linear metre, with complex dressing rooms exceeding this.
Furniture, furnishings and lighting budgets vary widely, but for a mid to upper-mid residential finish, allow approximately £350 to £600 per square metre in living spaces. This typically excludes procurement management, which can be added where required. If this is hard to get your head around, think about the key items that would be required and what you’d feel comfortable spending on that item. Sofas - £5,000 - £10,000, dining tables £3,000 - £5,000 for example. That way you can build up a picture of the expected budget for furnishings.
Lighting design and supply is often underestimated. Well-layered architectural and decorative schemes usually sit at 5–10% of the room fit-out cost, with intelligent dimming improving comfort, atmosphere and energy efficiency. A combination of table, floor and wall lamps, yes and, not either or, to help create the atmosphere, while statement ceiling lights add drama and focus for the eye even when not on.
These benchmarks reflect the level of finish that adds value in Brighton and Sussex and depend on accurate surveys, coordinated drawings and professional oversight.
Timelines That Keep Your Project on Track
The most successful residential projects begin early. Ideally, your interior designer should be appointed three to six months before construction begins. This allows time to secure trusted trades, finalise design intent, release long-lead items and to schedule the work inline with the project timeline.
A full home design and documentation package typically takes 12 to 14 weeks, while decoration-only schemes may take six to twelve weeks. Bathroom documentation usually falls within a similar six to twelve week window, depending on complexity.
Construction durations depend on scope and site conditions. Bathrooms can take anywhere from two to eight weeks, while whole-home refurbishments may run from several weeks to multiple months, often phased room by room to reduce disruption.
One thing to consider for larger refurbishments is the option to relocate for some or all of the construction phase. It’s often under estimated the mess and stress caused from living in what is essentially a building site.
Custom joinery, specialist lighting, stone and soft furnishings commonly require six to twelve weeks from approved drawings to installation. Baxter Interior Design manages programmes against critical dates so clients can plan confidently around family life, school terms and holidays.
How Interior Design Delivers Measurable Value
Good interior design improves more than aesthetics. It increases usable space, enhances natural and artificial light, and reduces long-term maintenance through better material choices. In Brighton, Hove and Lewes, buyers and surveyors recognise thoughtful storage, coherent lighting and durable finishes as tangible value drivers.
Improved spatial efficiency makes modest footprints feel generous, while bespoke storage reduces visual clutter and improves day-to-day function. Layered lighting schemes might photograph well, but overall feel better to live with, and down the line support stronger resale appeal.
Also consider how you current live vs how you’d like to live. Reduce the clutter, while increasing the order. Improving how your space works for you and your family will have a greater impact in the long run than just improving how it looks.
Equally important, well-documented design significantly reduces costly variations during construction, protecting both the programme and hidden costs to delays when on site.
Our Process: From Concept to Completion
The process begins with a free consultation, ideally held in person. Here we will discuss scope, budget and timing. This is also an opportunity for us to explore our fit. I liken the start of this journey to dating. As once you’re committed, you’re going to be seeing a lot of your chosen designer. Design consultations, home visits, telephone calls, emails and site visits, you enter into a relationship (of sorts), so its imperative that you not only like your chosen designer, but you really get on with them. Within five business days, you'll receive a tailored Design Services Guide and fee proposal.
Design development includes a measured survey, spatial planning options, mood direction and material palettes, which is refined collaboratively. While you’ve invited a designer into your home, its imperative that you’re involved in the refining process as its your home. There will be things proposed that you don’t like, and that’s ok. Work through alternative options, variations so it’s more inline with your tastes.
This is followed by detailed technical documentation, including plans, elevations, joinery drawings, lighting and electrical layouts, and full schedules for finishes and FF&E. Three-dimensional visuals can be provided where required.
Procurement and coordination are handled through trusted suppliers, with orders, logistics and coordination managed alongside builders and specialist trades. While builders retain responsibility for site management, Baxter Interior Design undertakes site visits to ensure execution aligns with design intent, followed by installation oversight and snagging.
No two projects are the same, which is why deliverables and fees are always tailored to the home and brief.
Bespoke Wardrobes and Fitted Storage: Costs and Value
Clients often ask specifically about wardrobes. In Sussex, a competent carpenter or joiner building to a professional design will typically charge £2,500 to £4,000 for a simple alcove wardrobe in painted MDF, excluding premium finishes. More complex units with integrated lighting, high-end hardware or bespoke doors can range from £4,000 to £8,000 or more per unit.
Fitting costs depend on access, wall conditions and finishing requirements. Straightforward installations usually fall between £400 and £1,200, with higher costs for large dressing walls or electrically integrated joinery.
Across the UK, quality made-to-measure wardrobes typically cost between £2,500 and £6,000, while walk-in wardrobes range from £6,000 to £20,000+, depending on size and specification. Premium dressing rooms with cabinetry, islands, mirrors and feature lighting can reach £15,000 to £35,000 or more.
Well-designed fitted wardrobes do increase house value, particularly in Brighton and Hove period homes where alcoves and eaves benefit from bespoke solutions. They improve spatial clarity, daily usability and buyer perception.
With quality materials and proper ventilation, fitted wardrobes should last 15 to 25 years or longer. The main disadvantages are reduced flexibility if room layouts change and the risks associated with poor surveying or low-quality materials—both avoidable with professional design and documentation.
Materials, Detailing and Ventilation: What Matters
Durability starts with carcass materials. Moisture-resistant MDF or high-quality birch ply is preferred for painted interiors, while melamine or veneered boards offer wipe-clean resilience. Solid timber requires allowances for movement.
Fronts should use durable paint systems with properly sealed edges, supported by soft-close, fully adjustable hardware. Ventilation is essential, particularly in older properties, and should be discreetly integrated at plinth level. Integrated LED lighting must be low-heat, correctly specified and accessible for maintenance.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Problems most often arise from under-scoped briefs, inaccurate surveys, poor material selection and weak coordination between trades. Missing electrical details, inadequate ventilation or rushed lead times can compromise both function and finish.
These risks are mitigated through accurate surveys, detailed drawings, coordinated lighting and power plans, and realistic programming that respects manufacturing and finishing timelines.
When to Bring in an Interior Designer
The earlier a designer is involved, the more value can be unlocked. Early input allows informed decisions about where bespoke joinery matters most, how lighting layers should work, and how finishes flow cohesively from room to room.
If you are considering a whole-home scheme or a single space that needs to work harder, Baxter Interior Design’s SBID-accredited process scales to suit.
Summary and Next Steps
High-impact residential interior design is a smart investment when budgets and timelines are realistic, designs are clearly documented, and builds are professionally coordinated. Thoughtful spatial planning, bespoke storage and layered lighting add daily comfort and resale value across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
If you are considering fitted wardrobes, updating a room or two, or a whole-home transformation, book a free initial consultation to scope your project and receive a tailored proposal within five business days.
Want to know more about working with us, download a copy of our Design Service Guide here.
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