Is Hiring an Interior Designer Worth It for My Hospitality Business?
You’ve got a concept you’re obsessed with.
Maybe it’s a cozy neighborhood café, a cocktail bar with a moody glow, or a bright, plant-filled brunch spot.
And then the question hits:
“Do I really need to hire an interior designer… or can I just figure this out myself?”
If you’ve ever asked yourself that, this post is for you.
I’m Rachel, a holistic hospitality designer and the voice behind Hospitality Design Talks, and today we’re walking through what you’re actually investing in when you hire a designer for your restaurant, café, or bar—and whether it’s worth it.
Spoiler: it is. But let me show you why.
The Reality Check: You’re Already Doing Three Jobs
Let’s be honest. You’re not just “starting a little restaurant.”
You’re:
Meeting with landlords and talking leases
Trying to understand permits and build-out timelines
Hiring (or dreaming of hiring) staff
Working on menus, pricing, and vendors
Figuring out marketing, branding, and socials
And in the middle of all that, you’re also expected to decide:
Where the bar should go
How many seats you can fit without it feeling cramped
Which barstools won’t fall apart in six months
How bright (or not) the lighting should be
No pressure, right?
This is the first place a designer changes the game.
Reason #1: You’re Buying Back Your Time
Yes, you could scroll Pinterest at midnight and save 400 photos of other people’s restaurants.
You could:
Try to coordinate contractors by yourself
Order furniture from five different sites and pray it all works together
Hope the layout you sketched on a napkin actually functions at full capacity
Or—you could hand the design piece to someone who does this all day long.
When you hire a designer, you’re not just paying for a pretty space. You’re paying for:
Clarity instead of decision fatigue
Speed instead of endless “I don’t know, what do you think?”
A partner who owns the design, so you can focus on opening and operating
Your time is your most expensive resource. Design should support it, not steal it.
Reason #2: You’re Getting Decades of Experience, Not Just a “Good Eye”
“I have good taste. Isn’t that enough?”
Taste is a great start. Experience is what keeps you from making expensive mistakes.
I’ve been in the interior design industry for 25+ years. That means when I look at your space, I’m automatically thinking about:
How people move from entry → host stand → bar → tables
Where bottlenecks will form on a busy Friday night
How to balance cozy with efficient so tables turn and guests linger
Acoustics (so guests can actually hear each other)
Lighting (so you’re setting a mood, not a headache)
ADA compliance and accessibility
Durability of materials in a high-traffic environment
Every project adds to a mental library of:
This works.
That failed.
This looked risky on paper but turned out SO good.
When you hire a designer, you’re shortcutting years of trial and error you don’t have to go through yourself.
Reason #3: You Get Access to Things You Can’t Just Shop Online
Let’s talk sourcing.
Designers have access to trade-only:
Furniture lines designed for commercial use
Lighting that’s built for restaurants and bars (not just homes)
Performance textiles that can handle spills, stains, and daily use
Custom finishes and artwork you won’t see in every other space
Translation:
Your space doesn’t look like “Page 3 of a retail catalog.”
It looks like your brand.
And in hospitality, that uniqueness is a huge part of what guests remember.
Reason #4: Design Is Problem-Solving (With Style)
Every project looks cute on a mood board.
Real life is where the weird stuff shows up:
The column in the worst possible spot
The narrow room that still needs to seat enough people
The small budget with big dreams
The brand concept that doesn’t quite know how to live in the space yet
This is the part I love.
Designers are trained to:
Turn awkward corners into cozy, high-value moments
Make tight budgets work harder with smart focal points
Translate your brand into finishes, colors, and details guests can touch and feel
Design is less “let’s make it pretty” and more “let’s make it work—beautifully.”
Reason #5: Guest Experience Starts Before They Ever Taste the Food
Here’s the thing: your guest is experiencing your design before they experience your menu.
When I design a hospitality space, I’m asking:
What do they see the second they open the door?
What’s the first impression: warm and welcoming, or chaotic and confusing?
What do they smell?
Where does their body want to go?
How do we make them want to stay a little longer?
For me, this is sensory and energetic.
As a classically trained Feng Shui practitioner and Reiki Master, I’m also thinking about:
How energy flows through the space
Where things feel stuck, rushed, or stagnant
What the subconscious is picking up from layout, lighting, and materials
In hospitality, those subtle details turn into emotional memories—and those memories are why guests come back and tell their friends.
Reason #6: A Real-Life Example – Aura Gardens
Let’s ground this in something real: Aura Gardens.
When I partnered with Aura Gardens, we weren’t just picking paint colors. We were creating a brand experience from the inside out.
Here’s what that looked like:
We started with their brand concept and visual identity.
Then we translated that into every interior decision.
Some of the details I’m most proud of:
I created a custom watercolor painting and turned it into a mural-style wallpaper, printed on durable, wipeable vinyl—beautiful and practical for hospitality.
We designed custom color tables, matching the exact brand tones and sizing them specifically for the space.
I personally installed a faux plant installation in the soffit and layered greenery into light fixtures to create that “you can feel it when you walk in” vibe.
And it didn’t end at opening.
I’m still involved in:
Curating their in-person events
Making sure the brand shows up consistently—from the physical space to their socials
This is what happens when interior design and branding work together instead of separately.
Reason #7: You Don’t Have to Build a Trusted Team From Scratch
Behind every beautifully finished space is a team:
Wallpaper installers
Upholsterers
Fabricators and millworkers
Electricians
Furniture reps and vendors
Over decades, I’ve built relationships with trades and vendors who get it:
They understand hospitality
They care about quality
They know how I work, and I know how they work
When you hire a designer, you’re not just hiring one person.
You’re plugging into an entire ecosystem of people who know how to bring spaces to life.
Reason #8: We Handle the Parts That Never Make It to Instagram
The pretty photos are the last 5%.
The unglamorous 95% looks like:
Tracking orders and backorders
Coordinating deliveries and installations
Adjusting timelines when something inevitably shifts
Managing punch lists and tiny details that matter
Design is logistics.
And when you’re running a hospitality business, you don’t need “project manage furniture and finishes” added to your to-do list.
That’s what procurement and project management are for.
Reason #9: Holistic, Sustainable Choices That Last
As a holistic designer, I’m always looking at:
Non-toxic materials where we can incorporate them
Energy-efficient lighting
Finishes that can withstand daily use
How the space supports your staff and guests long-term
This isn’t about chasing trends.
It’s about making intentional choices that feel good—now and a few years from now.
Reason #10: The ROI Question (Let’s Talk Numbers Without Talking Numbers)
Okay, the big question:
“Does this actually pay off?”
A well-designed hospitality space can:
Attract more of the right guests
Increase bookings and reservations
Raise your average check size
Improve online reviews
Encourage repeat visits and personal referrals
Your space is either reinforcing your brand—or working against it.
A forgettable, poorly designed space can be:
Ignored
Skipped
Or mentioned online for the wrong reasons
A thoughtfully designed space becomes one of your biggest assets.
It’s part of the reason people choose you over the spot down the street.
So yes, hiring an interior designer is an investment.
But in hospitality, it’s rarely just a “nice to have.”
So… Is Hiring an Interior Designer Worth It?
If you’ve read this far, you probably already know your answer.
Hiring a designer isn’t about being fancy. It’s about being strategic.
It’s about:
Protecting your time
Protecting your budget from avoidable mistakes
Creating an experience guests remember
Building a space that reflects your brand—on purpose
And no, you don’t have to jump straight into a full-scale design engagement.
Sometimes the first step is simply:
A consultation
A walkthrough of your space
A focused session to map your priorities and avoid expensive detours
If your gut is saying, “I want this to be intentional, not accidental,”
that’s your sign.
Want to Go Deeper?
This Studio Notes entry is based on an episode of the Hospitality Design Talks podcast where I talk through all of this in a raw, unscripted way.
🎧 Listen to episode 023: Interior Designer Is a Business Strategy, Not a Luxury
If you’re dreaming up a hospitality space and want another set of eyes (and a lot of experience) on your project, you can reach me at rachel@tigerveil.com.
Your space is already telling a story.
Let’s make sure it’s one your guests want to come back to.
