Markup vs Trade Pricing: How Should Interior Designers Price Products?

Turnkey Design Talk is back for Season 6!After a short break, I’m kicking off the new season with one of the pricing questions I hear constantly from solo interior designers and decorators: how much should you mark up the products you specify—and should you be passing your trade discount on to your clients?Some designers pass on their entire trade discount. Others retain the retail margin. Others use a standard markup. So which approach is right?In this episode, I break down the difference between trade pricing and markup, why there is no magic percentage every designer should be charging, and why your own profitability should ultimately determine your pricing strategy.I’ll also introduce you to Stressed Sally and Calm Claire—two equally talented fictional designers with very different approaches to pricing. Sally changes her markup whenever an expensive item makes her nervous, while Claire establishes a pricing philosophy, applies it consistently and reviews it against the actual profitability of her projects.We cover:Trade pricing vs markup and how they differWhy copying another designer’s markup percentage can be a mistakeThe danger of changing your markup based on the price of individual productsWhy consistency can make quoting simpler and increase your confidenceHow your overall project profit margin should inform your pricing decisionsMy own approach to markup and why I currently use a consistent 30% markup on trade pricingThe goal isn’t to find the “perfect” markup percentage. It’s to create a pricing structure that covers your costs, supports your service and helps you build a profitable, sustainable design business.Download the free Solo Designer Profit Guide:https://www.turnkeydesignsuccess.com/profitguideWelcome back to Season 6 of Turnkey Design Talk.Wondering if you're charging enough?Download my free Solo Designer Profit Guide™ and discover what interior designers are charging in 2026 based on 50+ research interviews across Australia, Canada and the USA. You'll also learn how to calculate the hourly rate YOU need to charge based on your own business, projects and financial goals—not someone else's.Download your free copy:turnkeydesignsuccess.com/profitguide If this episode raised questions for you, or you’re feeling stuck in your solo design business, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.I offer a 30-minute clarity session where we can talk through where you’re at, what’s getting in the way, and whether I can help.Email me at [email protected]