Toronto · Decorating
Interior Decorator Services in Toronto
If the walls are staying where they are and the room just needs finishing (furniture, colour, lighting, curtains, art), that is decorating. It is most of what people actually need.
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Decorating versus design
The two words get used interchangeably, but they describe different jobs. Interior design deals with the structure of a room: layout changes, plumbing, electrical, millwork, construction drawings. Decorating works with the room as it is, and makes it look and feel finished.
We are an interior design studio and do both. If you are searching for a decorator, this page is about that part of the work: the furniture, the colour, the textiles, and the lighting you can plug in.
No contractor, no permit, and usually no more than a few weeks from first visit to a finished room.
What decorating covers
Furniture: what to keep, what to replace, and where everything goes. We draw a plan to scale before anything is ordered.
Colour: paint for walls and trim, tested in the room's own light. Toronto rooms facing north look very different in January from the swatch in the store.
Textiles and window treatments: curtains, blinds, rugs, upholstery, and bedding. These do more for how a room feels and sounds than almost anything else.
Lighting: lamps, plug-in wall lights, and new fixtures on existing boxes. Art and accessories last, once the room is working.
When you need more than a decorator
If the problem is the layout, like a wall in the wrong place or a kitchen that does not work, no amount of furniture fixes it. That needs design drawings and a contractor, and our main Toronto page covers that work.
It is often worth a short consultation to find out which you need. Many rooms that seem to need renovating just need a better furniture plan and better light.
How it works
A first visit to see the room and talk through how you use it. Then a plan, a colour scheme, and a sourcing list with prices, usually within two to three weeks. You approve, we order, and on install day we place the furniture and hang the art.
If you prefer to buy everything yourself, we can stop at the plan and the list.
What decorating includes
Furniture plan
Every piece drawn to scale, including what you already own and want to keep.
Paint and colour
A colour scheme for walls, trim, and ceilings, tested on site in daylight and at night.
Window treatments
Curtains and blinds measured and specified for privacy, light control, and sound.
Install day
Furniture placed, art hung, and the room set up, rather than a pile of boxes in the hall.
Toronto work
Concept studies from the Toronto side of the studio, labelled for what they are.
Decorating questions, answered
What is the difference between an interior decorator and an interior designer?
A decorator works with the room as it is: furniture, colour, textiles, lighting, and accessories. Interior design also covers layout changes, construction drawings, and coordinating trades. In Ontario, the title 'Interior Designer' is protected for ARIDO members; 'decorator' is not.
How much does an interior decorator cost in Toronto?
For one room, furnished and styled with no construction, we charge $975 to $3,250. That is about 35% under the Toronto market range of $1,500 to $5,000. If it is a few hours of advice on paint and layout, the hourly rate of $55 to $145 is cheaper.
Can you decorate a rental?
Yes. Everything we do as decorating can be removed when you move: furniture, rugs, curtains on tension rods or minimal hardware, plug-in lighting, and art hung with small nails.
Do I have to buy all new furniture?
No. Most decorating projects keep the pieces that work and replace the ones that do not. The plan includes what you already own.
How long does decorating a room take?
Two to three weeks for the plan. After that it depends on what is ordered — in-stock pieces arrive in days or weeks, custom upholstery can take three months.
Do you decorate whole houses?
Yes, room by room or all at once. For a whole house, the whole-home design fee often works out better value than individual rooms.
Finish the room, no contractor needed
Tell us which room and what is not working. Furnishing and styling one room is $975 to $3,250, or $55 to $145 an hour for a few hours of advice. We reply within two working days.
yivgalenko@gmail.com·Toronto & Los Angeles