Bookkeeping for interior designers
An interior designer bills design time, buys furniture and finishes for clients, and holds deposits against purchases that arrive months later. Mispar keeps client money separate from design income, tracks purchases by project, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Residential and small commercial designers, decorators and staging professionals.
By project
Design fees
Tracked
Client purchases
Separated
Deposits
Reconciled
Trade accounts
Where interior designer books usually go wrong
- Client deposits for furnishings recorded as income before items arrive.
- Items bought on the client's behalf mixed with the studio's own costs.
- Design fees and product markup in one number.
- Vendor deposits and credits tracked on paper.
How Mispar keeps your interior designers books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Design fees and retainers
Record hourly, flat and retainer fees by project so time and fees can be compared.
Purchases made for clients
Track furniture, fabric and fixtures bought for a client, with the markup or reimbursement shown clearly.
Client deposits
Hold deposits as owed against purchases until the goods are ordered or delivered, using a treatment agreed with your CPA.
Trade and vendor accounts
Keep open vendor balances and trade discounts by supplier so late bills are caught.
Samples and showroom costs
Categorize samples, mock-ups and showroom expenses as overhead.
Contractors and installers
Track installers and subcontractors by project with the paperwork needed at year end.
Shipping, freight and storage
Track freight and warehouse storage for client orders as its own cost, billed through when your agreement says so.
Photography and marketing
Categorize project photography and marketing as overhead.
Reports an interior designer can use
- Open client deposits and purchases by project.
- Design fees versus product margin.
- Vendor balances and credits.
- Project profit with time and cost.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Map projects and payments
We list how fees, deposits and purchases flow for each project.
Set up project tracking
Each project gets a tag for fees, purchases and deposits.
Reconcile each month
Client payments, vendor bills, contractor pay and card spending are matched to the bank and the project.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA with an open-items list.
Illustrative example
A client sends $20,000 for furniture that ships in four months. The money is held as owed against the order, so the studio does not mistake client funds for its own income. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Interior Designers bookkeeping — your questions
Can you separate client funds from design income?
Yes. Purchase deposits are tracked apart from your fees.
How do you handle markup on client purchases?
Recorded as your agreement with the client states, using a treatment agreed with your CPA.
What do you need each month to keep interior design books?
Invoices and payment exports, vendor statements, contractor invoices, card statements and access to your bank feeds.
Can you track profit by project? (interior designers)
When fees and costs can be tied to a project, yes.
Do you handle sales tax on purchases?
We keep taxable purchases in separate accounts and prepare totals for your filing. We do not give tax advice.
Can you track items on order that have not arrived?
Yes. Open orders are listed by project and vendor.
How do you handle purchases on behalf of clients?
Client funds are tracked separately from the studio's income until the items are delivered.
Can you handle clients billed hourly and by flat fee?
Yes. Each project keeps its billing method, and both feed monthly statements.
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