How much does interior design cost in Dubai in 2026?
Published 12 April 2026 · Updated 20 May 2026 · By Subhra
In short
Interior design in Dubai in 2026 typically runs from AED 250 per sq ft for a furnished apartment refresh to AED 1,500+ per sq ft for a full luxury villa fit-out. Apartment projects start around AED 250,000, full villas from AED 600,000, restaurants from AED 700,000, and offices from AED 450,000. Design fees are usually 8–15% of total project cost.
What you are actually paying for
An interior design and fit-out budget in Dubai breaks into four parts: design fees (8–15%), construction and joinery (35–50%), materials and finishes (20–30%), and FF&E, furniture, fittings and equipment (15–25%). The lower the FF&E share, the more you are spending on the architecture itself.
Apartment refresh: AED 250,000 – 500,000
A 2,000 sq ft apartment refresh in Downtown Dubai or Dubai Marina, including new joinery, lighting, flooring, paint and FF&E, currently sits between AED 250,000 and AED 500,000 depending on materials. Italian-engineered kitchens and stone bathrooms move the cost towards the upper end.
Full villa fit-out: AED 600,000 – 4,000,000
A full 6,000–10,000 sq ft villa fit-out in Emirates Hills, Palm Jumeirah or Arabian Ranches typically runs AED 600,000 to AED 4,000,000. Structural changes, full-stone bathrooms, custom joinery and imported FF&E are the main cost drivers.
Restaurant fit-out: AED 700,000 – 3,500,000
A 200-cover restaurant fit-out in Dubai typically runs AED 700,000 to AED 3,500,000 including FOH, BOH and kitchen-integration. Branded restaurants in mall locations run higher because of mall-authority approvals and accelerated programmes.
Office fit-out: AED 450,000 – 2,500,000
A 5,000–10,000 sq ft office fit-out runs AED 450,000 to AED 2,500,000. Acoustic and AV integration, branded environments, and DIFC-specific finishes push cost up.
Design fees and how they are charged
ZuriSpace charges design fees at 8–15% of total project cost on full design-and-build engagements, or by phase (concept, design development, documentation, supervision) on consultancy-only engagements.
Quick answers.
On a turnkey design-and-build engagement, the design fee is usually built into the total project budget. On a design-only engagement, fees are quoted separately and typically range from 8–15% of construction value.
The single biggest cost driver is bespoke joinery: a fully custom kitchen, wardrobe-wall and bathroom joinery package can move the budget by 25–40% on its own. Stone choice and imported FF&E are the next biggest drivers.
Yes. Many ZuriSpace residential clients phase their build over 6–18 months, typically architecture and joinery first, then FF&E and styling once the family has lived in the space for a few weeks.
Written by
Subhra
Founder & Principal Designer
Subhra is the founder and principal designer of ZuriSpace, leading every project from first conversation to final reveal across the UAE and India.
Read Subhra's profile →