There is no verified, comprehensive ranking of the richest interior designers in the world. The public figures available here are third-party estimates—not audited disclosures—and do not establish a definitive ranking across countries or history. On the estimates published by Celebrity Net Worth, Kelly Wearstler is listed at $150 million and Nate Berkus at $18 million; both figures were updated May 22, 2026.
Who is the richest interior designer in the world?
Among the two individual designers with comparable figures in the available estimates, Kelly Wearstler has the higher published estimate. Celebrity Net Worth lists her net worth at $150 million and Nate Berkus’s at $18 million, with both pages updated May 22, 2026. These are estimates from one third-party publisher, not verified personal financial statements, and the publisher’s retrieved material does not explain a transparent methodology for calculating or comparing them.
| Designer | Published estimate | Publisher and update date | Career or business scope described | What the figure establishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Wearstler | $150 million | Celebrity Net Worth, May 22, 2026 | Interior design and hospitality work | A third-party estimate for an individual; not an audited disclosure or a verified measure of design income alone. |
| Nate Berkus | $18 million | Celebrity Net Worth, May 22, 2026 | Design, television, production, and author work | A third-party estimate for an individual; not an audited disclosure or a verified measure of design income alone. |
The figures should not be read as precise or directly comparable personal balance sheets. A designer’s wealth may involve several ventures, while a public estimate does not show which assets, debts, ownership shares, or business interests were included. The order here is limited to these two same-publisher estimates; it is not a ranking of all designers worldwide or throughout history.
Why there is no reliable “world ever” ranking
A defensible all-time ranking would require comparable, verifiable information about individuals’ assets and liabilities across countries and eras. The available estimates do not provide that. Nor do they offer a consistent accounting basis showing that every person was assessed in the same way. Treat any broader list of “richest interior designers” as an editorial compilation of estimates, not an established global record.
#1 Best Overall
Joanna Gaines illustrates another comparability problem. Celebrity Net Worth’s search-result text presents a $50 million figure and associates her with Magnolia Homes, but the evidence available does not establish an audited personal figure or separate interior-design wealth from the wider business context. It is therefore not a confirmed amount or a sound basis for placing her in the same ranked table.
Personal wealth is not the same as a design firm’s earnings
Interior Design magazine’s 2026 Top 100 Giants report says the 100 firms in its ranking recorded a combined $6.38 billion in design-fee income for 2025. The ranking is based on firms’ total design-fee earnings across the vertical. That combined business revenue is not an individual designer’s net worth, and it does not show how much any designer personally owns.
Firm rankings and personal net-worth estimates answer different questions: one concerns fees earned by businesses over a period; the other purports to estimate an individual’s assets minus liabilities. Do not use firm revenue, product sales, or a company’s value as a substitute for a person’s personal wealth.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How interior design careers can build wealth
A designer’s career can extend beyond client projects into hospitality, product collections, publishing, television, production, licensing, or retail. These ventures can broaden a business, but their existence does not reveal an owner’s income, ownership share, liabilities, or personal net worth.
Kelly Wearstler: interiors and a lifestyle brand
Wearstler’s official catalog describes a global lifestyle brand spanning residential and commercial interiors and a range of product categories. It supports the point that her work reaches beyond interior-design services; it does not verify her estimated net worth. The catalog is dated, so its listed categories should not be taken as confirmation that every item is currently available.
Nate Berkus: design, media, and books
Berkus’s public career spans design, television, production, and writing. His books include The Things That Matter and Home Rules. Those activities help explain why a public estimate may encompass more than fees from design projects, but they do not establish the value or profitability of any venture.
Quick Recap
Best Value
How to assess a designer net-worth claim
- Check who published the number and when it was updated; a figure without a named source and date is difficult to evaluate.
- Look for a disclosed method and evidence. The estimates above are not backed by audited personal financial disclosures in the cited pages.
- Separate the individual from a firm, brand, joint business, spouse, or family fortune. Revenue and company value are not automatically personal wealth.
- Check what kinds of work the estimate includes. Design, hospitality, media, books, and products can all contribute to a career without revealing net assets.
- Read the ranking as source-dependent. Different sources or methods can produce a different order, and the available figures do not support a comprehensive historical or global list.
Sources
- Celebrity Net Worth: Kelly Wearstler
- Celebrity Net Worth: Nate Berkus
- Celebrity Net Worth: Joanna Gaines
- Interior Design magazine: 2026 Top 100 Giants
- Kelly Wearstler: official catalog
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
