What Has Changed Now That We Have Elevated Our Interior Design Focus?
Hello! If we are being honest, not much has changed overall! As architects/interior designers, we’ve been designing the interiors for our client projects for some-time now. The interiors are obviously a critical part of any project, and many of our projects over the years have been interiors-only focus.
In most cases, we’ve handled the interior design in-house. In some other past occasions, we’ve hired interior design consultants to participate. However, just as we’ve learned on the construction side, we prefer to keep all interior design services in-studio.
Why? It’s simple. Our #1 goal is to achieve the most excellent, comprehensive, efficiently-executed design work, and see it realized accurately in built form. We believe that keeping things in-studio helps with communication, efficiency, and maintaining a singular, coordinated vision for the entire project (from beginning-to-end, design through construction).
If anything HAS changed, it’s that we began adding to our team interior design associates to focus primarily on various aspects of our modern interiors. We understand the inherent overlap between architectural design and interior design. And for interiors, we understand the importance or finishing the spaces with interior furnishings … in a way consistent with and supporting the design vision (concept). This aspect is just as important as the architecture and the interior finishes! We’re happy to report that we have been engaging more frequently on the final furnishing in collaboration with our clients!
Yes, of course we’ve also continued to refine our finishes library. Also, we’ve been more focused on styling/staging for our architectural photography. Of course, it’s all an ever-evolving process!
Having interior design associates on the team has added another dimension and value-add to our overall process. Our dedicated interior design associates look at things from a different perspective and challenge the team with design questions and propose alternative suggestions. We are loving our collaborative team of architects and interior designers and the studio’s potential into the future!
FAQs with HAUS Interior Designers:
When we hire HAUS for architectural services, will we also be able to work with an interior designer on our project?
Yes! Every project that has interiors (and maybe even some that don’t) will get the attention of an interior designer on the team. This review could be part of an office design-charrette at a high-level, or it could mean that they get fully immersed on a detailed interiors project. The latter could be a detailed focus on interior materials and layouts including cabinetry, paint colors, tile selections, flooring, and even furniture and furnishings. The extra set of eyes and unique perspective will help elevate the collaborative process and design solution.
If I want help with lighting and furniture, can you help us with that?
Absolutely! Our team of architects and interior designers would love to help you with those items. The furniture and fixture details are the finishing touches for every interior. We love suggesting options and spec’ing furniture and lighting and have the design process to suit your needs.
Do I have to be an architecture client to get help with my furniture?
Nope. Interior Design services can be a stand-alone service. The benefit of having both architects and interior designers on one team means you get access to both no matter the scale of the project. If we are working together on furnishings and all-of-a-sudden something a little more architectural comes up, we have the ability to go to the person the desk over to get their thoughts on it really quickly (and vice versa).
Will working with the interior designer cost me extra?
Yes and no. It will depend on the areas of expertise you need and the overall project scope. Most of our projects are building-in service for interior concepts and finish selections for anything attached to the building. “Interior and Exterior Furnishings”, is an optional add-on service, which we explain in this article. If you are interested in learning more about “Interior and Exterior Furnishings”, we’d love to review that process with you!
What phase of the project does the interior designer start to get involved?
On most of our projects, an interior designer is involved from the very beginning – even on new construction. However, every project is a little different. Depending on the current team make-up, an interior designer will get more involved once we have an architectural shell and floor plan layout. Then from there, they will begin to detail interiors concepts and floorplans (building on the latest architectural concepts), which is typically very early-on in the project. Even if they are not in every single meeting, they are likely in the background of the project working on some aspect of the design.
Is the interior designer also an architect within the team?
It depends on the specific ‘interior designer’. We may assign a dedicated interior designer associate to a project who is not also an architect. And, some of our architects are also interior designers. Each team member brings a unique life-experience and set-of-skills to the team, which informs our designs in ongoing unique ways
How do we know what your firm’s interior design skillset is?
Our website portfolio will give an idea of our track record on past projects. We also have a lot of recent and current projects underway that we’d love to share. When we interview with a new client, we’ll have the opportunity to answer specific questions about team-member backgrounds and their unique skillsets.
Why would an architectural firm want to include interior design?
An architectural firm that cares about doing excellent work will also include interior design in-house; architecture and interiors simply go together, and should not be segregated into separate packages by separate parties. Simply, architecture and interior architecture/interior design are one. If they are designed separately, it’s more likely that the design concept could be diluted without great communication and ongoing understandings between parties. To create great architecture and maintain the design vision/continuity, one entity needs to oversee all aspects of the projects design and team; better yet if the team benefits from a variety of professionals with varying expertise!
When can we see what you are working-on for interiors?
We are working on some great interiors projects! In fact, we will be and continue to share our latest designs. Follow along on Instagram and Pinterest to stay most up-to-date. We’ll also continue to add new stories nd content to our website.
How do you present your ideas?
We present interior design ideas very similar to how we present our architectural designs. We start with sketch concepts first and after initial client review detail ideas out in a 3D model to show you spatially how things look. We also may use more inspiration images within interior design and therefore will supplement the model with imagery. If we work on furnishings together, we will present items via a presentation document and possibly interior renderings showing the items, depending on the scope of the project and client desires.
If I’m not great at visualizing things, can you help me to feel confident with the interior design direction?
Absolutely! As mentioned above we mainly present ideas via a 3D model. We can also provide even more detailed and photorealistic renderings if this is something you feel would be helpful.
What is your ideal interiors client?
Many designers and creatives may say that the absolute ideal is one with almost no budget limitations and complete faith in the design team’s aesthetic; to let you just run with it. But that is not the typical reality.
Having worked on a number projects with various programs and budgets, we think being challenged by both of those factors adds a richness to the design. These common constraints push the team to be creative with the design solutions.
The ideal client is one who has a budget that matches their scope expectations, and allows the design team to share its expertise and recommendations (on layout, finishes, lighting, furniture and styling). Also a client who gives good feedback but is open to our direction and comes to a professional for their expertise.
What style of interiors do you do/prefer?
Our team has a good mix of opinions on this loaded topic! While some of us more minimalist, others are more warm-modern. Others may lean modern but with fun/vibrant pops of color in furniture and art. Some prefer a lighter, neutral palette, while others may prefer more muted, rich color, and even moody if the space calls for it. Overall, we lean to being simpler with high-level detail. We really enjoy what we do because each project comes with different goals and opportunities.
We enjoy the inherent and necessary rigor of a design process that results in excellence. We enjoy wrestling with the program to really understand the function and style and what will work best for each space.
Having interior designers on the team enriches our architectural services by bringing a curated level to our finishes, details, and fixture selections. It also allows us to offer assistance with the finishing touches + furnishings! If you have any questions about our architectural or interior design services, please to reach out!
Written by HAUS