Do I Really Need an Interior Designer for My Commercial Space?
When you hear the words commercial interior design, what springs to mind? A huge office refurbishment? Architects, contractors and an eye watering budget? Everything being ripped out and starting again?
It really doesn’t have to be.
Sometimes you have a perfectly functional commercial space. The furniture is there, the equipment is where it needs to be and the business is operating quite happily. But something isn’t quite right. It feels a bit bland, the layout could work harder, customers aren’t using the space as you expected, or it simply doesn’t feel like your business.
And that’s exactly when a fresh pair of eyes can make a difference.
You Don’t Need to Know What You Want
I think this is an important one. You don’t need to approach an interior designer with all the answers. In fact, that’s rather the point of asking for help!
You might know that your office feels uninspiring, your shop isn’t easy to navigate or your customer space doesn’t reflect the experience you want to offer. You may not have the foggiest idea what needs to change.
My job is to look at it differently. How does it flow? How are people using it? What’s missing? What could work harder? What doesn’t need to be there at all? And where can we add some personality?
Sometimes that means considering a different layout. Other times, everything stays exactly where it is and it’s the layers around it that make the difference.
Look at Your Space Through Someone Else’s Eyes
When you work somewhere every day, you stop seeing it in the same way as someone walking through the door for the first time.
So try it.
Walk outside and come back in as though you’ve never been there before. What do you notice first? Is that what you want people to notice first?
If you run a shop, can you understand where to go and what you’re selling? If it’s a gym or yoga studio, is there somewhere to put your phone, water bottle or towel? If it’s an office, is there somewhere to have a quiet conversation or escape your screen for ten minutes?
And don’t forget the less glamorous spaces. What do the toilets look like? What does the changing room feel like? Is there somewhere to hang a coat or put a bag?
These details might seem insignificant, but they’re all part of someone’s experience of your business.
Think About Your Clients AND Your Colleagues
A commercial space usually needs to work for more than one type of person.
There’s the client or customer experience, but there are also the people who work there every day.
Your customer might need a clear journey through the space, somewhere comfortable to wait, privacy when they need it and an environment that feels consistent with the business they thought they were visiting.
Your team needs something different. They might need good circulation, practical storage, places to concentrate, spaces to collaborate and somewhere comfortable to take a break.
Good space planning considers both.
And sometimes those needs compete for the same square footage, which is where things get interesting.
It’s Not Just About Making It Look Pretty
Of course, I want a space to look good. But commercial interiors need to earn their keep.
A beautiful chair isn’t much use if nobody can sit comfortably in it. A stunning retail display isn’t working if customers can’t see what you’re selling. And filling every available inch of floor space might technically get everything in, but it doesn’t necessarily make the space enjoyable to use.
This is something my ten years in commercial space planning taught me. There is always a balance between what you need to fit into a space and giving people enough room to move around it, understand it and enjoy using it.
That’s still very much how I look at spaces today.
Small Changes Can Have a BIG Impact
This is probably one of my favourite parts because you don’t always need a huge budget to make somewhere feel completely different.
I’m currently working on a gym where we’re not moving the equipment at all. Instead, we’re looking at the experience around it. Bringing through the brand colour, adding artwork, introducing softer elements and considering those practical little details that make the space easier for clients to use.
The same principle could apply to an office, shop, salon, restaurant or studio.
It might be a change of lighting. A different furniture layout. Better storage. Some artwork. A splash of colour. A more inviting waiting area. A better use of an empty corner.
Sometimes the solution is much simpler than you think.
So, Do You Need an Interior Designer?
Not every commercial space needs a complete redesign.
But if you keep looking around your business thinking something isn’t working, you can’t see how to make better use of the space you have, or the environment simply doesn’t reflect the business you’ve created, it might be time to let someone else take a look.
You don’t need to know what you want. You don’t need to be planning a huge refurbishment. And you certainly don’t need to rip everything out and start again.
Sometimes you just need someone to see the opportunities you’ve stopped noticing.
And that’s where I come in.