When it comes to designing the interior of a space, there are two primary types of design: residential and commercial. Residential interior design focuses on creating spaces that are comfortable and functional for homeowners, while commercial interior design is geared toward creating appealing and functional spaces for customers or clients. Understanding the differences between these two design types is crucial to ensuring that your space is designed to meet your specific needs.
In this guide, we will dive into:
- what’s the difference between residential vs. commercial interior design?
- what do you need to know about marketing when choosing your direction?
- is it possible to do both?
- if you are planning to offer both residential and commercial interior design, do you need to hire different types of talent?
- and which one should you start with?
Let’s dive in!
In my work, I work with many interior designers, and I can see a clear niching to one of the directions: either the residential or the commercial. However, many firms want to offer both, because these two are very different, and both can be exciting in their own ways.
What Is Residential Interior Design?
Residential interior design is the art and science of designing and decorating the interior spaces of private homes. It involves creating functional and aesthetically pleasing living spaces that reflect the personality and lifestyle of the occupants.
What Is Commercial Interior Design?
Commercial interior design is the process of designing and decorating interior spaces in commercial buildings such as offices, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and other public spaces. The goal of commercial interior design is to create functional and attractive spaces that meet the needs of the business and its customers.
What’s the big difference between residential and commercial interior design?
One of the primary differences between residential and commercial interior design is the design elements used in each type of design. Residential design tends to focus on creating spaces that are warm and inviting, with a focus on comfortable furnishings and personal touches. Commercial design, on the other hand, is geared towards creating spaces that are functional and appealing to customers or clients, with a focus on creating a cohesive brand image.
However, since Covid, we see a clear trend toward warm and inviting office and work spaces as well. This is one of the key elements that companies use to attract people back to the offices.
Another key difference between residential and commercial interior design is the approach taken to the design process. Residential design is typically more personalized, with a focus on creating a space that reflects the homeowner’s unique tastes and preferences.
Commercial design, on the other hand, is geared towards achieving a specific set of goals, such as creating a welcoming atmosphere or maximizing space efficiency.
Understanding these differences is crucial to ensuring that your marketing message hits home!
Understanding Residential Interior Design
When it comes to residential interior design, the focus is on creating a comfortable and functional living space that reflects the client’s personal styles and tastes.
Residential Design Elements
When designing a residential space, there are several key design elements to consider. These include furniture, lighting, color, and texture. As an interior designer, you can help your clients to choose the right elements to create a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing space.
One popular trend in residential design is wellness design. This involves using a simple and clean design aesthetic to create a space that is both functional, visually appealing, and contributes to the overall wellbeing. Another trend is biophilic design, which incorporates natural elements such as plants and natural light to create a calming and relaxing space.
Budget Considerations
Setting a budget is an important part of any interior design project. When working with clients, it is important to be upfront about their budget so that you can create a space that meets their needs while staying within their financial constraints.
Interior designers can help prioritize spending and choose the right materials and furnishings to create a space that is both functional and beautiful.
Personal Taste and Style
The client’s personal taste and style should be at the forefront of any residential interior design project. As an interior designer, you can help them identify their personal style and preferences and incorporate them into the design of their living space.
Understanding Commercial Interior Design
When it comes to commercial interior design, the focus is on creating an environment that is not only visually appealing but also functional and safe for employees, customers, and clients.
Commercial Design Elements
Commercial interior design is all about creating a space that is aesthetically pleasing, functional, durable, and on-brand. This means that the design elements used in commercial spaces are often different from those used in residential spaces.
Some of the common design elements used in commercial spaces include:
- Open floor plans that allow for flexibility and easy movement
- Durable and easy-to-clean materials that can withstand heavy foot traffic
- Adequate lighting that creates a welcoming and inviting atmosphere
- Ergonomic furniture that promotes productivity and comfort
Brand Image and Functionality
Commercial interior design is also about creating a space that reflects the brand image and values of the business. For example, a restaurant may want to create an atmosphere that is warm and inviting, while a law firm may want to create an environment that is professional and serious. At the same time, the space must also be functional and conducive to the business’s operations.
Health and Safety Guidelines
Commercial interior design also takes into account health and safety guidelines. This includes ensuring that the space is accessible to all, complying with fire and building codes, and providing adequate ventilation and lighting.
In addition, commercial interior designers must also consider the specific needs of the business, such as ensuring that the space is secure and that employees have access to necessary equipment and resources.
Differences Between Residential and Commercial Interior Design
When it comes to interior design, there are significant differences between residential and commercial spaces. Let’s explore the key differences between the two and how they affect the design solutions, aesthetics, creativity, wellbeing, and productivity of each space.
Design Solutions
Residential interior design focuses on creating a comfortable and functional space that meets the needs and preferences of the homeowner. In contrast, commercial interior design aims to create a space that is appealing and functional for customers or clients. Therefore, the design solutions for these two types of spaces differ significantly.
For residential spaces, the design solutions are personalized and tailored to the homeowner’s needs and preferences. This means that the design must reflect the homeowner’s lifestyle, tastes, and budget. In contrast, commercial spaces need to be on-brand, while still taking into consideration of the rules and regulations.
Aesthetics and Creativity
Residential interior design is all about creating an aesthetically pleasing space that reflects the homeowner’s personality and style. The design must be creative, unique, and visually appealing. This means that the designer has more creative freedom to experiment with different colors, textures, and materials.
Commercial interior design, on the other hand, is more focused on functionality and brand identity. The space must reflect the company’s brand and values while also being aesthetically pleasing. This means that the designer must work within certain guidelines and restrictions to ensure that the space is consistent with the company’s image.
Wellbeing
Residential interior design is all about creating a space that promotes wellbeing and comfort. The design must take into account the homeowner’s physical and emotional needs. This means that the space must be designed to promote relaxation, comfort, and a sense of security.
Commercial interior design also considers wellbeing, but in a different way. The space must be designed to promote productivity, creativity, and overall wellbeing. This means that the designer must consider factors such as lighting, acoustics, and ergonomics to create a space that is conducive to work.
Productivity
Residential interior design is not typically focused on productivity, as the space is primarily used for relaxation and leisure. However, the design can still impact productivity in subtle ways. For example, a cluttered or disorganized space can lead to stress and anxiety, which can affect productivity.
Commercial interior design, on the other hand, is all about productivity. The space must be designed to promote efficiency, creativity, and collaboration. This means that the designer must consider factors such as layout, lighting, and acoustics to create a space that is conducive to work.
The Need For Different Talents
Given these two disciplines are essentially different, you also need to make sure you have the required talent in your team. You don’t always need to hire full-time experts though, you can just as easily cooperate and invite other talents to join your bids and projects.
If you don’t want to bring other design professionals to the project, then you need to educate yourself and your team on the different aspects and skills that are required to deliver residential and commercial interior projects.
Residential Vs. Commercial Interior Design – Which One Should You Pursue?
When you launch your business, essentially you want to choose one, not both. However, many designers start defining their specific style, and by doing that, they might start getting inquiries from both residential and commercial clients.
Also, what we see happening in the industry is that the lines are getting less clear. Many businesses are establishing home offices and the design solutions for them are a mixture of residential and commercial.
Also, many designers want to start designing second or vacation homes, which sometimes leads to boutique hotels and private resort designs. Furthermore, since many entrepreneurs also own quite impactful homes, they often want their residential designers to do their offices as well.
To conclude – it doesn’t matter where you start, but knowing the difference between these two types of design disciplines is critical. Your positioning, marketing, and sales processes will look very different depending on your chosen niche, so make sure you consider this when choosing the direction for your business!
