Interior design for rooms that look and work the way you want

For homeowners and businesses who want help with finishes, lighting, joinery and furniture layouts. Share your plans and compare quotes from interior designers and other professionals.

Interior design is about how a space looks, feels and works day to day: the colours and materials, the lighting, built-in storage and joinery, and where the furniture goes. People often bring in an interior designer after an extension or renovation, when moving into a new home, or when a room simply doesn’t work. A good designer starts with how you live, then produces a clear scheme with scaled furniture layouts, a lighting plan, joinery drawings and a schedule of finishes, so builders, electricians and joiners all work from the same information. Some also source and order everything and oversee the installation.

How a professional can help

• Concept and colour scheme: They turn your ideas, photos and preferences into mood boards and sample boards of colours, materials and textures, so you can see how the scheme fits together before buying anything.
• Lighting design: They plan layers of ambient, task and accent lighting, decide where switches, dimmers and sockets go, and give your electrician a lighting plan to work from.
• Bespoke joinery: They design built-in wardrobes, alcove shelving, media walls, boot rooms and window seats, with drawings detailed enough for a joiner to price and make.
• Furniture layouts: Scaled floor plans show where each piece of furniture goes, checking walkways, sightlines and proportions so rooms feel balanced and easy to move around.
• Finishes schedule: A schedule lists every paint colour, floor finish, tile, worktop, fitting and fabric, so nothing is left to guesswork when the builder or decorator starts.
• Sourcing and installation: If you want a fuller service, they can source, order and track furniture and fittings, coordinate deliveries and style the finished rooms.

Is this right for you?

• You’re finishing an extension or renovation and want help choosing finishes, lighting and furniture before the builder needs decisions.
• You’ve moved into a new home and want a coordinated scheme rather than buying piece by piece.
• A room feels dark, cluttered or awkward to use and you’re not sure how to fix it.
• You want bespoke storage or joinery designed to fit an awkward space.
• You run a café, office, shop or holiday let and want an interior that reflects your brand.

How the project usually runs

• Brief and consultation: Your designer visits or meets you to talk through how you use each room, your style, the pieces you want to keep and any building work already planned.
• Concept design: They present mood boards, sample boards and initial layouts, then refine the direction with you until the look and feel of the scheme is agreed.
• Detailed design: The agreed concept becomes working information: furniture plans, lighting and electrical layouts, joinery drawings and a finishes schedule for trades to quote from.
• Ordering and coordination: Furniture, fabrics, lighting and fittings are ordered with lead times in mind, while trades are briefed so first fix wiring and joinery fixings end up in the right places.
• Installation and styling: Once decorating and joinery are finished, furniture is delivered and placed, curtains and blinds are fitted, and the rooms are styled with accessories and artwork.

What affects the cost

• The number of rooms, and how much of the home is being designed at once.
• Whether you want design drawings only, or a full service including sourcing, ordering and managing deliveries and installation.
• How much bespoke joinery, upholstery and made-to-measure curtains or blinds the scheme includes.
• The specification of the finishes, fittings and furniture you choose.
• Lighting complexity, such as dimming, scene setting or smart controls that need extra wiring.
• How the designer charges, for example a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a fee per room, and how any trade discounts are handled.

Consents worth checking before you start

• Decorating, new furniture and soft furnishings don’t normally need planning permission or Building Regulations approval.
• If the building is listed, internal changes such as removing fireplaces, panelling or cornicing, or fixing joinery to historic walls, can need listed building consent.
• In England and Wales, much new electrical work, such as new circuits or a new consumer unit, falls under Part P of the Building Regulations and is usually self-certified by a registered electrician; rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• In a leasehold flat, check your lease: many need the freeholder’s consent for alterations, and some restrict hard flooring to limit noise for neighbours below.

Questions people ask

What’s the difference between interior design and interior architectural design?

Interior design focuses on finishes, colour, lighting, furniture and joinery within the existing rooms. Interior architectural design deals with changing the space itself, such as removing walls, moving a staircase or reconfiguring the layout, which usually needs structural input and Building Regulations approval. Many projects need both, and some professionals offer both.

When should I bring an interior designer into a building project?

Ideally before the electrician’s first fix, while walls and ceilings are still open. That’s when lighting positions, sockets, switches and joinery fixings are decided, and changing them later means extra cost and disruption. Joining at the design stage also lets the designer influence window positions, door swings and storage.

Can an interior designer work with furniture I already own?

Yes. Many schemes are built around pieces you love, such as a family dining table or a favourite painting. Tell the designer what you want to keep at the start, and they’ll plan colours, layouts and lighting around it, sourcing new items only where they’re needed.

Can I hire an interior designer for just one room?

Yes. Many designers take on single rooms, such as a living room, kitchen or main bedroom, and some offer a design-only package that you put in place yourself. A single-room scheme can also become the starting point for the rest of the house later on.

Do interior designers buy the furniture for me?

Some do. Designers offering a full service often order through trade accounts, track deliveries and deal with damaged items. Ask at the start how purchases are handled, who owns the goods until they’re paid for, and whether trade discounts are passed on to you or built into the fee, so you can compare quotes fairly.

Available across the UK

Professionals cover the whole of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Planning and Building Regulations differ between the four nations, and your professional will work to the rules that apply where your property is.

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