What are the benefits of hiring a firm that offers both architectural and interior design services?

I’m about to be interviewed by a magazine publisher this week on this very topic - so thought I would highlight the benefits of hiring a studio with the combined disciplines of architecture and interior design.

Now to be clear Studio 29 Architects have always had the belief that the two specialisms are interconnected. So, when it comes to designing homes it is a holistic process, it not just about casually adding an extension or a loft room but really considering the entire layout down to the smallest detail, along with the owners brief and wants. Without interior design, the space is simply unfinished.

A home redesign always starts with a smart layout, adequate storage and easy moving circulation. The intent for a space is further defined using colour, lighting, finishes, fixtures and furniture. The relationship between you and your home is so important -You want to have a great feeling everytime you enter your home.

Using the combined services of architecture and interior design is a great help to a client as the early design and agenda are strongly intact throughout all the design process. We really offer hand holding guidance from start to finish of a project, we know it can be scary for clients starting a home refurbishment. At our studio you will always work with a dedicated architect throughout a project. This keeps the communication key, it really helps to distil the design and desires. The project does not have that danger of becoming disjointed as tends to happen when there are many people involved - and ultimately the end result is not the best.

In my case (Louise) i start with an interior design idea once I’ve visited a space. I stand in the space to see how the space feels and quite quickly I understand what is missing - then it can grow from a single idea. Sometimes I am shown a specific object or a view by a client and we organise the space experience around that. Adding layers of colour, warm lighting and texture to really make a space answer a problem. Every material has to work hard, not just in endurance but in visual addition something that really sings in the space.

I would consider the combined services of architecture and interior design less expensive then the two sole disciplines - purely for the fact that we definitively organise the layout and specific items required for that space. it helps home owners enormously, saving them time wandering around showrooms, having to decide on one item from a thousand and understanding which high quality reliable brands to use. We already know that. We specialise in space and choosing furniture, i wouldnt expect a home owner to become an expert in this. I mean when i start to draw a living room space I already start to think of certain sofas that would work well in there, it’s about reading a space well.

Early discussion about interior design does benefit a project, it means quite quickly the brief can be discussed and carefully considered and integrated into the overall design. It helps understand the proportion of dedicated budget to assign to this area. Existing sentimental pieces to be kept can be considered and integrated, with plenty of time to complement these items.

Once the construction process is underway all the architectural and interior design will have been decided and in most cases on order. The practical side of interior design is that many items take weeks to arrive and have to be preordered to be on site to meet deadlines. There is nothing worse then moving into a house without a kitchen or a bed! This is all factored in and saves anguish towards the end of a project. Certainly the streamlined process of having one key contact at our studio helps with all these issues, we order and organise the delivery of items.