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Building a Home

How much interior home design do architects typically do?

16 years ago

I am just curious as our architect said he will do design on our home for anything that is nailed down. Not sure if that includes wall paper, but it doesn't include the furnishings.

I have never built a home before much less a custom home. But we did remodel 2/3 of our current home about 10 years back. After it was all said and done, it probably would have been easier just to build a new home- but I just loved my lot and this neighborhood.

During our remodel our architect designed the spaces and exterior, but he did not really get into the interior design or even the kitchen arrangements. We hired a kitchen and bath guy and also an interior designer to do that instead. And we hired the GC after having the architect review his credentials.

I actually prefer having my architect involved in more of the home design especially since I really like him and what he has done so far, but wondered if this was customary.

For the record we have hired our architect first and plan on hiring our GC in the next phase of our project.

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Comments (3)

mightyanvil
16 years ago
Residential interior design is quite a different professional task from designing the house itself. Architects were not taught interior design in school and the residential interior design industry is set up for designers with sales tax exempt status who buy and resell materials marking them up like a contractor which is not the way architects work except in unusual cases. However, some architects do have those skills and can provide consultation on an hourly basis usually without providing materials.
teresa_b
16 years ago
I honestly do not think there is a "typical" response for what an architect will do with respect to interior design. Having said that, our arch was not at all interested in performing that service; however, he had an in house design person with whom we could work for an additional fee. He was interested in our overall "feel" and "vision" for the house which was somewhat helpful.

As much as I would have liked to work with a designer, we honestly were not willing to spend that type of money. Several outside designers were more per hour than our architect! I could not afford to spend that kind of money for someone to go "shopping" for me trying to find pieces/wallpaper/tile/flooring that I liked. Although a designer has resources that makes it easier to identify those items, our "look" is not mainstream, which meakes it more time consuming.

I hope that helps.

Teresa
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chisue
16 years ago
It can be VERY helpful to consult an interior designer to look at your house plans. This person is trained to see where you may have troubles moving around in a house or placing furniture.

A friend recently contracted to buy a new townhome. The designer immediately saw from the blueprints that if one wall and closet in the entryway were moved, the whole entry, LR, Kitchen would work better. Turned out great. (The non-designer-consulted unit is still for sale.)

You don't have to hire a designer to walk you through the tile, carpet, etc. selection -- just to look at the plans with an eye to what might be improved upon before it is built. As mightyanvil said, architects aren't trained for this.

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