The right kind of commercial interior design can brighten up an office, inspire employees to relax or work harder, and even encourages better moods. If you are looking around your commercial space and feeling uninspired, it may be time for a change. Your commercial interior should fit with your ideals, and your brand and demonstrate to the world who you are, but getting an entirely new design can feel daunting.
It can be tough to know just how much it will cost both in time and money, and whether it will truly be worth it in the end. If you are considering redecorating your commercial space, this article is for you…
What does a commercial interior design include?
Before we can get into what commercial interior design includes, it is important to know what it is. As the name suggests, this is an area of design focused on commercial buildings. The type of properties that may get an interior design include:
- Office buildings
- Shops
- Hotels
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Industrial interiors and more.
If you have a commercial property that needs constructing or renovating, an interior designer can help. These are professionals that have the skill and experience you need if you are constructing or renovating a commercial building.
A full commercial interior design will include everything from the initial ideas and planning stage right the way through to a perfected and polished end result. Some of the tasks involved in general are:
- Creating a vision for the interior that fits with your brand or ethos
- Drawing up plans and blueprints
- Selecting appropriate materials
- Gathering materials
- Working out architectural details and interior walls
- Coordinating different service providers
- Selecting and arranging colours, furnishings, lighting and more.
As you can see, this can be comprehensive indeed. If you need it, every stage can be taken care of from architectural changes onwards. Or, alternatively, you may find that your interior only needs more aesthetic work doing. You would be amazed at the difference you will see simply by hiring experienced commercial painters to decorate your office or workspace.
You can choose to take on certain roles for yourself, such as selecting fixtures and furnishings. You may prefer laminate flooring over carpets or plantation shutters over curtains, for example. Or you can tell an experienced commercial interior designer of your preferences and let them do it for you.
How long does a commercial interior design take?
Many businesses are wary of renovating their interiors due to the time it will take to complete. The truth is that some projects will indeed take several weeks or months, depending on what it is that you want doing.
A full redesign, construction or renovation can take 8-12 weeks for a medium to larger size office space. If, on the other hand, you only want to redecorate a small to medium-sized commercial space without any serious architectural changes, it could take just 2-3 weeks. Really, it depends on:
- The size of your commercial building
- The kind of interior changes you want
- How long the fixtures and fittings take to arrive
- The kind of company that you hire
The last can make the biggest impact on how long the process will take for you. If you hire an experienced and skilled interior designer with a strong team of contractors, you are likely to see end results much faster. Check for reviews and glowing recommendations, and always get a written quote not just of how much it will cost but how long it will take.
Delays and issues can happen. But in general, if you get the right company in to carry out the work needed, you should be able to rely on them to get your interiors up to snuff in as short a period as possible.
How much does a commercial interior design cost?
Now we come to the big question that everyone always wants to know, just how much will your commercial interior design cost? Well, again, this is pretty much impossible to quantify without knowing the specifics.
As you have already seen, there is a great variety in what you can get done with an interior design project. The size of the space will factor in, as will the calibre of contractors and the materials used. If you want top-of-the-range furnishings and fixtures, that will naturally cost a lot more than if you just went for the basics. The same goes for the paint and any other materials that are used.
In Australia depending on the project you may end up paying the interior designer by the hour, a fixed fee or a percentage of the total project. You will have to pay for materials, wages and more. For a smaller commercial property, this could all come to a couple of thousand dollars in total, or it could cost tens of thousands. It really is impossible to say. That is why you should always get a quote upfront.
There is also more to the cost of something than simply how much the materials and work set you back. You may need to relocate your staff for several weeks while the work is being done. If you are a shop or restaurant, you may lose money from customers. You could even lose clients while being closed down. It is all worth considering.
On the other hand, there is a cost to not paying for an updated commercial interior design. As a restaurant or bar, if you don’t look appealing, people will not want to come in and stay. As a business, your office is how you represent yourself to your clients and to your employees. You could be losing out badly if your office looks shabby or poor.
Final thoughts
While a commercial interior design could cost you a fair amount in both time and money, it can often very much be worth the investment. Just ask yourself, where would you rather work, shop or visit? Somewhere that is worn, tired-looking or outdated, or somewhere that looks fresh, bright and ready to welcome you in? If your commercial space is ready for a facelift, it may be time to start thinking about your own commercial interior design today.
