Interior design: shaping the space
Interior design deals with how a space works. It can include planning the layout, moving or adding walls, designing built-in joinery, lighting plans, and coordinating electrics, plumbing and ventilation with engineers and builders. It produces drawings and specifications before anything is built.
Decoration: finishing the space
Decoration works within the existing structure. It chooses colours, furniture, fabrics, lighting fixtures, art and accessories to create a look and a mood. Most decoration can be changed without builders.
Where they overlap
Both care about colour, materials and style, and many professionals do both. The difference is the depth of the change: design can change the room itself; decoration changes what is in it.
Which one do you need?
- Changing the layout, kitchen or bathroom, or renovating — an interior designer (and often an architect or engineer).
- Refreshing a room that works well — decoration is usually enough.
- Not sure — start with a short consultation and a measured plan of the room.
Before you hire
- Look at finished projects, not only renderings.
- Agree the scope, the number of design rounds and the fee in writing.
- Ask who manages the builders and suppliers.
Tools for this
Zinat — a free reference to beauty and decoration, part of the ZIBADIS network founded by Masoud Moghaddam, designer and developer.
