CGI for design development purposes
The most expensive interior decisions to change are often the ones hidden behind walls, ceilings and joinery. They should be tested against furniture and daily use before construction begins.
Construction makes decisions physical. A power point or tap position that seemed minor on a drawing becomes part of the room, often behind finished surfaces or custom joinery. Changing it later may require demolition and delay.
Rather than choosing every cushion before building begins, the task is to resolve the interior decisions that affect architecture, services, fabrication and access while they can still be coordinated properly.
Confirm the furniture plan
Furniture determines where people sit, walk, read, dine and look. It tests whether the room is the right size and whether doors and circulation leave enough usable wall and floor space.
A sofa may require power for a floor lamp, and a bed establishes the location of reading lights and switches. These relationships cannot be resolved accurately from an empty plan.
The article on flow and circulation explains how furniture and routes should be tested together.
Finalise doors, windows and room relationships
The direction of a door swing can conflict with a vanity or principal route. Window height affects furniture and curtains. A wide opening between rooms may improve connection while removing the wall required for art or a comfortable seating arrangement.
These decisions should be reviewed in plan and elevation with the architect and relevant consultants. Once structure and openings are committed, the interior must work within them.
Coordinate lighting, power, data and controls
Lighting positions depend on furniture, art, joinery and the tasks performed in the room. Power and data need to serve televisions, desks, charging, appliances, lamps, motorised window treatments and any agreed control systems without leaving cords across the floor.
How to Plan Residential Lighting sets out the ambient, task and reflected layers. Before construction, the practical work is to coordinate fittings, circuits, switching, drivers, ceiling details and access with the electrical and lighting team.
Resolve kitchens, bathrooms and joinery
Appliance models, plumbing fixtures, hardware and internal storage affect dimensions and services. A nominal allowance is not the same as a coordinated selection. Changes after cabinetry is in production can alter clearances and stone.
Joinery should be tested against what it will contain. How Much Storage Does a Home Need? explains why the inventory matters. Elevations also need to account for skirtings, cornices, ventilation, power, lighting and the way adjacent finishes end.
Approve materials and their junctions
A material schedule is more than a list of stone, timber, tile and paint. The team needs to know where each finish begins, how thicknesses meet, what edge is visible and how floor levels change between rooms.
Large or variable natural materials should be reviewed in the form available for approval. Samples need to be seen with the other finishes and under the intended light. The detail at the junction often determines whether good materials look considered.
Plan art, mirrors and window treatments
Heavy art, mirrors, wall-mounted furniture and some window treatments may require concealed support or ceiling recesses. Their approximate sizes and positions should be known before walls and ceilings close.
Curtains affect pelmets, tracks, air-conditioning outlets and the apparent width of a window. Blinds may need power. Even when the final fabric is selected later, the architectural provision should not be left to chance.
Address audiovisual and acoustic needs
Televisions, speakers, screens and equipment need locations, ventilation, cabling and access for maintenance. Their relationship to furniture and daylight should be understood before an outlet is centred on the wrong wall.
Cinemas and studies may have particular acoustic requirements. A specialist should advise where performance depends on construction or isolation. The interior design should coordinate that work with the room’s materials and appearance.
Check installation access
A piece may fit the room and still fail to reach it. Stairs, lifts, door widths, turning points and external access should be reviewed for large furniture, stone, mirrors and joinery. Some items may need to be made in sections or installed before a later stage of construction.
Interior design sourcing and project coordination connects approvals, manufacture, delivery and the building programme. Installation and final styling is easier when access and sequence have been considered from the beginning.
Give the team one coordinated intention
When Should You Hire an Interior Designer? addresses timing. How Interior Designers Work With Architects and Builders explains the division of responsibility. Before construction, the practical goal is that the architect, interior designer, builder and consultants are working from coordinated information within their respective scopes.
The CGI concept image for the in-progress Contrast in Fig Tree Pocket project shows the result as one room. Reaching that point requires the desk, joinery, lighting, power, art and material junctions to be considered as related decisions long before installation.
If you are preparing a renovation or new home for construction, contact the studio to discuss the interior decisions that should be resolved before work begins.
Daniel Kostiuc Interior Design is a luxury interior design studio based in Brisbane, offering residential interior design and interior decoration across Queensland, Australia and internationally. Services include Queenslander and heritage renovations, apartment and penthouse interiors and sourcing and project coordination, covering space planning, final installation and styling, lighting, art and accessories for high-end homes. View recent projects or contact the studio.