Understanding the differences between commercial and residential design can be difficult. But, with any kind of interior design, there are fundamental aspects which remain unchanged. Taking things like wellbeing and security into account, is especially important in any space which is being renovated, regardless of its use.

Here we explore the key differences between these two types of design, and the importance of a well-designed space for your business.

Why is commercial design different to residential design?

Where residential projects focus solely on your home environment, commercial spaces are typically utilised for business purposes. Commercial design can encompass a very wide range of spaces, from cafes to hotels, leisure facilities to retail spaces. The purpose of commercial design is therefore completely different to residential spaces; the design should be different too!

Our overall aim when designing a home is to ensure that the space is comfortable and works around your everyday life. Especially important since this is where we spend the majority of our time (even more so during the series of lockdowns that we’ve experienced recently!). We ensure that your home is completely personalised, making sure that it reflects your tastes, personality and needs as much as possible.

Commercial design, on the other hand, is business and customer-centric; we’re designing to fit closely with your brand, your intended audience and to make sure that the space performs functionally. Our priorities are completely dependent on your type of business, and your business goals. One thing that doesn’t change is that we focus on making sure your customers feel welcome when they visit your business. This ensures that your clientele have the best possible experience, leaving them more likely to feel comfortable spending money on your products or services.

We recognise that if you’ve chosen to renovate a commercial space, your end goal is to make a profit. Our job is to maximise your budget and propose a design which we believe will help to towards achieving the optimum financial returns. It goes without saying that the better the design, the better the return on your investment!

Why is design important for a commercial space?

Having a well-designed physical presence in your community will undoubtedly draw in new potential customers. If you invest in a beautifully designed space and spend time connecting with your ideal customer you are more likely to get word of mouth recommendations – this is the best free advertising you can get!

As well as attracting new physical customers through your space, utilising your physical business online through digital marketing is essential. We’re living in an ever-increasing digital world where social media rules supreme. Having a space that you are proud of is the perfect marketing content for your business, allowing you to attract a wider scope of potential customers online.

Let’s not forget that if you have employees working for your business, an office space centred around biophilic design which connects with nature will create a comfortable work environment. This will increase employee wellbeing as well as output, increasing your business potential. In a recent survey compiled by the Design Council, 77% of people agreed with the statement that people work more productively in well designed offices.

What do we take into consideration when planning a design for your commercial project?

One of the most important aspects of planning a commercial space is making sure that the space is as functional and aesthetically pleasing as possible, whilst adhering to current health and safety guidelines. This ensures that both employees and potential customers are kept safe whilst in the building.

Your business financials, like in any business play a major role in planning the design for your business. Depending on how much you are able and willing to spend, we will devise our design proposals with that in mind. Budget planning is therefore hugely important.

There may also be structural limitations to what we can achieve in your commercial space. Local councils can be relatively strict when it comes to making structural changes. If you are looking to make significant alterations such as building an extension, or changing the layout of the rooms we may need to look into obtaining planning permission or other guidance from local authorities.

Finally, we take your company branding into consideration when coming up with our design proposals. Your logo is an incredibly important tool in identifying your business; if you are content with your current branding package we utilise elements in our design for continuity across your brand. We can take your branding colours, fonts and style and come up with design solutions which work in cohesion, for example matching your brand colours with your office furniture.

What kinds of businesses do we work with?

We’re very lucky at Keyhole Interiors to have worked with some incredibly ambitious businesses across the North West. Whether you’re planning on opening a new retail space, holiday accommodation, restaurant, or you’re looking to renovate an existing office space, we’re ready to take on any challenge! We understand that each business is completely unique, which is why we take the time to get to know you, your ideal customers and your brand identity to design a space with you business goals in mind.

Have you thought about hiring an interior designer for your project?

We hope that this information has helped you towards making a decision to work with an interior designer, but we know how daunting the process can seem. We would love to alleviate that stress and work to achieve the perfect design in line with your brand.

If you’re still not convinced that working with an interior designer is the best solution, we’d love to speak with you. Why not get in touch today to arrange a consultation?

You can also find out more about us on our website, and over on our Instagram page. We can’t wait to hear from you.