Interior design is a structured process that moves from understanding your space and needs, through concept development and detailed specification, to the finished interior. Rather than styling or decoration, it involves making decisions about how your home functions, looks, and lasts — guided by a designer who translates your brief into a coherent, buildable reality. The studio works through five stages: Discovery, Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal.
Why does the design process start with Discovery, not with furniture choices?
The Discovery stage is where a designer learns what you actually need. This isn’t about aesthetic preferences yet; it’s about understanding how you live in your space, what frustrates you, what works, and what your priorities are. A designer will ask about daily routines, how rooms are used, natural light, storage, entertaining, work-from-home needs, and the practical constraints of your building. This conversation determines everything that follows.
Without this foundation, design decisions become arbitrary. A beautiful room that doesn’t function for the people living in it fails — no matter how carefully chosen the materials or colours. The studio’s residential projects, including the London Embankment Apartment and Witham Project, began with this same stage: understanding the specific life the interior would need to support, rather than imposing a predetermined aesthetic.
What is the Concept stage, and why does it come before detailed design?
Once Discovery is complete, the designer develops a Concept — a coherent vision for how the interior will work and feel. This is the bridge between your needs and the finished design. The Concept establishes the overall approach: the material palette, spatial hierarchy, functional zones, and the reasoning behind them. It answers the question: ‘Why does this interior make sense for this person, in this space, at this time?’
A strong Concept prevents scattered, trend-led decisions. It keeps the project coherent. It’s presented visually — through mood boards, spatial diagrams, or material samples — so you can evaluate the direction before the studio moves into the detailed, technical work. This is where conceptual agreement happens, before significant specification work begins.
What is specified during Concept, Design & Specification, and why does it matter?
Concept, Design & Specification is where the Concept becomes real. The designer selects every material, finish, fixture, and piece of furniture — and crucially, specifies exactly what it is. ‘White paint’ becomes a particular paint brand, finish type, and colour code. ‘Oak flooring’ becomes a named product with its exact plank width, finish, and installation method. ‘A sofa’ becomes a specific model from a specific maker, in a specific fabric, with specific dimensions and delivery timescales.
This level of detail matters because it ensures the interior can actually be built. A joinery drawing shows how a custom bookshelf connects to the wall and other elements. A specification document tells a contractor exactly what materials to order. Without this precision, decisions are left to whoever is installing the work — and the result often differs from what was intended. Commercial projects like Beaulieu Dental Practice and Fruittii Hair Salon required this same rigour: every finish, every fixture, every colour was specified so the contractors could execute the design without ambiguity.
The specification stage also reveals realistic timescales and practical constraints. A particular timber may take twelve weeks to source. A specific stone finish may require specialist installation. A bespoke piece may have a six-month lead time. These facts emerge during Concept, Design & Specification, not after the client has already committed emotionally to choices that turn out to be impractical.
What is the Commission stage, and when does construction actually begin?
Once the design is fully specified and approved, the Commission stage begins. This is when orders are placed, materials are sourced, and contractors are engaged. The designer oversees this stage to ensure everything ordered matches the specification. Lead times vary — a bespoke kitchen may take fourteen weeks, while paint can be mixed within days. The designer coordinates these timescales so materials arrive when they’re needed, not months early or late.
The studio also manages the site coordination during Commission — liaising with builders, electricians, plumbers, and other trades to ensure the design intent is understood and executed. Regular site visits and communication keep the project on track and catch issues early, before they become expensive or disruptive problems.
Why is the Reveal stage important, rather than simply handing over the finished space?
The Reveal is the final stage: the moment when the interior is complete and you experience it fully for the first time. The designer is present at Reveal to ensure everything is as specified, to troubleshoot any last-minute issues, and to explain how to use and maintain the finished interior. Materials behave differently in reality than in samples; light falls differently at different times of day; scale and proportion become apparent only when you’re in the finished space.
The Reveal also marks a handover — the designer provides maintenance guidance, explains how to care for finishes, and ensures you understand how the design works. A reupholstered sofa keeps its original frame, but the new upholstery requires specific cleaning methods. A timber floor has been sealed to a particular standard; maintaining that requires knowing what products won’t damage it. A bespoke lighting scheme works best when you understand which switches control which zones. These details matter for the interior to age well.
How does the studio’s process differ from decorating or styling?
Interior design, as practised by the studio, is fundamentally different from decorating or styling. Decorating typically involves colours, furniture, and accessories applied to an existing space. Interior design involves understanding how a space is used, making strategic decisions about layout, materials, and function, and then selecting finishes and furnishings that support that strategy. The five stages — Discovery, Concept, Design & Specification, Commission, and Reveal — embed this difference into process.
The studio’s commercial projects (Keystones Estate Agent, Tone at Canary Wharf, Beaulieu Dental Practice, and Fruittii Hair Salon) demonstrate this. These spaces aren’t decorated; they’re designed to work for their users — clients, staff, patients, or customers. Every surface, every colour choice, every piece of furniture serves a function. The interiors are durable, coherent, and built to last, because they’re based on a clear understanding of what the space needs to do.
Residential design follows the same rigour. The London Embankment Apartment and Witham Project were designed to fit how their residents live, not to match a trend or impose a predetermined style. This is why the interiors feel permanent and considered, rather than fashionable or temporary.