A core part of our team here at George Armour Ewart, Architect (GAEA) is our talented group of interior designers and design associates.

In collaboration with the rest of our team, they are integral to GAEA’s continued work, creating smart and meaningful commercial spaces for our clients — which we often oversee all the way from initial drawings to final touches like finishes and furnishings. 

So, to be honest, we have a bit of a “well, actually…” reaction when we encounter the unfortunate (and common) misconception that interior designers “just decorate” spaces… because they do so much more!

Here’s a high-level look at the true role of interior designers in shaping functional, strategic, and technical spaces in commercial architecture. 

Interior Designers Influence Function + Aesthetics

Commercial interior design is as much about planning how a space can be used effectively as it is about planning how it can be aesthetically pleasing. Sure, the interior designers on Team Ewart do some decorating, but only after designing for other key considerations like: 

• Strategic space planning
• Effective traffic flow
• Ergonomics
• Enhancing productivity 

After accounting for big-picture functional issues like these, then interior designers are ready to tend to more aesthetic concerns to complete spaces, such as textiles, art, and furniture. 

Interior Designers Solve Real-World Business Needs

By no means “just decorators,” our interior designers play an integral role in providing solutions for each client’s particular needs and goals. In cooperation with our architects, designers significantly shape a client’s end-user experience and help protect their bottom line. 

There are numerous ways they do these things, but a few examples include:  

• Helping cultivate a space that strengthens the client’s brand identity
• Designing a space with acoustics in mind
• Using strategic lighting to create a specific ambiance
• Selecting durable materials to make the most of a budget
• Planning a space with the occupants’ experience & understanding in mind

What Interior Designers Add to Commercial Projects 

Rather than simply working with a finished commercial space, from the early days of a project, there’s a technical side to what interior designers do to support its success. For instance, they help manage key aspects like: 

• Developing construction documents
• Ensuring code compliance
• Assistance with material selection
• Effective coordination with architects & engineers

Delivering Better Outcomes Through Design

All in all, interior designers don’t “just decorate” or put finishing touches on a commercial space, they help shape the space and experience it provides from day one. 

That’s why our firm’s architects work alongside our in-house interior design team — because we know their early involvement in projects can lead to better outcomes. Ultimately, their contributions to good design support measurable results in key areas for our clients, like employee satisfaction, customer experience, brand perception, and more!

So, to get the most out of your commercial space, it’s important to partner with professional interior designers like our group here at GAEA. You can check out examples of our commercial design work here and reach out to us on our website or by email at info@georgeewart.com. 

We can’t wait to help you take your space from concept to completion, inside and out!