An interior design concept: what it includes and how to prepare for it

Before buying furniture or starting a renovation, most people want to see the result. An interior design concept does exactly that: it shows how the room could look, so you can choose a direction before spending money. Here is what a concept includes and how to prepare for it.

What a concept is

A concept is a visual answer to the question "what will my room look like?". It sets the style, the color palette, the materials, the main furniture and the lighting mood. It usually comes as a few images of the room from different angles, sometimes in two or three alternative styles to compare.

A concept is not a construction project. It does not include working drawings, wiring plans, exact furniture dimensions or an estimate. Its job is to help you decide on the direction; the technical details come later.

What to prepare

Photos of the room

Take photos from each corner in daylight, with the lights on, from about chest height. Include the windows, doors and anything that will stay: radiators, built-in cupboards, a fireplace.

The plan and the main dimensions

Even a hand-drawn plan with the length and width of the room, the ceiling height and the positions of windows and doors helps a lot.

How the room will be used

Who lives there, what happens in the room on a normal day, what must fit in: a desk for remote work, a sofa for four, storage for toys, a place for a large dog.

Your taste

• Three to five pictures of interiors you like, with a word on what you like about each.
• Pictures of what you definitely do not want.
• Colors you love and colors you cannot stand.

What stays

The furniture, art or rugs you want to keep. Photograph them too: the new style has to work with them.

The budget level

You do not need an exact sum, but "mostly mass-market furniture" and "a few designer pieces" lead to very different concepts.

How to choose between options

Look at the images at different times of the day, show them to everyone who lives in the room, and pay attention to your first impression. If you like parts of two options, say which parts: "the colors from the first one, the furniture from the second" is a perfectly good brief for the next round.

In short

Good photos, a simple plan, a clear picture of how you live in the room and a few examples of your taste are all a concept needs. With them ready, order an interior concept: send the photos and your wishes, and get concept images of your room in one or more styles. Payment is released only after you approve the work.