If you’ve never engaged an interior design firm before, the category is easy to misunderstand. Interior design is not decoration. It is not picking paint colors and furniture. For commercial projects — offices, hospitals, schools, hotels, restaurants, senior living, multi-family residential — an interior design firm coordinates the spatial planning, material selection, lighting, furniture, finishes, custom millwork, and the dozens of other interior decisions that determine how the space actually works for the people in it. This 2026 guide walks through what an interior design firm like DIG actually does, what to expect when you engage one, and how the work connects to your broader project goals.

What Interior Design Actually Covers

For a commercial interior design project, the scope typically includes:

• Programming and space planning. Understanding how the space needs to function — who uses it, what activities happen there, how people move through it, what the operational requirements are. The space plan that comes out of this work determines whether the finished space supports the operation or fights it.
• Material and finish selection. Flooring, walls, ceilings, hard surfaces, paint. Each selected to meet performance requirements (durability, maintenance, acoustic, environmental) and aesthetic intent.
• Lighting design. Ambient, task, accent, and decorative lighting. Lighting determines the actual experience of a space more than most other factors.
• Furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). Furniture selection, custom millwork, fixture specification, and equipment integration. Often the largest single line item in the design budget.
• Color and pattern. Coordinated palette decisions that establish the visual identity of the space.
• Wayfinding and signage. How people navigate the space.
• Branding integration. For corporate, hospitality, and healthcare especially, the interior design integrates the client’s brand identity through deliberate material and visual decisions.
• Sustainability and certification. LEED, WELL, Living Building Challenge, and other certification frameworks shape material and system decisions.
• Code compliance and accessibility. Building code, ADA, fire safety, and other regulatory requirements integrated throughout.

What an Interior Design Firm Does That You Can’t Easily Do Yourself

Three things distinguish professional interior design work from in-house or ad-hoc approaches:

1. Depth across many decisions. A commercial project involves hundreds or thousands of specific decisions. Each one matters to the outcome. A design firm with deep experience makes those decisions efficiently and well; in-house or ad-hoc approaches typically make the high-stakes decisions well and the medium-stakes decisions inconsistently.
2. Vendor and supplier relationships. Furniture manufacturers, millwork shops, lighting specifiers, art consultants, custom fabricators — design firms maintain working relationships across the supply chain that produce better outcomes, faster, at better pricing than starting from scratch.
3. Process discipline. Commercial interior design projects run on tight schedules with many parties (architect, GC, owner, end-users, vendors). The design firm’s process discipline keeps the project moving and the decisions converging. DIG specifically built its DIG Flow process around this discipline — the deeper explanation is at the DIG Flow and clean handoff methodology.

How DIG Works Across Project Sectors

DIG works across six primary project sectors, each with distinct requirements:

• Corporate — workplace design, office space planning, headquarters, satellite offices, co-working environments.
• Healthcare — hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, medical office buildings, dental and specialty practices.
• Education — K-12 schools, higher education, libraries, training centers.
• Hospitality — hotels, restaurants, bars, event venues.
• Residential — luxury residential, multi-family residential, model units, common areas.
• Senior Living — independent living, assisted living, memory care, continuing care retirement communities.

The deeper sector-specific view is at interior design by project sector.

What to Expect When You Engage DIG

A typical DIG engagement runs through phases that align with the broader design and construction process:

1. Discovery and programming. Understanding your operation, your culture, your specific functional needs.
2. Concept design. Initial design concepts presented for review and refinement.
3. Schematic design. Concept developed into specific space plans, material palettes, and design intent.
4. Design development. Full design package developed with construction-document-level detail.
5. Construction documents. Full documentation supporting bid and construction.
6. Construction administration. Field support during construction, addressing questions and changes as they arise.
7. FF&E procurement. Furniture, fixture, and equipment ordering, tracking, and delivery coordination.
8. Installation and punch list. Final installation oversight, punch list resolution, and project closeout.

The full process detail is at the DIG Flow page and at services.

What Interior Design Costs

Pricing varies by project scope, sector, and complexity. Common structures:

• Percentage of construction cost. Typical for larger commercial projects. Percentage varies by project type.
• Hourly billing. Common for smaller scope or consulting-only engagements.
• Fixed fee per phase. Predictable for clients; appropriate for projects with well-defined scope.
• Hybrid structures. Combination of fixed fee for design phase plus hourly for construction administration.

Specific pricing for your project is part of the initial conversation.

How Interior Design Fits With Your Architect and GC

For most commercial projects, the interior design firm works alongside an architect of record and a general contractor. The interior designer focuses on the interior scope (space planning, materials, finishes, FF&E); the architect handles the building envelope, structural, MEP coordination, and overall code compliance; the GC executes the construction.

DIG’s process is built around clean integration with architectural and construction teams. The DIG Flow specifically addresses the handoff points between design and construction that are the typical friction points on commercial projects.

The DIG Magazine and Insights Library

DIG publishes ongoing content on interior design topics, trends, and project deep-dives. The DIG Magazine covers extended editorial content; the insights and news categories cover ongoing publishing. For clients exploring DIG before engagement, these are useful starting points for understanding the firm’s perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is interior design the same as decoration?

No. Decoration focuses on visual styling within an existing space. Interior design covers programming, space planning, materials, lighting, FF&E, code compliance, and the operational integration that makes a space actually work. Decoration is one element within interior design but does not represent the scope.

Do I need an architect if I have an interior designer?

For most commercial projects, yes. The architect handles the building envelope, structural, MEP, and code compliance scope. The interior designer handles the interior scope. The two work together as separate disciplines.

How long does an interior design project take?

Highly variable. Small projects (single office floor, small restaurant) can complete in 4-6 months from kickoff. Larger projects (hospital, hotel, complex corporate headquarters) can span 18-36 months including construction administration.

Can DIG work with my existing architectural team?

Yes. DIG routinely works alongside architectural firms, GCs, and owner’s reps. The DIG Flow is designed for integration with existing project teams.

What’s the typical fee structure?

Varies by project. Percentage-of-construction-cost is common for larger projects; fixed fee per phase for smaller. Specific pricing comes out of the initial scope conversation.

Does DIG work nationally or in specific markets?

DIG’s project work extends across the U.S. with appropriate travel and remote coordination depending on project location.

How do I start the engagement process?

Contact DIG with a brief description of your project. The initial conversation covers scope, sector fit, timeline, and approach.

Talk to DIG

For new project conversations, contact DIG. Browse the projects library for examples of completed work across sectors. The services page covers the full scope of DIG engagements.