Interior architect for your new-build home

What do you want to have designed?

Start the assignment by identifying the spaces and functions you are seeking help with. A seating area with a new floor is a different request than a complete home including a kitchen, home office, lighting, and built-in cabinetry. Also, note what will remain: existing furniture, sanitary ware already chosen, or a kitchen included in the purchase. This makes it clear what the design needs to connect and where no new decisions are required.

Next, distinguish between a design decision and an implementation request. The desired location for a kitchen is a design choice; the feasibility of installing connections there requires a technical check. Rive Home will discuss with you which components will be detailed and what coordination with the builder, installer, or supplier is necessary. Not every form of guidance is automatically included in the same assignment.

From living requirements to a functional floor plan

A sales drawing shows how furniture could be placed. Your interior plan starts with how you actually use the home. Do you work from home at the same time, do you often host guests, do you want toys out of sight, or would you prefer a long table as a focal point? Also, map out the less visible functions, such as storage, laundry, cleaning supplies, and the spot where bags and coats end up.

Examine the layout before choosing all finishes. Work with the dimensions of the furniture that will move with you and ensure that doors, clearance, and workspaces remain functional. Only then can lighting points, window decorations, and built-in furniture align with that layout. A material that looks beautiful on its own can then be evaluated alongside the floor, kitchen, and other large surfaces.

If you would like to have multiple pieces of built-in furniture designed, also read about custom work as part of the complete interior. A request for a separate cabinet does not always require a design for all rooms.

Which components do we agree on in advance?

Do not just ask if an interior plan is complete, but what you can concretely do with it. The components below help to define the scope of the assignment. These are discussion points, not a standard package included in every quote.

Also, establish how choices are approved and how changes are processed. A design drawing is not automatically a production drawing for a cabinet or an installation calculation. The involved professional party must know what information they still need to verify or supplement before work is carried out.

What is handled by the builder and what happens after completion?

Keep three lists: what the builder provides as standard, what additional work you purchase from them, and what other parties perform after completion. Use the technical specifications and confirmed options as a base. Have open points clarified in writing so that an interior proposal is not based on work that no one has taken on.

An example for clarification, not an executed client project: you want a workspace in a niche with a wall lamp and a built-in cabinet. The interior plan determines the usable space and desired positions. The builder or installer assesses the connections; the interior builder checks the measurements and production. If the niche is executed differently than drawn, the parties involved must receive the same updated information.

The sequence depends on your construction project. For decision deadlines, additional work, and starting after a deadline has passed, see the detailed explanation in when to hire an interior architect for new construction.

A fixed quote for a defined scope of work

Rive Home works with a fixed quote per project. To determine that assignment, we discuss the rooms involved, the desired level of detail, what has already been chosen, and the guidance you expect. The square footage of a home alone does not indicate how much design work is needed: a house with a lot of built-in furniture requires a different level of detail than a home where existing furniture is largely being kept.

Keep the fee for design and guidance separate from the budget for products, finishing, and execution. Check the quote for which tasks are included, the extent of the detail provided, and what agreements apply if you later add extra rooms or work. There are no fixed construction, furniture, or design rates listed here; those do not follow from a general description of a new-build home.

How does the design remain functional during execution?

A chosen color or piece of furniture is only executable when the connection to the rest is also correct. During handover, discuss which version of the design applies, what still needs to be measured, and who will answer open questions. Keep approved choices in a fixed location and report changes back to the parties affected by them.

For work after completion, ask about the sequence of events, access to the property, and the moment when measurements can be definitively checked. Confirm deliveries with the relevant suppliers; an expected key transfer date is not a confirmed installation date. Rive Home's role in this coordination is agreed upon in advance. You can read more about the handover at having an interior designed and executed.

What we cover in an initial consultation

• Your latest floor plan and technical specifications.
• The construction options that have already been confirmed and the decisions still pending.
• The rooms, routines, and furniture that the design must account for.
• The expected completion date and your desired moving period.
• Your budget range for the interior and the work for which you are seeking guidance.

You do not need to have an answer for every item yet. Specifically mention where choices overlap or where you have doubts. This allows us to determine if you need a targeted design for a few rooms or a more extensive trajectory towards furnishing and realization. View the Rive Home projects in advance to discuss which atmosphere and solutions appeal to you.

Discuss your new construction project