WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INTERIOR DESIGNER AND AN INTERIOR ARCHITECT?

I’ve always known exactly what I wanted to do as a “grown-up.” Lego was my first canvas – I wasn’t interested in the ready-made sets; I wanted to build my own.

I'd constantly amend layouts, refine and experiment with space, light, and form.

Over time, that passion evolved through school, art foundation, my uni degree course at UWIC where I studied Interior Architecture, and my professional work in residential, workplace, and hotel design.

So, when people ask me about the difference between Interior Design and Interior Architecture, I naturally reflect on my own approach – and why thinking about space holistically has shaped how I design today.

Spoiler alert: I'm actually an Interior Architect.

The difference isn’t about one being “better” than the other – it’s about emphasis and approach.

Interior Architecture

Interior Architecture goes beyond decorating or arranging furniture – it’s about shaping the entire spatial experience. It focuses on adaptation, reuse, and reimagining spaces with sustainability, accessibility, and functionality at the forefront.

Key elements include:

• Holistic approach to space: Considering circulation, sightlines, light, and spatial flow – not just the objects within a room.

• Technical and structural understanding: Blending creative exploration with architectural thinking.

• People-centred design: Enhancing the wellbeing of those inhabiting the space, balancing form, function, and experience.

From my experience, this emphasis on spatial thinking is invaluable. For example, when planning a lounge for a family, it’s not enough to have a row of beautiful bookcases. You need to account for children’s art supplies, the sheer number of books, and how the room functions every day. That kind of problem-solving – balancing lifestyle needs, circulation, and aesthetic – is what interior architecture equips you to do.

Interior Design

Interior Design focuses on objects and their relationship with space and how they influence human experience. While it also touches on sustainability, aesthetics, and wellbeing, the emphasis is more on crafting the environment rather than the structure itself.

Key elements include:

• Object-focused design: How furniture, fittings, and materials interact within a space.

• Visualisation and simulation: Creating functional and beautiful interiors that meet human needs.

• Cultural and contextual awareness: Designing spaces that respond to lifestyle, culture, and personal identity.

• User experience: Understanding how design affects emotions, comfort, and behaviour.

This approach trains designers to create impactful, aesthetic, and functional interiors – but with less focus on structural adaptation or architectural constraints than Interior Architecture.

My Perspective

Interior Architecture is more holistic and technical, focusing on spatial planning, architectural systems, and sustainable adaptation. Interior Design focuses on crafting experiences within a space, layering aesthetics, objects, and materials to enhance function and emotion.

In practice, my approach combines both: I care about sightlines, circulation, and built constraints, and I obsess over textures, finishes, and objects that make a space feel lived-in and personal. For instance, in a lounge, those four tall bookcases aren’t just furniture – they’re a framework for how the family lives, learns, and plays. Eventually it can go back to being dull of books, but right now – it's half full of toys.

Balancing practicality with beauty is where my experience converges.

Whether you lean toward hiring an Interior Designer or Interior Architect, both require creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. The difference lies in the lens you use: Interior Architecture sees the room as a structural canvas to be adapted and optimized, while Interior Design sees the room as a stage for life, objects, and experience.

The most successful interiors merge the two – technical understanding, thoughtful planning, and a human touch that makes a house truly feel like home.