Interior Designers UK

This guide is about designing home interiors, not finding an architect. A designer’s services vary, so agree which parts of your project they will handle.

• Room layouts: arranging furniture and circulation space around how you use your home.
• Colours and materials: coordinating paint, flooring, finishes and samples.
• Furniture and storage: choosing pieces, checking dimensions and planning practical storage.
• Kitchens and bathrooms: helping with layouts and finishes, with specialist suppliers and trades where needed.
• Lighting plans: considering task, general and softer lighting, coordinated with qualified trades for electrical work.
• Curtains and upholstery: selecting fabrics, window treatments and furniture finishes.
• Project coordination: managing agreed ordering, deliveries and supplier communication where included in the contract.

Do not assume interior design includes structural advice or permission for building work. Ask who will provide any separate specialist advice your project needs.

Start with the BIID or SBID professional directories linked below. Look for residential projects, your area and an approach that suits your home. Some practices work beyond their base or offer remote advice; confirm the service area and any travel charges directly.

Compare relevant portfolios, ask who completed the work shown and discuss a similar project. Check references and what support the designer actually provides, rather than relying only on attractive photographs.

These are external professional directories, not a Sixpence Support UK endorsement, ranking or guarantee. A directory entry does not establish suitability for your particular project.

You do not need to redesign everything at once. Ask about advice for one room, a colour consultation, a furniture layout or a remote session. A clear brief can focus the work on the changes that matter most to you.

Consider keeping serviceable furniture, reusing items and dividing the project into stages. Agree what each stage includes and what you will arrange yourself.

Confirm consultation charges, preparation time, revisions, any follow-up and whether you receive a written plan or shopping list. Remote advice may need your measurements and photographs; ask how these will be checked before purchases are made.

A whole-home brief might include coordinated rooms, bespoke joinery, specialist finishes, commissioned furnishings and detailed purchasing or project coordination. Choose the level of service around your priorities, not an assumption that more expensive choices are always better.

Ask for experience with projects of a similar scale. Agree design approvals, samples, lead times, delivery access and responsibility for installation. Clarify how the designer will work with your contractors and how changes to the brief affect the budget and programme.

Keep a realistic total budget that includes design, goods, trades, delivery and a contingency for unexpected work. Request approval before additional spending.

Explain what makes everyday life easier for everyone using the home. Discuss clear movement space, suitable seating, reachable storage, easy-to-use handles and controls, and lighting that supports the way you see and move.

Check proposed layouts against mobility equipment, door openings and transfer needs where relevant. Ask to try seating and fittings rather than choosing only by appearance.

Involve an occupational therapist or access specialist when your needs call for individual assessment or adaptations. Interior design is not a substitute for specialist advice. Confirm who will assess requirements and coordinate recommendations before committing to work.

Our occupational therapy guide and home adaptations guide offer related information.

• Review the portfolio and references, and check experience relevant to your type of home and project.
• Get an itemised quote separating design fees, purchasing services and project-management charges.
• Agree a realistic overall budget, including goods, trades, delivery, installation and contingency; clarify whether quoted amounts include applicable taxes.
• Put the scope, deliverables, revisions, timescales and responsibilities in writing.
• Ask about supplier commissions, trade discounts and markups, and who benefits from them.
• Clarify who appoints and pays trades, checks their suitability and handles problems; ask about appropriate insurance for each role.
• Agree staged payments and what is delivered at each stage. Keep contracts, approvals, quotes and receipts.
• Read change, cancellation and refund terms, including those for made-to-order purchases, before paying.

• Have you worked on homes and budgets like mine, and can I see relevant examples?
• Who will be my main contact, and which services are included or excluded?
• Can we start with one room or a consultation before agreeing a wider project?
• What plans, samples or specifications will I receive, and how many revisions are included?
• Who checks measurements and approves purchases before orders are placed?
• How are your fees, purchasing markups and any supplier commissions calculated and disclosed?
• How will you accommodate access needs and work with specialist advisers or qualified trades?
• What happens if items are delayed, damaged or unsuitable, or the project scope changes?
• What are the payment stages, cancellation terms and arrangements for resolving concerns?

Use these organisations’ own websites for current directory entries and professional guidance. Confirm availability, fees and terms directly with the designer.

• British Institute of Interior Design (BIID)

  External professional directory of BIID Registered Interior Designers. Search by name, location or keywords, then check each practice’s residential work and service area.

  Find a designer through BIID

• BIID choosing guide

  Professional-body guidance on choosing an interior designer to work with and comparing the support you need.

  Read BIID’s choosing-a-designer guide

• Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID)

  External professional directory covering UK and international practices. Use location and specialism filters to look for residential design services relevant to your home.

  Explore the SBID designer directory

• Local builders and building services — planning related building work.
• Finding safe and qualified tradespeople — practical checks when choosing trades.
• Textiles, fabrics and sewing — curtains, upholstery and soft furnishings.
• Contact Sixpence Support UK — ask about our information or report a link problem; we do not arrange design bookings.

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