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    Interior Design Process Explained: Stages for UK Projects

    By Faura ·

    Interior Design Process Explained: Stages for UK Projects

    The interior design process runs in eight stages in the UK, from strategic definition through to use. Most professional practices map their own phases (brief, concept, design development, specification, procurement, site, handover) onto the RIBA Plan of Work 2020, which gives designers, architects and contractors a shared sequence. This guide walks through each stage as it applies to a London project, what you should have produced by the end of it, and where the timeline usually slips.

    It is written for professionals: interior designers, architects, developers and contractors. If you are a homeowner, the same sequence applies, but your designer will be the one running it.

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    TL;DR

    • The process follows the eight RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stages, numbered 0 to 7. Interior designers can use them as an operating framework, not only architects.
    • Briefing and a written agreement come first. The BIID Code of Conduct expects a written agreement before work starts.
    • Specification and procurement take longer than most clients expect, and bespoke items can run to many weeks. Confirm lead times in writing before presenting an item.
    • Listed buildings need listed building consent for internal changes that affect their character, so check status before concept sign-off.
    • Handover is a deliverable in itself: as-built drawings, certificates, warranties and material codes.

    Table of Contents

    Why a staged process matters

    Interior projects fail less often on taste than on sequence. A finish is approved before the electrician has second-fix positions. A sofa is ordered before anyone has checked the lift. A client signs off a mood board without realising what else they approved.

    Three interior project decisions in sequence

    A staged process fixes this by deciding what must be agreed before the next piece of work starts. The British Institute of Interior Design describes the RIBA Plan of Work as an overview of a project from end to end and a useful starting point for any project, and points out that many interior designers have never been introduced to it. Learning its vocabulary also helps when you work beside an architect, because the stage names mean the same thing on both sides of the table.

    The eight stages at a glance

    The stage names below are those listed in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. The right-hand column shows what an interior designer typically does at that point. That column is our reading of practice, not an RIBA requirement.

    RIBA stage Name What the interior designer is usually doing
    0 Strategic Definition Testing whether the project makes sense: building, budget range, who decides
    1 Preparation and Briefing Taking the brief, surveying, agreeing scope and the written agreement
    2 Concept Design Mood, layouts, material direction, first presentation
    3 Spatial Coordination Fixing layouts and coordinating with architect, engineers and contractor
    4 Technical Design Detailed drawings, full specification, schedules
    5 Manufacturing and Construction Procurement, site visits, installation, snagging
    6 Handover Final inspection, handover file, close-out
    7 Use Aftercare, defects period, post-occupancy review

    Small residential schemes compress some of these. A large hotel or commercial fit-out stretches them. The order does not change.

    Stage 0: Strategic definition

    Before a brief exists, someone has to decide whether the project is viable. For a London flat or townhouse that means asking who the building belongs to, who signs off, what the freeholder or managing agent will allow, and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area.

    This is where you decide whether to take the job. The BIID Code of Conduct says you should perform professional services only when you are sufficiently qualified, experienced or competent, and have the financial, technical and staffing resources to do so. A candid look at your own capacity belongs here, not after the contract is signed.

    Stage 1: Preparation and briefing

    This is the stage that decides how the rest goes. You have three jobs.

    1. Take the brief. Capture how the client lives or operates, what they own already, what they dislike, the budget range and the date they need to move in. A structured template saves time; our interior design brief guide sets one out.
    2. Survey the space. Measured drawings, access routes, ceiling heights, service positions and structural constraints.
    3. Agree the terms in writing. The BIID Code of Conduct requires a written agreement before you undertake any work, and says it should cover the scope of services, the contracting parties, how fees are calculated, insurance cover and how variations are handled.

    How you describe fees and any trade discounts is part of this conversation. BIID guidance on FF&E supply asks you to understand whether you act as agent, retailer or contractor, because that changes your obligations. If you want to see how different fee models are explained to clients, we cover them in interior design fees in the UK and using trade discounts ethically.

    Check the building before the concept

    If the property is listed, internal work can need consent. According to London Fire Brigade guidance on buildings of special interest, listed building consent is required for alterations that affect the character of a listed building, and listed status covers the whole building, including internal features and fixed objects. Working without it is a criminal offence under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. If a London client’s house is Grade II, ask the conservation officer at the local authority before you promise a client that a wall can move or a fireplace can go.

    Stage 2: Concept design

    The concept is the first time the client sees the project as a whole. It normally includes:

    • a layout option or two, showing how rooms will work
    • mood and reference imagery
    • a material and finish direction: stone, timber, paint, textiles, metalwork
    • key furniture and lighting ideas, without final selections

    Keep it honest. A concept is a direction, and the client should know that approving it does not approve every item on the board. The most common frustration clients describe is being asked to approve something they did not realise they were approving, so say plainly what is being decided.

    This is also where physical samples earn their keep. Finishes behave differently under London daylight and warm artificial light, and a photograph does not show how a veneer ages or how a stone’s veining runs across a slab. Seeing materials in a room setting, with technical files and cuttings to hand, saves a round of revisions. Our guide to visiting design showrooms gives a checklist for making that trip count.

    Stage 3: Spatial coordination

    Now the layouts are fixed and the design team lines up. On a project with an architect, this is where your drawings and theirs must agree: socket and switch positions, lighting layouts, joinery sizes, bathroom set-outs, door and hardware schedules.

    Typical outputs:

    • coordinated plans and elevations
    • a lighting layout with control zones
    • bathroom and kitchen layouts with fixed service positions
    • preliminary joinery drawings
    • a cost plan updated against real selections

    Late changes cost the most here. Moving a drain or a lighting circuit after first fix is expensive; moving it on paper is free. Pushing decisions into this stage, rather than letting them drift into site, is one of the best defences against variations. We look at that in more detail in reducing late change orders.

    Stage 4: Technical design and specification

    Stage 4 is where the project becomes buildable. The deliverables are detailed drawings and a full specification: every product, finish, fixing and quantity, with manufacturer references and finish codes.

    A good specification is something a contractor can price and a supplier can order without calling you. It usually includes:

    1. a schedule per room of finishes, fittings and furniture
    2. product data sheets and technical files, including fire and performance ratings where relevant
    3. sample approvals, signed off by the client
    4. a procurement schedule showing order dates working back from the installation date

    Fire safety and compliance

    Specification is where compliance has to be checked, not assumed. Fire performance of upholstery, curtains and wall finishes, and requirements for doors and hardware, depend on the building type and use. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report is a reminder of what happens when responsibility for fire safety advice is left unresolved between members of a design team. Confirm requirements for your project with the architect, building control or a fire safety adviser, and keep the evidence on file.

    Procurement planning

    It is easy to underestimate lead times. Practitioners writing for UK designers note that bespoke items such as custom sofas can run between 14 and 20 weeks, and advise building those windows into the schedule from the start and confirming lead times in writing before presenting items to clients. Scheduling backwards from the installation date is the practical method, and we explain it in FF&E lead times.

    Stage 5: Manufacturing, construction and procurement

    This stage covers the longest stretch of the project: orders placed, goods made, trades on site, and installation at the end.

    Procurement

    Once the client approves the specification and pays any deposits agreed in your contract, orders are placed. Practical points:

    • Check every order against the specification: finish, size, quantity, hand of opening, voltage and plug type.
    • Agree delivery windows with the contractor so that goods are not arriving before the room is ready to receive them.
    • Plan storage and inspection. Items should be checked on arrival, ideally before they are moved into a finished room.
    • In central London, check access: loading restrictions, lift sizes, building management booking systems and working-hours rules.

    Our step-by-step FF&E procurement process and London logistics guide go through these in more depth. If you would rather not manage dozens of supplier accounts, see how designers outsource procurement through a trade showroom.

    Site management

    Visit site on a rhythm, not only when something goes wrong. Check set-out before tiling or joinery fixing, and photograph concealed work before it is closed up. Communicate even when nothing has changed: practitioners recommend a weekly update even when little has happened, because it shows control and avoids the “just checking in” call.

    Snagging

    Snag in daylight, slowly, with the drawings in hand. A London design practice’s guidance suggests formalising the snagging list before final contractor payment, as contractors tend to respond faster while payment is pending. Check your contract terms first, because retention and payment mechanisms differ from project to project.

    Stage 6: Handover

    Handover is more than handing over keys. The client needs a file they can use for years, and you need a clean close-out. It should contain:

    • as-built drawings
    • electrical and gas certificates
    • appliance warranties and manuals
    • material codes for paint, tiles, fabrics and stone
    • care and maintenance instructions
    • contact details for installers and suppliers

    The same London practice notes that clients often undervalue this file until a single tile cracks and nobody knows which one to reorder. Treat it as a formal Stage 6 deliverable and put it in your scope.

    Stage 7: Use

    After handover, the project is lived in. Agree in advance what aftercare you provide: a defects review at an agreed point, a call to confirm that everything works, replacement of items that fail. Post-occupancy review is optional on small schemes but useful on commercial and larger residential work, because it shows you what the design did in practice.

    A realistic timeline

    We do not publish a single “typical” duration, because projects vary too much. A one-room refresh and a full London townhouse refurbishment have different sequences, consents and lead times. What you can do is build a timeline from these factors:

    • Consents: listed building consent, planning, party wall matters and landlord or freeholder approvals can all come before work starts.
    • Approval gaps: each client sign-off adds days. Build them in.
    • Longest lead item: find it at Stage 4, then work back from the install date.
    • Trade sequence: first fix, plastering, flooring, second fix and decoration must follow in order, with joinery and stone often needing templating after first fix.
    • Float: leave some. Deliveries slip, and a schedule with no float is a promise you cannot keep.

    Our perspective: one room, one order

    We built Faura around a pattern we see in the process above. Stages 2 to 5 are where a designer’s time is spent on logistics rather than design: chasing samples, checking technical files, comparing quotes from several suppliers, then coordinating deliveries.

    Faura is a trade-only showroom and residency in Westminster, open to approved trade accounts by appointment, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00. Over two floors of finished interiors you can see and specify from over 200 brands, with samples, technical files and a materials library in one place. Concept sign-off is easier when your client can stand in a finished room, which is why designers can present schemes to their clients here. Our team then handles procurement, logistics and delivery, so the order and the invoice come from one place.

    We believe the process should be explained to the client at the start, including how product is sourced and how the designer is remunerated. Trade terms at Faura are agreed individually with each approved trade account and are not published, and we encourage designers to be equally clear with their own clients.

    — Faura Editorial

    Where Faura fits in the process

    If you are an interior designer, our residency and trade account supports Stages 2 to 5: specifying from the showroom, hosting client presentations, and passing procurement to our team. Architects and developers can look at our specification support and FF&E procurement. For an overview of the space itself, see our London interior design showroom, or the trade access page for categories and contractor introductions. Faura is trade-only and visits are by appointment.

    FAQ

    How many stages are there in an interior design project?

    There is no single legal number. Many UK professionals follow the eight RIBA Plan of Work 2020 stages, from Stage 0 to Stage 7, which the BIID describes as a framework interior designers can use. Studios often group them into five to seven client-facing phases, such as brief, concept, specification, procurement, site and handover.

    Do interior designers need to follow the RIBA Plan of Work?

    No. It is a model, not a requirement for interior designers. It is useful because architects, engineers and contractors already work to it, so using its stage names makes coordination simpler. The BIID also publishes a job book that sets out project steps in a sequence designed to complement it.

    Do I need a written agreement before starting?

    If you are a BIID member, yes: its Code of Conduct says you must have a written agreement before undertaking any work. Whether or not you are a member, it is sound practice to set out scope, fees, insurance and how variations are handled. Ask your solicitor or professional body to review your standard terms.

    When should I check whether a London building is listed?

    Before concept design, ideally at Stage 0 or 1. Listed status covers the whole building, including interiors, and works affecting its character need listed building consent. Contact the local authority’s conservation team and confirm with your architect or a heritage consultant.

    Can Faura help with procurement on a project already on site?

    We work with approved trade accounts, and the best fit depends on what has already been ordered and what is still to be specified. Contact us through our trade page with the project stage and we can discuss it. Terms are agreed individually with each approved account.

    Sources

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