Interior architecture

Working the space before the object: layout, light, services and material. Interior architecture decides whether a home works; decoration only dresses it.

Interior architecture designs the inside of the building as built space: partitions, circulation, ceiling heights, openings, services, acoustics and daylight. It acts on the structure of the experience, not its surface.

At Lobo Interiors we almost always start there. Before choosing a sofa we decide where the morning light enters, where the corridor ends, how tall the living-room ceiling is and how the kitchen extraction is resolved.

Interior architecture, interior design and decoration

Interior architecture

Modifies the space: layout, partitions, openings, heights, services and the interior envelope. It requires technical documentation and, in many cases, a municipal permit.

Interior design

Defines materiality, artificial light, bespoke furniture and construction detail within the existing or newly reconfigured space. It is the layer that gives character.

Decoration

Works with what moves: loose furniture, textiles, art, objects. It builds on the two layers above and is the only one reversible in a weekend.

Why the distinction matters

Almost every irreversible problem in a home — an unventilated bathroom, a dark corridor, a badly proportioned living room — belongs to the first layer. No amount of decoration corrects them.

Stages of an interior architecture project

1. Survey and diagnosis

Measured survey of the existing state, review of structure, services and applicable regulations. Two to three weeks depending on floor area.

2. Concept design

Layout hypotheses, daylight and circulation study, intent imagery and an investment range. Three to five weeks.

3. Technical design

Builder's drawings, services, joinery, lighting, construction sections and specification. Six to ten weeks.

4. Site supervision

Trade coordination, quality control, resolving the unforeseen, handover. It runs for the whole build, typically four to nine months.

How fees are structured

Indicative ranges for private homes in Spain. Site supervision is contracted separately or bundled depending on scope.

ServiceIndicative range
Initial consultancy and diagnosis€900 – 2,500
Concept design€25 – 45 / m²
Full technical design€60 – 130 / m²
Site supervision6 – 12 % of construction cost
Turnkey project (fees)10 – 18 % of the investment

Frequently asked questions

What is interior architecture?

It is the discipline that designs the inside of a building as built space: layout, heights, openings, services, acoustics and daylight. It acts on what is fixed, not on what moves.

How does it differ from decoration?

Decoration handles what moves — loose furniture, textiles, art — and is reversible. Interior architecture modifies the space and usually requires technical drawings and a permit.

Do I need a municipal permit?

For layout, services or opening changes, yes — normally through a minor-works declaration. If structure or facade is touched, a major permit with stamped drawings is required.

How much does an interior architecture project cost?

Full technical design runs between €60 and €130 per m², and site supervision between 6 and 12 % of the construction budget.

How long does it take?

Eleven to eighteen weeks from survey to technical design, plus the build itself, which for a whole home usually runs four to nine months.

Can you get involved if there is already an architect?

Yes. We join as the interior architecture and interior design studio, coordinated with the building's project team.

Related reading

These interior architecture decisions show up in the eight movements we are already building this year:

Interior design trends 2026

Direct contact

If you would rather speak to a person, our opening hours, phone and email are on the contact page.

See hours and direct contact

Before decorating, let us check whether the space works.

Send us your floor plan and we will tell you what we would change and at what project scope.