Interior Designers collaborate with a variety of professionals that help them make spaces functional, safe, and beautiful. Some of these professionals include architects, engineers, and other contractors.

In 2020, the largest employers of interior designers were: 

Self-employed workers - 32%

Specialised design services - 24%

Architectural, engineering, and related services - 17%

Wholesale trade - 5%

Furniture stores - 5%

How Many Professionals Do Interior Designers Work With?

The main goal of an interior designer is to ensure that the space that they are designing is functional, beautiful, and most importantly fits their clients’ needs. Depending on an interior designer's specialty or area of expertise, they may need to collaborate with other professionals in order to bring their vision to life.

How Interior Designers Work With Architects 

Architects are normally responsible for the physical structure/elements of a building. During a project, architects are responsible for making sure the structure, electrical, and plumbing components of a building meet national standards. Most of an architect's focus will be on the external design elements of a project, but they also focus on the internal floor plan. An interior designer would work directly with an architect when a structural change is required for a project. Learn more about the relationship between interior designers and architects by reading Do Interior Designers Work With Architects?

How Interior Designers Work With Landscape Architects 

An interior designer strives to make the space they're designing functional and appealing to their client. Since interior designers focus mainly on the indoor space, they may need a little help if a project or client requires them to also focus on the outdoor design. This is when collaborating with a landscape architect would be beneficial because of their extensive knowledge of how to make outdoor spaces aesthetically pleasing while also being conscious of the existing natural environment. 

A scenario where it would be beneficial for an interior designer to bring a landscape architect in on their project would be if a client mentions they want to add a garden to their property. A landscape architect would be beneficial in this case because they would have all of the knowledge and tools necessary to build your client a low-maintenance garden that incorporates native plants into the design. Landscape architects don’t only build gardens, they are also trained in designing and constructing outdoor seating areas, natural swimming pools, and other outdoor community spaces. 

How Interior Designers Work With Contractors 

During a project, a contractor is responsible for coordinating the physical building or renovation of a project. They are the carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other professionals needed to complete a project. It can be beneficial for interior designers and contractors to collaborate in order to get a project done in a timely manner and within their budget. Learn more about the relationship between contractors and interior designers by reading Do Interior Designers Work With Contractors?

How Interior Designers Work With Engineers

When working on a project, interior designers can collaborate with different types of engineers in order to complete their project successfully. 

• Structural Engineers: They are responsible for the foundation, beams, and walls of a building. They also work with the client, interior designer, and architect to configure pathways through the structure, and possibly make arrangements for future development of the project.
• Electrical Engineers: Your initial thought was probably: lights. But electrical engineers can also be responsible for fire alarm systems, and most importantly power distribution throughout a building. 
• Civil Engineers: They primarily deal with utilities such as storm water piping and retention, sanitary, and natural gas. They commonly collaborate with landscape architects to work on the environmental factors of a building and to give the foundation to help the structure.

How Interior Designers Work With Builders 

A developer's responsibility is to deal with each phase of the project’s development — from the time the foundation is set to the framing, walls, tiling, and roof. Depending on the project/client, an interior designer may collaborate with different types of builders. 

• Custom Home Builders: Build one-of-a-kind homes that can be fully customised to the clients’ wants and needs. 
• Commercial Builders: They focus on building commercial real estate properties such as office spaces, hotels, restaurants, and healthcare facilities. 

Do Interior Designers Work in Teams?

Yes, interior designers work in teams if it is needed on a project. Depending on the scale of a project, interior designers may need to collaborate with some of the professionals listed above in order to execute a project to their best ability. For example, if an interior designer is working on a commercial space they may want to partner with a commercial builder who has experience in these types of spaces. Or an interior designer may have a client who is redesigning their home but wants to add more outdoor features. In this case, it would be useful for the designer to team up with a landscape architect to make sure they are fully accomplishing what the client is asking for. 

Conclusion

Now that you know a bit about how interior designers collaborate with other professionals to create functional and beautiful spaces, you can better understand all of the different elements that are involved in a design project. Learn more about the exact role an interior designer plays during a project by checking out our next piece: The Pros and Cons of Being an Interior Designer