When it comes to interior design, many of us instantly think of residential interior design. In the same way, that a messy kitchen or a cluttered living room can affect our mood, commercial interiors are important for not only the aesthetic and overall feeling in the space, but poor design or a lack thereof, can also affect the operational flow of a business, particularly if the design doesn’t consider the businesses’ day-to-day needs.
What is commercial interior design?
Commercial interior design typically involves the design of an internal space in a commercial setting, such as a business, school, hospital, civic centre or healthcare centre. It can also include an interior fit-out where elements are removed or newly introduced to the space such as carpets, fixtures or visual elements.
What is the balance?
Interior Designer Charlie Condon says much like a home, finding a balance of function and comfort is key when it comes to commercial design.
“When someone is leaving the comfort of their home, you want the space that they are visiting to be equally as comfortable,” said Charlie.

“From a design perspective, this can be tricky as when designing a home, you are focused on only a few users and how they dwell — the designs are more personalised. Commercial, on the other hand, means you have many different types of users to consider all at once and people differ. To achieve bringing comfort to the users, we investigate acoustics, lighting, durable materials, accessibility and multiple space functions.”
How does it differ from our homes?
Typically, commercial interior design differs from residential interior design due to the larger number of people in the space. Fulton Trotter Associate, Erin Dawson says unlike residential interiors that are designed for and used by a small group of people, commercial interiors need to cater for the needs and abilities of a much wider group of people. “This difference affects all aspects of the interior design, from the size of the spaces to how colours contrast against each other,” she said.

Image above: (Left) Fulton Trotter Architects’ Interior Designer Charlie Condon and (Right) Associate, Erin Dawson.
“Building standards exist as a benchmark to ensure the commercial spaces we design can be used safely by the majority of members of the public. At Fulton Trotter Architects, we go beyond these standards by understanding the unique qualities of the users of the spaces we design for and by engaging in client and user consultation.” – Associate, Erin Dawson.
What can it add to the space?
Interior Design can also take elements from psychology to add a boost to health and wellbeing for those in the space. Fulton Trotter’s Senior Interior Designer, Kacey Weber said evoking nostalgia and tapping into sensory activation helped a recent interior design fit-out in an aged care facility, to help residents at St Catherine’s feel more at home.
“In this project, our primary focus was on using nostalgia and sensory activation to enhance the well-being of residents,” said Kacey.

Image above: (Left) A room at St Catherine’s | Credit: Baker Media
(Right) Senior Interior Designer, Kacey Weber | Credit: Fulton Trotter Architects.
“Nostalgia was used to create a sense of calm, comfort and security, while we also explored the use of eucalyptus and varied textured materials for sensory activation to further support the maintenance and strengthening of neural pathways.”
How do we achieve ‘good interior design?’
Associate Erin Dawson says good design comes down to empathy and understanding of the user. “At Fulton Trotter Architects we strive for our interiors to be functional, culturally and environmentally responsible, and joyful,” she said.
Whether you’re in the early planning phase of a project or looking for the right team, the Fulton Trotter Director team are happy to chat about your next project. With offices in Sydney and Brisbane, our experienced team of architects and interior designers can help bring your vision to life, get in touch with us here.