Interior architect or decorator: what's the difference, and which one to choose?

The short answer. A decorator enhances an existing space (atmosphere, colours, furniture, finishes). An interior architect also designs the space itself — distribution, circulation, light, custom furniture — and oversees its execution through to the site. To rethink a place in depth, you want an interior architect; to refresh the style without touching the layout, a decorator may be enough.

The interior decorator

Their field: the look of a space already in place. Colours, furniture, textiles, accessories and ambient lighting. They work on style and atmosphere, without changing the structure or, generally, the layout of the volumes.

The interior architect

They act earlier and deeper: rethinking room distribution, circulation, natural light, storage, custom furniture, and coordinating the build. At My Interior Lab, this runs from concept to the supervision of the interior works.

The differences at a glance

• Scope: decor and finishes (decorator) vs designing the space + decor + execution (interior architect).
• Layout: unchanged (decorator) vs rethought (interior architect).
• Site: rarely supervised (decorator) vs led and coordinated (interior architect).

Which one for your project?

A simple style refresh: a decorator may be enough. A renovation, a reorganisation of the space, a commercial project or custom furniture: an interior architect. And if the work affects the structure (load-bearing wall, extension), it falls to an architect — whom we bring in through our partner architect.

Frequently asked questions

Does an interior architect also handle decoration?
Yes, decoration is part of the role; it is put at the service of a coherent overall project, not just an atmosphere.

Can a decorator remove a wall?
A non-load-bearing partition is a matter of fit-out; a load-bearing wall affects the structure and requires an architect (and often a permit). In that case, an interior architect who coordinates the structural side is better suited.

Is one more expensive than the other?
They are different services: the interior architect covers a broader scope (design + supervision), the decorator a narrower one. Cost depends mainly on the scale of the project.

And the architect (building), in all this?
They handle the structure, the volume and the façade — extension, raising the roof, new build — where a planning permit is required.

A project in mind?

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