National

Decorating Month

How Residential Interior Design Styles

Translate to Commercial Spaces

April 2024

In honor of National Decorating Month, we wanted to discuss how residential interior design styles can apply to commercial design. While many office spaces use company branding as the basis of their interior design style, the industry has taken steps to make commercial spaces more like the comforts of home; have you heard the term resi-mercial? Using residential interior design styles as inspiration for commercial spaces, when done right, can create inviting spaces in any location. 

There are dozens of residential interior design styles and you’ve likely heard of more than you realize - Art Deco, Coastal, French Country, Industrial, Shabby Chic - but not all of them translate to commercial design in a like-for-like implementation. A home in a quaint downtown converted to a coffee shop can be the perfect space to implement a French Country or Shabby Chic style, but a lounge in a downtown high-rise would be out of place using the same finishes and furniture. A hotel in a seaside town is a great place to use a Coastal style, but an office building in the heart of Montana doesn’t pack the same punch when shells are the main motif.

While this inviting kitchen wouldn’t fit in a high-rise office building as shown, it can work as inspiration.

This Coastal living room is bright and airy, but may not translate well to mostly cloudy Montana.

That’s not to say that any interior design style can’t be used in commercial settings, it’s a matter of making it work within the space. Instead of holding fast to the like-for-like, use just a few finish and decor options and where applicable, interpretations of the style. Using the example above, how can this French Country kitchen feel appropriate for a lounge in a high-rise office building? We’d start the design with a chunky wood table with plenty of seats. As with this table, keep the wood tone light. Use a bench on one side, cushioned chairs on the remaining sides. While commercial office spaces rely on stark, bright white, the softness of the creamy white here will add a homey touch. For soft seating, commercial furniture with large, curved arms aligns with the style; go for an overstuffed look. To mimic the ceiling design but feel appropriate for the construction of the building, beadboard and soffits can provide a similar feel to the painted timber. Lastly, tie the space together with French Country upholsteries, colors, art, and styling objects.

What residential interior design style do you want to use for your business? It can be done! Reach out to Studio Vibrant to see how we can help you make your vision a reality.