40 Interior Designers & Decorators

What is the difference between an interior architect and an architect or an interior designer?

Are you planning to remodel the interior of an old home or your existing apartment? Need a bigger living room? Or, thinking of opting for open plan architecture? Then you need an interior architect to complete the project to your satisfaction. Interior architects help you perform structural modifications in the interior of a building. An architect, on the other hand, is expected to design a building, part of a building or an accessory dwelling from scratch. As you may imagine, many architects are skilled to perform the job of an interior architect and vice versa.

An interior designer helps you to plan an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable home for yourself and your family. He or she is seldom involved in a job that requires complete restructuring of the living space. However, the job of an interior designer is certainly more comprehensive than choosing mere colour palettes and drapes for your windows. Many interior designers are qualified to perform the task of an interior architect as well.

Modern architecture can be enormously flexible. With the help of contemporary architecture and design, you may plan a nice and cosy home in the smallest of apartments in Singapore. Architects, interior designers and interior architects in Singapore help you to stylise your home architecture according to your needs. They bring in their skills and experiences together to help you build your dream home.

How to find the right interior architect in Singapore?

The benefits of choosing local architects and interior architects are enormous. They have the necessary information about the city’s culture, history, climate and geography. Naturally, they are better informed about the kind of residential and commercial architecture that would be more durable and better suited to the needs of the residents in Singapore. Being more aware of the habits and lifestyle of the people in Singapore, interior architects can better plan the layout of a dwelling.

They also know the right sources of procuring quality raw materials. You get the option of speaking with them face to face and discuss your requirements in detail. This clarity of communication has a telling effect on the successful completion of any project. The architect fees are generally more affordable, if you plan to hire local interior architects.

You may find necessary information about the interior architects in Singapore from a number of sources. The architect directory proves to be of great value for you in this regard. The Board of Architects, Singapore maintains a directory of registered architects in the city. You may also consult some of the directories available online. Use homify’s online portal to get in touch with the interiors architects in Singapore. Send them a direct message discussing the requirements of your projects and let them come up with the proposals. You may also seek information from your friends or family members who have recently completed a task like yours.

What kind of services do interior architects provide in Singapore? 

Interior architects in Singapore help you remodel the existing living space. It includes tasks like making small alterations inside the house, building a faux wall or demolishing the barriers between the spaces, making the window openings larger, renovating the attic, making a fresh floor plan and planning a new layout for the kitchen and bathroom. The fees for such work vary from project to project. Expect to pay 6% to 10% of the cost of the project. This is estimated at the very beginning of the project. If your planned renovation and designing a new floor plan cost about SGD 100,000 then set aside between SGD 6000 and SGD 10,000 as interior architect fees. Many interior architects also charge by hour. The hourly cost may exceed SGD 120 depending on the complexity of the project.  

What kind of certifications and licenses interior architects have in Singapore?

Architects and interior architects of the city are registered under The Board of Architects, Singapore (BOA). They are granted a membership if they have the necessary qualifications approved by the board and at least two years’ professional experience in their chosen disciplines. Bachelor or Master of Architecture, Diploma in Architecture and Diploma in Interior Architecture from an accredited local or international university is accepted as a valid qualification. A foreign national may seek registration under the APEC Architect Register which is maintained by the BOA and approved by the local authorities.

What kind of projects requires certain certifications?

Home builders in the city are issued a separate license by BOA. So your interior architect would need a separate home builder’s license to perform the core construction work all by himself or herself. Generally, interior architects work with a team of reputed and licensed home builders. So they don’t need this extra license for themselves. If you are planning a passive house, you may need an interior architect skilled for the job. Certifications are issued by Passive House Institute. While planning commercial architecture, interior architects need to adhere to strict safety norms which is specified for such type of buildings. But they don’t need any extra certifications to perform the task.

Things you should know before hiring interior architects in Singapore

Before hiring an expert for the job, make a thorough research about the interior architect’s past records, completed works, time taken to complete the projects and custom feedbacks.  If you have come to know about the expert from one of your close acquaintances, then seek opinions about the quality of the project undertaken by the expert. Don’t hesitate to have a detailed discussion with those interior architects you have shortlisted for your job. Don’t shy away from asking questions and, if not satisfied with the answers, move on to the next person.