Interior Architecture in Dublin
Entrust your design to a team you can have confidence in.
Interior architecture shapes how a building works from the inside: where the walls go, how rooms connect, where light falls, and how structure, services and joinery come together. Think Contemporary is an award-winning Dublin studio of interior designers and interior design architects. We plan and deliver interior architecture for homes and businesses, from a single reconfigured floor to a complete renovation, with the technical rigour a complex project demands.
What is interior architecure?
Interior architecture sits between architecture and interior design. An architect designs the building, its structure and its envelope. An interior designer shapes the finishes, furniture and atmosphere. Interior architecture deals with everything in between: layout and circulation, openings, ceilings and floor levels, lighting and electrical planning, and the built-in joinery that defines a space.
It's the discipline that decides whether a renovation simply looks new or actually works better. It usually happens inside an existing structure, often alongside an architect and structural engineer, and it's where the most expensive decisions in a project are made.
Interior architecture, interior design and architecture compared
Architecture
Interior Architecture
Interior Design
Focus
The building: form, structure, planning
How the interior works: layout, light, services, joinery
How the interior looks and feels: finishes, furniture, fabric
Typical Work
New builds, extensions needing planning, structural change
Renovations, reconfigurations, extension interiors, commercial fit-outs
Furnishing, finishing and styling
When You Need it
You're changing the building
You're changing how the space is used
You're completing or refreshing rooms
Most substantial projects need at least two of these working together. We provide interior architecture and interior design under one roof, and work alongside your architect where one is involved.
Interior architecture for homes
In a home renovation, interior architecture is what makes the house work for the way you live now. Typical briefs include:
- Reconfigured ground floors: kitchen, living and dining re-planned around how the household actually uses them.
- Extensions that connect: extension interiors planned so they join the house rather than feel bolted on. (See our bungalow extension ideas.)
- Period homes: layouts and services modernised while the proportions and detail that give the house its character are kept.
- Kitchens and bathrooms: planned to the millimetre, with services, lighting and joinery resolved before the trades arrive.
- Bespoke joinery: storage, shelving, wardrobes and media walls designed as part of the architecture, not added afterwards.
For the finishes, furniture and styling that complete the home, see our residential interior design and interior decorator services.
Commercial interior architecture
For businesses, interior architecture is about how space performs: how teams work, how guests move through a venue, and how a brand is experienced in person. We design:
- Office fit-outs and refurbishments, including hybrid and agile workplaces. See office interior design.
- Hospitality interiors: restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels. See hospitality interior design.
- Retail and client-facing spaces that work as hard as the business behind them.
Our Process
Consultation and survey.
We visit the property, understand the brief and measure what's there.
Layout options.
Two or three ways the space could work, tested against how you'll use it.
Design development.
The chosen layout resolved in full: drawings, lighting, joinery and specification.
Tender.
Your contractor, or contractors we recommend, price from a complete package.
Project management (optional).
We co-ordinate the trades on site, resolve questions and track orders against the build.
Handover.
A final walk-through together, with any snags closed out.
"Think Contemporary did a fantastic job on our home renovation project. Our experience from first contact right through to completion was first class. Joanne, our lead architect and designer, is a natural and clearly loves and excels at her work. She brought superb ideas and listened very carefully to our thoughts and input and incorporated every detail into the design. Joanne and the team transformed our idea firstly into amazingly detailed 3D renders and then into reality working very closely with our construction team right throughout the project ensuring things were progressing and maintaining a quality finish throughout. She also brought lots of great furnishing and finish ideas and suppliers, keenly priced thanks to deep connections in the wider industry. I would have no hesitation recommending Joanne and the Think Contemporary team to family and friends and will certainly be our first call on any future projects. 10/10"
Skerries Project
"Joanne & Think Contemporary were a pleasure to work with & my husband & I are delighted to highly recommend their services. From the very initial interior design stages of our project to the fine detail at the end, Joanne was there with excellent guidance & support at all times. Always very pragmatic in her approach with great ideas & suggestions tailored specifically to our needs & tastes so we ended up with a home that suits us perfectly. We really found her help invaluable. Cannot recommend highly enough. Worth every penny & hope to work with Think Contemporary again in the future."
Bri McGovern
Skerries, Co Dublin
"Think Contemporary isn’t just a design firm, they really stand out for their commitment to handling every detail and problem that comes up during the implementation phase. I’m so glad we chose them from the many options available. From the initial design to the final touches, Joanne and her team have been amazing at managing every aspect. She replies to every email quickly and tackles every issue with care and persistence. I’m truly impressed by her patience and professionalism, and you can really feel her charisma as a dedicated career woman. I just want to thank her and her team. As our renovation wraps up, I hope others considering interior design will discover Think Contemporary, it’s definitely a smart choice. "
Foxrock Project
Working with your architect, engineer and builder
We're often brought in alongside an architect. The architect leads on planning and the building itself, the engineer on structure, and we lead on the interior: layout, lighting, joinery and specification. Where a project doesn't need an architect, we lead the interior design and co-ordinate the trades directly, bringing in an engineer where the work requires one.
A responsible approach to materials
The most sustainable interior is one that lasts. We favour durable materials that age well, reuse existing structure and joinery where it's sound, and plan efficient LED lighting and controls from the start.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between interior design and interior architecture?
Interior architecture deals with how a space works: layout, circulation, ceilings, lighting and services, and built-in joinery. Interior design deals with how it looks and feels: finishes, furniture, fabric and styling. On most renovations you need both, and we provide both.
Are your team architects?
We're interior designers and interior design architects. Where a project needs a registered architect, for planning permission or structural design, we work alongside one.
How much does interior architecture cost?
It depends on the scale and complexity of the project, so we agree a fixed design fee after the initial consultation. Project management is available as an optional service.
Do I need planning permission for interior architecture work?
Internal alterations to a house often don't need planning permission, but works to a protected structure and many extensions do, and building regulations still apply. We flag this at the start and work with your architect or engineer where it's needed.
Do you work outside Dublin?
Yes. We work across Ireland, including Kildare, Cork and Connemara. Travel outside Dublin is agreed at the consultation.
We're ready to talk to you about your residential or commerical project. Get in touch to see if we're a good fit .