Hiring a trusted commercial interior designer will make all the difference in creating an office that people will want to work in. For most companies (not in the construction industry), it is best to hire an interior design firm (ID) that has the full range of capabilities from start to finish ie. Conceptualisation of the design & planning, document submissions, compliance to safety regulations, project management, construction (actual renovations) and engineering & IT services.

Residential vs Commercial

Residential and commercial renovations differ quite a bit. A firm that has done your house renovations well may not be equipped to handle an office renovation well! Be sure to check on the portfolio of the ID you are intending to hire. Look for the best ID for office and not a general ID. Experience is very important with commercial projects. Do not be afraid to ask for photo evidence or to see their website.

Time management

A project manager (usually the one you interact with) will co-ordinate the renovations overall to make sure everything is on schedule. Only choose the ID firm if you feel that person you interact with is reliable. Double check to make sure that the person you have met is the one going to be in charge of the project.

Test-fit your office

Consult an ID when in doubt of what can fit in the space. A good ID firm will be able to advise you on what can and cannot be done. They can also do a test-fit drawing to help you to visualise the actual end product. You want to hire an ID that gives good design planning advice.

What is the difference between hiring a contractor vs an Interior Design firm?

Contractors are your go-to persons for doing basic works, and most contractors specialise in one job. For example, a contractor that does painting might not have the expertise to handle your M&E requirements and vice versa. If you have tried searching for contractors for your office renovations, you would have realised that there are many around, but no good way of establishing whether that person will do a good job for you. Hence, in our opinion, the greatest difference between hiring a contractor vs an interior design firm for your office renovations is their credentials and your peace of mind. You will be handing this person/company a substantial sum of money upfront for your office renovations, and you want to be sure that there are means to find this person/company (registered business & address), and avenues to voice your disputes (google reviews/ facebook reviews etc) if anything goes wrong. A good web presence and reviews are also a good way of verifying that this company is reliable and trustworthy.

DMXchange

DMX is your one-stop destination for interior design and build services. An active player in the industry for over 14 years, they are committed to make your ideal space a reality.

Gridline Design Lab

Gridline is a well established commercial interior design firm with over 10 years of experience, and a regional presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

OSCA

Established in 2010, OSCA  is a reliable commercial interior design firm that has experience in designing offices large and small, for companies across major industries such as advertising and media, banking and finance, marine and shipping, recruitment and consultancy, information technology.