Most people commission an interior architect once or twice in their lives. Accordingly, it is unclear what actually happens — and how much you have to contribute yourself. That is the most common barrier before making an enquiry: not the price, but the uncertainty about what you are letting yourself in for. So here is the complete process, phase by phase, with honest details about how much time it will cost you. From the first idea to the finished concept: this is how the collaboration works:
Phase by phase
1. Initial consultation
What happens: We talk about what you have in mind. Which rooms, what goal, what time frame, what budget. And you get to know us — that is the real purpose.
What we need from you: A rough idea. No finished concept, no pictures, no measurements. If you have a floor plan, bring it along.
Your time commitment: 45 to 60 minutes.
Cost: With us, free of charge and without obligation. At the end of this conversation you will know the rough order of magnitude of your project and whether we are a good fit. Both matter — interior architecture is a fairly personal collaboration over many months.
2. Measurement and survey of the existing situation
What happens: We come to the rooms and take measurements. Walls, heights, windows, pipes, connections, special features. We take photos and look at what is there.
What we need from you: Access and, if available, existing plans. If you don’t have any: they can usually be obtained from the property management or the City of Munich’s building records archive.
Your time commitment: 1 to 2 hours of your presence, then nothing.
3. Concept and preliminary design
What happens: We develop initial ideas using a mood board — sometimes two or three variants showing different directions. Not because we can’t decide, but because alternatives make it easier to notice what you want.
What we need from you: Honest feedback. “I don’t like it” is a helpful answer if it comes with a reason.
Your time commitment: A presentation meeting of around 2 hours, then time to think it over.
Duration: 3 to 5 weeks, depending on the project size.
4. Design planning
What happens: The chosen variant becomes a fully worked-out design. Floor plans, elevations, material concept, colour concept, lighting design, furnishing. You get samples in your hands — fabrics, woods, colours, surfaces.
What we need from you: Decisions. This is the phase in which the most is asked of you.
Your time commitment: Two to three meetings of 2 hours each.
Duration: 4 to 8 weeks. At the end of this phase it is settled how it will look. Anything changed after that costs time and money — which is why we deliberately take longer here.
5. Execution planning
What happens: The plans that are actually built from. Every dimension, every socket, every connection, every joint. Detail drawings for built-in furniture. Coordination with structural engineering, electrics and building services where necessary.
What we need from you: Little. This is our work.
Your time commitment: One coordination meeting.
Duration: 4 to 8 weeks.
6. and 7. Tendering and award
What happens: We describe the services so that different contractors can submit comparable offers, obtain quotes, check them and make a recommendation.
What we need from you: The award decision. The contract is concluded directly between you and the contractor — we are not a contracting party.
Your time commitment: One meeting to discuss the quotes.
Duration: 4 to 8 weeks, heavily dependent on how busy the contractors are.
8. Construction supervision
What happens: We are regularly on site, coordinate the trades, check the workmanship, review invoices and solve the problems that arise on every building site.
What we need from you: Availability for decisions that come up at short notice. We don’t make them without you, but sometimes things have to move quickly.
Your time commitment: Low — that is the real value of this phase.
Duration: The construction period.
9. Handover and aftercare
What happens: Acceptance, snagging list, follow-up. And the moment when the room looks the way it is meant to for the first time.
The three most common misunderstandings
“You decide what my home looks like.”
No. We translate what you want into something spatial — and we bring in professional judgement where it helps. But it is your home. If at some point you want something different from what we would recommend, we tell you why, and then we do it the way you want.
“An interior architect makes everything more expensive.”
The fee is added, that’s true. On the other side: avoided mistakes, purchasing conditions and a tender that produces comparable quotes instead of a single flat price. For larger projects this often pays for itself. For very small projects, frankly, it doesn’t — then a consultation of a few hours is the more suitable format.
“So we’ll have you build it.”
We don’t build. Innenarchitektur Federleicht is a pure planning studio. We design, plan, tender and supervise the implementation — the work is carried out by specialist contractors with whom you conclude the contract directly. This has an important advantage for you: we earn nothing from which contractor gets the job or how much is installed. Our recommendation is independent.
What we ask in the initial consultation — and why
So that you know what to expect:
“How do you live in these rooms?” Not how you want to furnish them, but what a normal Tuesday looks like for you. Where do you have breakfast, where do you work, where does the post end up. The planning grows out of that — not out of style preferences.
“What bothers you most?” The strongest clue to the real problem. Often it is not the thing mentioned first.
“What should stay?” There are almost always things that are not up for discussion — an inherited cupboard, a floor someone is attached to. Good to know before we plan.
“How do you make decisions?” If several people are involved: who decides what? Projects don’t become difficult because two people have different ideas — but because that only comes to light in phase 4.
“What is the framework?” Budget and time. Both early and honestly, so that we don’t design something that cannot be realised.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to commission all phases?
No. Many projects end after phase 4 — you receive a finished design and implement it yourself. Others run through to handover.
How long does a project take overall?
A medium-sized flat renovation from the first sketch to moving in usually takes 8 to 14 months. The larger part of that is planning and waiting for contractors, not construction time.
Do you also work outside Munich?
Yes. We are based in Munich and work throughout Germany.
What if I don’t like the design?
Then we keep working. That is exactly what the preliminary design is for — it shows directions before effort goes into details. A first design not landing immediately is normal and built into the process.
What does the consultation cost?
The initial consultation is free of charge. Everything else depends on the scope — we have a separate article on this: What does an interior architect cost?