Kitchen and Bath Design vs Interior Design vs Interior Architecture

kitchen and bath design - bath with walk in closet after

Kitchen and Bath Design Is a Specailty

We hear a lot about interior decorating and interior design. Just turn on HGTV and you’ll find hundreds of shows that feature designers rearranging a room, updating a cabin, or turning a funky layout into an open floor plan.

You might think that all you need to breathe new life into your bathroom or kitchen is an interior desinger or decorator. And while they certainly have their place, when it comes to kitchen and bath design, you need a little more to truly make your remodel perfect.

Kitchen and bath design require experience and knowledge in interior design, interior architecture, kitchen and bath standards and a knowledge of cabinetry and fixtures.

McManus Kitchen and Bath is a full service remodeling company with an in-house design team and showroom right here in Tallahassee, FL.

If you’re ready to invest in your home and want to work with a company that pays attention to details and provides excellent customer service, schedule a discovery call.

Key Takeaways

Q1: What makes kitchen and bath design different from regular interior design?

A1: Kitchen and bath design require experience and knowledge in interior design, interior architecture, kitchen and bath standards and a knowledge of cabinetry and fixtures.

Q2: What is the role of interior architecture in kitchen and bath design?

A2: Interior architecture focuses on the interior layout and functionality of the space. It involves planning the placement of windows, doors, plumbing, and electrical systems to ensure the best possible design and workflow.

Q3: Why is construction important in kitchen and bath remodels?

A3: Construction is crucial because it involves the actual building or remodeling of the space. The construction team ensures that materials are of high quality, local codes are followed, and the work is executed with excellence.

Q4: How does interior design contribute to kitchen and bath projects?

A4: Interior design enhances the look and functionality of the space by focusing on colors, styles, textiles, and finishes. Interior designers ensure the remodeled space is beautiful, safe, and aligns with the client’s style and taste.

Q5: What are the benefits of using a design-build company for kitchen and bath remodels?

A5: Using a design-build company ensures collaboration among interior architects, construction teams, and interior designers. This coordination leads to a cohesive and well-executed remodel, maximizing functionality, safety, and aesthetics.

Wood vanity with white countertop mirror and sconce lights

What is Interior Architecture?

As the name suggests, interior architecture is the branch of architecture that is focused on the interior of buildings. It’s a field of study concerned with the ergonomics, visual layout, workflow, and functionality of the space.

In kitchen and bath design, interior architecture looks at the layout of the existing space and makes a plan for the renovation that takes into account the best possible design that can be created.

How will people use the room? How will they best move between the stove, fridge, and sink, or the shower, sink, and toilet?

An interior architect plans for the placement of windows and doors, use of light in the room, where plumbing and electrical should run, and more.

Interior architecture is more technical than interior design and provides a beautiful marriage between architectural considerations and design goals.

A great interior architect is able to find the perfect balance between aesthetics and practicality. She works with builders and contractors as well as with clients to ensure a great plan and excellent execution. She understands that how a space is designed impacts how it is used.

Related Post: The Role of Designer In Your Kitchen Remodel

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What is Construction?

The construction aspect of a kitchen or bath design is concerned with the actual carrying out of the plans. The construction team makes sure the materials are of the best quality, everything is compliant with local codes, and that the work is done with excellence.

The construction team is the boots on the ground, doing the work to build a space that lasts. And by collaborating with the interior architect and interior designer, the construction team ensures that the vision created by all the players is realized.

White cabinets and counters in kitchen with cutting board and range and other appliances

Interior Designers vs Interior Decorators

Interior designers work to make a space beautiful, functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. Interior designers understand the principles of design–what makes a space look good to our eyes, and feel welcoming, pleasant, and appealing.

Designers work with the clients to ensure that their style and personal taste is implemented into the remodeled kitchen or bath in a way that enhances and perfects it. 

Interior design is concerned with color, pattern, textiles, fixtures, and finishes. The goal of interior design is to enhance the look and functionality of a space. Interior designers pay attention to sustainability and “green” practices and make sure that the finished space looks just how the clients want it to.

They also communicate with the interior architects, construction team, and clients to ensure that the vision is being carried out in the best possible way.

Interior design is often confused with interior decorating, but there are some important differences between the two. Interior designers have formal training in aspects of design like color theory, computer-aided design (CAD), furniture design and placement, drawing, and more.

Interior decorators, on the other hand, are not required to be credentialed. They often have talent and training in style and design, but they don’t have all the skills that an interior designer brings to the table. They don’t participate in structural planning, and they don’t usually work with the construction team since the interior decorating aspect of the project comes later.

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Kitchen and Bath Design

Kitchens and bathrooms are the most popular rooms to remodel. They’re also the most complicated.

Unlike other rooms in your home (bedrooms or the living room for example), kitchens and bathrooms require complex structural, plumbing, and electrical work.

And since both kitchens and bathrooms need to be used for very specific functions, the layout, storage, seating, fixtures, and appliances must be carefully designed and planned.

If any of the three inputs–interior architecture, construction, and interior design–are missing, the final product will suffer. This is one reason that design-build remodeling works so well. McManus Kitchen and Bath uses in-house designers and our own construction team and coordinates with interior architects.

You get the highest level of collaboration and problem-solving possible–which is exactly what you want when entrusting your home to someone for a remodel.

Kitchen and bath design benefits greatly from the coordination and cooperation of these three branches of remodeling. When your interior architect designs the beautiful, functional, and spacially perfect space, the construction team translates the plan from a design to a real room, and the interior designer plans the finishes, colors, and textiles that make it warm and welcoming, you’ll end up with the best kitchen or bathroom remodel you can imagine.

Ready to get started? Schedule a discovery call with us today and let’s get the process started.

We will talk to you about your goals and visit your home to take measurements and get a good understanding of your project. Then we’ll create a 3D rendering of your project.

We will present you with our “Good-Better-Best” budget and then meet with you in our showroom to talk through the project with you. After customizing the budget to fit your choices, we will get started designing and building your perfect kitchen or bathroom.

Serving Tallahassee-area neighborhoods like Midtown, Summerbrook, and Waverly Hills, we’re ready to help you make your home just what you imagined it could be.