Many architects will offer interior design services for residential and smaller commercial projects.
Because of this, in 2020, RIBA and the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) collaborated on contracts for residential and commercial projects. Now, both have been updated. The new contract editions are:
- RIBA/BIID Domestic Professional Services Contract 2020 (2024 Amendment): Interior Design Services.
- RIBA/BIID Concise Professional Services Contract 2020 (2024 Amendment): Interior Design Services.
Former BIID president and Creative director at Tessuto Interiors, Susie Rumbold, highlights the value of architects using these contracts whenever they are carrying out work that deviates from the provision of pure professional service and includes the supply and installation of furniture, fixture, and equipment (FF&E) items.
Many practices now have in-house interior design departments that enable them to offer a full service to their clients, so it’s important to be aware that standard RIBA professional services contracts do not fully address these areas.
The most significant update in the 2024 amended contracts is an expanded schedule of services that now includes the roles of Building Regulations Principal Designer and Building Regulations Principal Contractor, based on Part 2A of the Building Regulations. In the expanded notes section, attention is now drawn to the requirement for the 'designer' to assess their competency to undertake these roles as is required by the new building safety regime.
As with the previous RIBA Domestic and Concise Professional Services Contracts, the BIID Domestic version is aimed at simpler projects of any value that take place in a client’s own home, while the Concise contract is for use on simpler commercial projects of any value (including residential projects where the client is not the householder).
What do the amendments entail?
The Domestic Professional Services Contract says that interior design services includes an optional FF&E Schedule of Services along with a set of additional terms and conditions that will apply where this item is selected. This can form a significant part of an interior design project and the interior designer can act in an advisory capacity and/or as an agent in regard to the procurement of FF&E from third party suppliers and/or the interior designer can supply FF&E as a Principal (i.e. in effect retailing FF&E to the client).
There is a further option in the Domestic interior design contract for the interior designer to undertake building work (including decoration) for the client either directly or by utilising subcontractors. RIBA and the BIID do not recommend that interior designers undertake any material building work themselves (even in the form of hanging installations, installing lighting, etc) unless appropriately skilled and qualified.
Building work is not part of an interior designer’s training as a design professional, and it is unlikely therefore that their professional indemnity insurance will cover them for undertaking such work.
We and BIID advise that interior designers check with their professional indemnity insurers before agreeing to undertake any building interior decoration work or building work and, if required, to take out the appropriate building insurance policies. If this option is selected and the project involves more than one contractor, then the interior designer takes on the responsibility.
It is critical to note that these contracts are not suitable for the appointment of a Building Regulations Principal Contractor. Therefore, on interior design projects where building work to which the Building Regulations is required, the interior designer should not undertake the role of Contractor, Building Regulations Principal Contractor, or CDM Regulations Principal Contractor and should not select the option to undertake building work (option N in the Domestic Interior Designer Professional Services Contract).
How to manage the overlap between two roles
The reality is that many design tasks on a project could be undertaken by either an architect or an interior designer, Susie says. Examples include space planning, joinery design, design of internal doors, lighting design, bathroom design, and specification of hard finishes.
The contracts do not stipulate who should do what, however there should not be any overlaps or potential conflicts if the architect and interior designer are both working as professionals in the best interests of their mutual client. Both contracts include clauses relating to the sourcing and supply of FF&E as both agent and principal.
Responsibilities for the whole professional team (not just the interior designer and the architect) can be mapped using design responsibility matrices, and it’s important for the client to understand what is required to complete the project so that they’re not at risk of being charged duplicated fees, or inadvertently creating a scope gap.
With all that being said, the contracts don’t seek to impose boundaries between architectural and interior design services, Susie explains.
“The boundary between architectural and interior design services is at best a blurred undulating line, and it is up to the architects and interior designers working side by side on a project to agree the scope of their services with the client to ensure there is no duplication and that no essential tasks have been missed. As in everything good communication is essential,” Susie says.
You can still use our Plan of Work to provide a common framework and clear structure for the two services, identifying where each service is being provided. This will help clients understand how the roles of architect and interior designer meld together in each stage to create a unified set of project information that can be priced, procured and constructed, explains Susie, who adds that as an Interior Designer she can’t imagine being able to work effectively without it.
Thanks to Susie Rumbold, Tessuto Interiors.
Text by Neal Morris. This is a professional feature edited by our Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
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