How to Renovate a Home Starting from the Interior Design Project: The Complete Guide
By Mattea, co-founder and Interior Architect — Restylit
How do you renovate a home starting from the interior design project? You start from the final vision: how do you want to live in that space? And you work backwards to plan the works. First the definitive layout, then the plumbing and electrical, then the materials, then the finishes, and finally the furniture. The interior design project is not the last thing to do after the walls have already been knocked down — it's the first. It completely changes the order of decisions, the quality of the result and the final cost.
In short: those who renovate starting from the interior design project spend on average 15-25% less than those who start works without a project, make fewer recoverable mistakes, get more precise quotes from contractors and end up with a result that actually resembles what they had in mind.
What you'll find in this guide. The correct method for integrating the interior design project into the renovation, the exact order of decisions and works, the most common mistakes made by those who start from the works rather than the project, how much time and budget is needed for each phase, and how Restylit accompanies this process from start to delivery. If you're about to renovate and don't know where to begin, this guide is the right starting point.
What an Interior Design Project Is and Why It Comes Before the Works
The interior design project is the document that defines how a space will look once the renovation is complete. It's not just an aesthetic matter: it includes the definitive layout of the rooms, the position of the plumbing and electrical systems, the materials chosen for every surface, the technical specifications for the contractor, and a visual representation of the final result through photorealistic 3D renderings. Or at least, that's how it should be.
The difference between a renovation done with an interior design project and one done without is substantial.
Those who start without knowing exactly where they want to end up make one of the most frequent mistakes: having a vague idea can seem enough, but every intervention involves structural, technical and aesthetic decisions. If the project changes during the works, you have to stop, redo quotes, modify authorisations and, often, redo part of what's already been built.
In practice: every decision made on site rather than at the drawing board costs more. Often much more.
The Problem of the Wrong Order
This is the point we most want to explain clearly, because it's where we see the greatest damage in the projects we follow.
The wrong order — the one most people apply — is this:
- You call the contractor
- You start the structural works
- Halfway through the site you start choosing materials
- You discover problems that change your choices
- You buy the furniture at the end, without knowing exactly where it will go
The result of this process is almost always the same: costs higher than expected, longer timelines, regrets about choices made in a rush, and a final space that works but doesn't excite.
The right order is the opposite:
- You define how you want to live in the space
- You develop the interior design project with layout, materials, systems
- You get precise quotes from contractors (with a project in hand, offers are comparable line by line)
- You start the works already knowing exactly where all the systems, all the materials and all the furniture go
- Purchases are made before the works begin, not during
The Process Phases: From Vision to Site (pay attention to this!)
Phase 1 — Understanding What You Actually Want (not what you think you want)
The first useful conversation in a renovation is not with the contractor. It's with yourself. Or, even better, with a professional who knows how to ask the right questions.
Some concrete questions we always ask at the start of a Restylit project:
How do people move through the home during a typical day? Where do they cook, eat, work, relax? These habits define the layout far more than any aesthetic preference.
What isn't working right now? Is the kitchen too enclosed? Is the bathroom dark? Does the living room lack a work area? Identifying the real problems is the starting point of every good project.
Which materials do you actually like and which ones tire you quickly? A colour that feels bold today can become exhausting in three years. Natural materials age well. The €15-per-metre laminate shows.
What's the real budget, not the optimistic one? The optimistic budget is the one you have in mind before opening the walls. The real budget includes a 15-20% buffer for unexpected costs that materialise in almost every renovation.
Phase 2 — Developing the Interior Design Project Before the Works
The interior design project is developed on paper — or rather, on screen — before a single hammer touches a wall. It includes:
The definitive layout. The furnished floor plan with the precise measurements of every room. Where the sofa goes, where the bed goes, where the desk goes. Every centimetre is defined before any work begins.
The position of the systems. Every electrical socket, every light point, every water connection must be decided now. Moving a water connection after the floor has been laid costs three times more than deciding it at the design stage.
Materials and finishes. Flooring, wall finishes, wall colours, taps, sanitaryware. Every choice is made while seeing how it relates to the others through the photorealistic 3D renderings.
3D renderings. The photorealistic visual representation of every room. Not an approximation — an image that shows exactly how the room will look with those materials, that light, those pieces of furniture. It allows you to see mistakes when correcting them costs nothing.
The shopping list. The list of everything that needs to be purchased, with precise specifications and links to the products. Ordered before the works begin, not during.
Phase 3 — Getting Comparable Quotes
With a complete interior design project in hand, contractor quotes become comparable line by line, without surprises. Without a project, every contractor interprets the client's wishes in their own way and quotes are not comparable.
A precise project makes it possible to plan the correct order of works, avoid material waste and get clearer offers from contractors.
With a Restylit Essential or Advanced project, the client arrives at the contractor with executive technical drawings, precise material specifications and reference renderings. The contractor knows exactly what to do. The quote is precise. Surprises are drastically reduced.
Phase 4 — Carrying Out the Works in the Correct Order
The order of works in a full renovation is not arbitrary. Every phase must be carried out in sequence, because each phase prepares the next.
Demolition. Everything that isn't staying is removed: partition walls, floors, wall finishes. The raw space is opened up. It's the most costly thing to delay — every modification after this phase costs double.
In-wall systems. Electrical, plumbing, gas, heating. Everything that runs inside the walls must be done now, while the walls are still open. Changing it afterwards means opening everything back up.
Masonry and plasterwork. The system trenches are closed, new partition walls are built, walls are plastered. The space takes on its defined form again.
Flooring and wall finishes. The final floor is laid, bathroom and kitchen walls are tiled. The exact order depends on the technical solution chosen.
Finishes. Painting, sanitaryware installation, kitchen fitting, doors and windows. Everything you see.
Furniture. The furniture only comes in at the very end. Never before.
Phase 5 — Handing Over the Brief to the Contractor
This is one of the things that distinguishes a Restylit project from a generic consultation. In addition to the technical drawings, we produce an operational brief for the contractor: a document that explains the project, the design choices, the priorities and the materials, so that whoever carries out the works — even without having spoken directly with us — knows exactly what to do and why.
It doesn't replace physical site supervision. But it reduces the margins for interpretation and therefore for execution errors.
Summary: Correct Order of Decisions and Works
| Phase | What happens | When | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Vision | Define how you want to live in the space | Before everything | Skipping it and going straight to works |
| 2. Interior design project | Layout, systems, materials, 3D renderings | Before the works | Doing it during or after |
| 3. Quotes | Request offers with project in hand | After the project | Asking for quotes without a project |
| 4. Material orders | Purchase flooring, tiles, sanitaryware | Before works begin | Ordering during the site |
| 5. Demolition | Open up the raw space | First day on site | Modifying the project after demolition |
| 6. Systems | Electrical, plumbing, gas, heating | With walls open | Relocating systems after the walls are closed |
| 7. Masonry and plasterwork | Close trenches, build partition walls | After the systems | Starting finishes before plasterwork |
| 8. Flooring and wall finishes | Lay the final floor | After plasterwork | Laying the floor before the systems |
| 9. Finishes | Painting, doors, sanitaryware, kitchen | Towards the end | Fitting the kitchen before the floor |
| 10. Furniture | Position the furniture | Only at the very end | Buying furniture before the layout is defined |
The Mistakes You Avoid by Starting from the Project
These are the errors we see repeated in renovations done without a preliminary interior design project.
Relocating systems once works have started. Deciding on an open site that the basin should go on the other side, that a socket needs adding, that the light should be in a different position. Every plumbing or electrical modification made during works costs double or triple what it would have cost in the project. Not starting works before all the important decisions have been made, and always requesting detailed quotes based on a precise project, are the first steps to avoiding costly problems.
Ordering the wrong materials or in the wrong quantities. Tiles ordered short that bring the site to a standstill. Flooring chosen before seeing how it interacts with the light in the room. Bathroom marble that arrives in a slightly different shade from the sample. With a project and photorealistic renderings, these surprises are drastically reduced.
Buying furniture before the definitive layout is finalised. The sofa that doesn't fit through the door. The kitchen that doesn't align with the plumbing connections. The bed that blocks the wardrobe door. These are mistakes that cost between €500 and €3,000 each, and they're avoided by deciding everything first.
Not budgeting for unexpected costs. This isn't pessimism: it's realism. In almost every renovation that opens walls, hidden problems emerge — damp, installations not up to code, structures that require intervention. The 15-20% buffer is not optional.
How Much Time the Project Takes Before the Works
One of the objections we hear most often is: "If I wait for the project, I lose time before starting."
The opposite is true. The time invested in the project is more than recovered during the works, because it reduces delays, variations during the build, and site downtime.
Restylit Essential or Advanced project: approximately 60 days from when the material is received to delivery of the documents. A 100sqm apartment with a complex layout may require a few extra weeks.
Renovation works: 4-12 weeks depending on the scale of the intervention.
Total with project: 3-5 months. Total without project (with all the typical delays): 5-9 months, with a result that is often unsatisfying.
The project doesn't lengthen the renovation. It brings it forward.
The Restylit Method: How We Manage This Process
At Restylit the interior design project unfolds in five steps.
1. Introductory call (free). Understanding the project, budget, expectations, floor plan. No commitment.
2. Material collection. The client sends the floor plan, photos of the spaces, visual inspiration. No physical site visit needed.
3. Project development. The internal team, coordinated by Mattea, develops the layout, materials and renderings. Everything defined before any work begins.
4. Presentation video call. The client sees the complete project, asks questions, requests changes. The rendering shows exactly how each room will look.
5. Delivery of documents. Photorealistic renderings, executive technical drawings, shopping list with purchasable links, brief for the contractor. Everything ready for the site.
Essential vs Advanced: Which to Choose
Essential — €33/sqm (minimum 100sqm) The format for those who have a trusted contractor and need a complete project to hand over. Includes 3 video calls, 3D renderings with 2 revision rounds, up to 4 executive technical drawings, shopping list. Delivered in approximately 60 days.
Advanced — €55/sqm (minimum 100sqm) The format for complex renovations or for those who want the maximum level of detail. Includes 5 video calls, renderings with 3 revision rounds, up to 8 technical drawings, cost estimate, remote artistic direction. For those who don't want to leave anything to chance.
Concrete example: 120sqm apartment with Restylit Advanced → €6,600 for a complete project that includes everything needed to start the works with confidence. The same project with a physical studio in London or another major European city: €10,000-24,000.
If you're planning a renovation and want to understand how to integrate the interior design project into your process, book a free 15-minute call with the Restylit team. We start from your floor plan and figure out together where to begin. Discover the Essential and Advanced packages →
FAQ
What is an interior design project for a renovation? An interior design project for a renovation is the complete document that defines how the space will look once the works are finished. It includes the definitive layout with precise measurements, the position of all systems, the materials chosen for every surface, photorealistic 3D renderings of every room, and a shopping list with the specifications of every product to be purchased. It's the reference document for the contractor, which makes it possible to get precise and comparable quotes.
When should the interior design project be done: before or after choosing the contractor? Before. The interior design project must be developed before contacting contractors, not after. With a complete project in hand, contractor quotes become comparable line by line. Without a project, every contractor interprets the client's wishes differently and quotes are not comparable. Many costly mistakes arise precisely from doing things in the wrong order.
What's the difference between an interior design project and an architectural project? The architectural project deals with structural and regulatory aspects: modifications to load-bearing structures, planning applications, compliance with building regulations. The interior design project deals with how the space will be lived in: layout, materials, furniture, lighting, aesthetics. For a renovation involving structural modifications or planning applications, both are needed. For the interior design project that defines how the space will feel, you need an interior designer or an architect specialising in interiors.
Is the interior design project tax deductible? If the professional is a registered architect and signs the planning applications connected to the works, their fee may fall within the 50% Renovation Bonus expenses in Italy. The fee of a non-registered interior designer is not directly deductible. Always check with your accountant for your specific situation.
Can I renovate without an interior design project? Yes, but it almost always pays not to. Those who renovate without a project make decisions about materials during the works, often in a rush and without being able to see how they interact with each other. The result is almost always: higher costs for variations during the build, recoverable purchasing mistakes of between €1,500 and €4,000, and a final space that doesn't fully match what was imagined.
How long does it take to have the interior design project ready? With Restylit Essential and Advanced: approximately 60 days from when the material is received to delivery of the documents. With a traditional physical studio: 2-6 months. The difference depends mainly on the timelines for site visits and coordination, which in the online model are much more streamlined.
Restylit is an Italian interior design company, entirely online. We design residential spaces with photorealistic 3D renderings, shoppable lists and technical drawings for the contractor — across Italy and Europe. Over 500 completed projects, 4.8/5 average.
