Most problems in commercial interior design projects don't arise during construction. They emerge when the space is finished and the business needs to operate within it. A restaurant with a kitchen that can't handle service. An office whose layout looks logical on paper but doesn't match how the team actually works. A clinic that didn't meet technical requirements and needs remedial action. A space where material choices looked good in the rendering but don't hold up under real-world use.

The common denominator is not bad luck. It is that the crucial decisions were made without sufficient experience or mandate.

The gap between the presenter and the responsible party

In a medium-sized studio, management sells the assignment. The presentation is well-thought-out, the concept is relevant, and trust is built during the meeting. What isn't always visible is who will actually lead your project afterward, what their experience level is, and how quickly they can make decisions with real authority when needed.

The costly mistakes in commercial projects are rarely large and obvious. They are small decisions made without sufficient judgment, at the wrong time, by someone who did not have the mandate to solve them correctly.

What a well-executed commercial project actually requires

It requires that the project leader understands how the business operates on a daily basis. That they have the technical judgment to handle the unexpected. That they can make decisions about materials, installations, and timelines with the authority and experience needed to foresee the consequences.

For restaurants and hotels, this means understanding how a kitchen functions during service before it's designed. For offices, it means designing for how a team actually works. For clinics, it means mastering the technical requirements involved without learning them at your expense. For retail, it means designing for conversion, not for photography.

The title of architect is not protected in Sweden.

In Sweden, the title of architect is not legally protected. There is no requirement for a university degree to use it. A studio can hire someone with a three-year technical education, call them an architect, and have them lead your project. This is more common than most people realize. When hiring an interior design or architecture studio, you should directly ask about their education, what accreditations back their work, and who holds the final responsibility for your project.

How Eolos works on each assignment

Eolos was founded by architects with over 20 years of international experience, including direct delivery of large-scale residential projects for Skanska, JM, and Bonava. SAR/MSA registration with Architects Sweden. Mandatory professional registration in Spain (COAM N.25160) and Greece (TEE-TCG N.168011). WELL AP accreditation from the International WELL Building Institute.

On every Eolos assignment, there will be a designated responsible partner from the moment the assignment is confirmed. That partner will be responsible for design quality, technical coordination, contractor relations, and client communication. The team supports and executes. The partner leads and is accountable. This is the structure we work with, not a promise on a presentation day.

We work with restaurants, hotels, offices, clinics, coworking spaces, and retail. If you are planning a commercial project in Stockholm and want a concrete answer to what it actually entails, please use the form below.

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Sustainability is a word that is used a lot and rarely defined.

In interior design and interior design, it risks becoming a marketing concept without substance: a certification mark, a couple of recycled furniture pieces and a well-formulated policy on the website.

That's not what sustainable design means in practice. And that's not how we work.

This article is for those of you who want to understand what sustainable commercial interior design actually means, what business arguments hold up, and what the WELL AP standard, which we are certified in, actually measures.

Sustainability as a strategy, not as a label

There are three dimensions of sustainability in commercial interior design, all of which are business relevant.

Environmental sustainability It's about material selection, the production chain and life cycle analysis. Which materials are produced with low environmental impact? How long do they last? What happens to them when they reach the end of their useful life?

Social sustainability is about how the environment affects the people who are in it. Air quality, light, temperature, acoustics, access to movement and to nature. This is the dimension that research within the WELL framework is most focused on.

Economic sustainability is about designing for longevity. Materials and solutions that last ten years without needing to be replaced are more sustainable, in every sense, than cheap choices that look good today but require renovation in three years.

The three are interconnected. A space designed with all three in mind costs more initially and yields more returns over time.

What the WELL AP standard actually measures

WELL is an international certification system for how built environments impact human health and well-being. It is evidence-based and covers seven core areas.

Air. Ventilation quality, choice of materials with low emissions of harmful substances, and management of air pollution. It affects concentration, sick leave and how you feel at work.

Water. Access to clean drinking water and hygienic water systems. Often undervalued in design contexts but directly linked to well-being.

Light. How natural and artificial light is designed to support circadian rhythms, productivity and mood is one of the single most important elements of how we feel in an environment.

Movement. How the environment encourages physical activity during the day. This includes everything from the location and accessibility of stairs to the opportunity to stand and work.

Thermal comfort. Temperature control and how to achieve it without creating an environment that is too cold, too hot, or has uneven temperature zones.

Sound. Acoustic design that minimizes disturbing noise and supports well-being and focus.

Mental health. How the environment contributes to psychological safety, the possibility of recovery and the experience of having control over one's environment.

Being WELL AP certified means we have deep knowledge of how these factors work in practice and how they are integrated into a design project.

Sustainable material choices – what to look for

Material selection is one of the most complex parts of sustainable interior design, because the market is full of claims that are difficult to verify.

There are some principled guidelines we always follow.

Choose materials with a long lifespan over materials that look good today. The cheapest option in the short term is almost never the cheapest in the long term. Materials that wear out, yellow, crack or lose their character after a few years require renovation. Renovation is expensive and environmentally damaging.

Avoid materials with high VOC emissions. VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals that are emitted from a range of common building and interior design materials, glues, varnishes, vinyl, synthetic textiles. In closed office environments, it can measurably affect air quality. Good material choices are not only aesthetic, they are health-related.

Choose suppliers with traceable production. It is not always possible to know exactly where a material is produced and under what conditions. But it is possible to choose suppliers who work with transparency and who can account for their production chain.

Prioritize locally and regionally produced products. Transport emissions are part of a material's environmental impact. Materials with short transport routes generally have a lower climate impact.

Sustainable design and employer branding

There is a direct connection between sustainably designed workplaces and employer branding.

Younger workers, especially in tech, finance and creative industries, value employers’ environmental efforts highly. A workplace that is designed with health and well-being in mind, and that can demonstrate this with concrete measures and standards, communicates that the company takes its responsibility seriously.

It's not just a value argument. It's a recruitment argument. In a market where talent has choices, they choose employers who offer more than salary.

A WELL-inspired office environment is a strong signal value. And it, by definition, delivers a better experience for those who work in it.

Sustainability and property value

Sustainable design strengthens property value. This is a connection that is clearer in commercial properties than in residential ones, as commercial tenants increasingly demand environmentally certified premises.

Large companies, especially those with their own sustainability goals and ESG reporting, are looking for premises that align with those goals. A property with documented sustainability features is more attractive to this category of tenants.

This means that an investment in sustainable interior design and certification can justify a rental premium and broaden the tenant selection. It's not just an ethical issue. It's a business issue.

What sustainable interior design is not

It's worth being clear about this.

Sustainable interior design is not more expensive furniture with a green label. It is not a couple of potted plants in the office landscape. It is not a policy on the website but anchored in actual design decisions.

It is a way of working, from briefing to material selection to implementation, that integrates health, longevity and environmental impact as design parameters in the same way as function and aesthetics.

It requires knowledge. It requires discipline. And it produces a result that is better for everyone in the room.

How we integrate the sustainability perspective into every project

We don't take sustainability as an add-on to a project. We integrate it as a design parameter from the start.

This means that we ask sustainability-related questions in the briefing, that material choices are reviewed against lifespan and VOC levels, and that we can take a WELL-informed perspective on light, air and acoustics in each project.

You don't have to seek WELL certification to benefit from that perspective. We bring it with us regardless.

Would you like to know more about how sustainable design can be integrated into your next interior design project, or what a WELL perspective can add?

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There is a pattern we encounter regularly. It is one of the more costly problems a company can have without knowing it.

The company has invested in its visual identity. The logo is clean and well-made. The website is well-thought-out. Social media has a coherent expression.

Then you step into their premises. And it's a completely different company.

Nothing connects with what you see on the outside. The material choices say nothing about the brand. The furniture was bought because it was practical, not because it said something. The lighting is standard. The feel is generic.

That gap is not only aesthetically disturbing. It is also costly from a business perspective.

Why inconsistency erodes trust

The brain looks for context. We build trust in brands partly based on how consistent they are.

A brand that looks one thing on the website and another thing when you encounter it physically creates what is usually called cognitive dissonance. A small, hard-to-define feeling that something is not right.

It doesn't have to be dramatic. It doesn't have to be conscious. But it has an impact.

In consulting, tech and creative industries, where relationships and trust are central to the business, it’s those kinds of subtle signals that make the difference. A potential customer who encounters a company whose premises don’t match the promise of the communication begins to wonder: if they don’t take care of their own environment, how will they take care of their customers?

It's not a rational line of reasoning. But it's a human and common one.

What coherent design actually means

Coherent design isn't about everything looking the same. It's not about putting the logo on every wall and printing the brand colors on every pillow.

It's about ensuring that all parts of the customer experience communicate from the same story. That there is a common feeling and a common tone, regardless of whether the customer meets you on the website, at a meeting in your premises or in your marketing materials.

Specifically, this means that decisions about interior design and the physical environment are made with the same strategy and vision as decisions about brand identity. Not in parallel, not afterwards, but as an integrated part of the same process.

That's what we call the Holistic Experience.

Three situations where the gap occurs

The company has outgrown its premises. Classic growth scenario. The company started in a small office or a simple space. The branding work has since matured. But the space is still in the condition it was in when you couldn't afford to care. The discrepancy is now large, and it is especially noticeable by visitors and potential employees who compare what they see online with what they encounter physically.

Branding work and interior design were done by different parties at different times. Perhaps the most common situation. The brand identity was developed by an agency. The premises were designed by an interior designer, or were managed in-house. The two projects never had a common vision. The result is two well-made things that don't belong together.

The company opens new and treats interior design and branding as separate projects. The most expensive mistake of the three, because it’s the hardest to fix. If you open a new location and manage brand identity and physical design as two separate procurements to be “matched” afterwards, they will never be cohesive in the same way as if they were designed together from the start.

Digital and physical are one experience

Today, customers encounter a brand digitally before, during, and after they meet it physically. They Google you. They visit your website. They find you on Instagram. And if everything is communicated correctly, they step into your premises, or book a meeting.

If the digital experience and the physical experience are inconsistent, you are missing something fundamental. You are creating an expectation digitally that the physical environment either fails to meet or falls short of.

We see it as a single system. When we design a holistic experience for a company, we work with all the layers where the brand meets its audience and ensure that they all communicate from the same source.

Depending on the scope of the project, it can include identity work, logotype, color system and typography, the physical premises with interior design, materials, light and flow, digital presence such as website and social media, as well as print and communication materials.

You don't have to take the whole package. But you do need to understand that they are interconnected.

Trend-driven interior design versus brand-driven interior design

There are a plethora of interior design styles and trends. Japandi. Industrial chic. Scandinavian minimalism. They're not wrong, but they're starting points, not answers.

“We want a stripped-down, Scandinavian feel” is not a brand strategy. It’s an aesthetic preference.

A brand strategy looks different: “We are a company for professional buyers who value precision and discretion. We want our environment to communicate competence and trust, not impressive, but reliable.”

From that strategy we can derive design decisions that are logical and coherent. Material choices, color palette, furnishings, spatial density, everything is based on the strategic response, not on what happens to be fashionable at the moment.

It creates an environment that doesn't age as quickly. That doesn't need to be renovated in three years because it "feels dated." That maintains that it's true to the brand rather than true to a trend.

Identity work from scratch – when it is a privilege

If you are starting a new company, opening a new business, or are in a repositioning phase, you have the opportunity to make everything coherent from the start.

That's where we are most valuable. We can start with the strategic question of what this company is, who it is for and what it should communicate, and from there design a complete visual and physical identity that is consistent across all channels.

The identity work includes visual identity with logotype, typography, color scheme and imagery, communication guidelines and design principles for the physical environment. From there we take it further into the actual interior design process.

It's a more ambitious package. But it delivers a result that is fundamentally different from buying brand design and interior design separately.

A simple question to start with

Imagine a customer or candidate walking into your premises without having met you before. What does the environment tell you about your company?

Does it match what you want to communicate?

If the answer is no, or if you hesitate, that's a signal. It always starts with a conversation where we go through your current situation, what you have, what you want to achieve and where the biggest gap is.

Do you have a feeling that your brand and your location don't really fit together?

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Stockholm City and the inner city are not like other commercial property markets in Sweden. Rents are higher, competition is fiercer and the aesthetic bar is pulling the entire industry up.

What works in a regional center does not necessarily work in the inner city of Stockholm. What is acceptable in a discount market is not acceptable in Östermalm or Stureplan. It is not elitism. It is what the market demands and what the customer expects.

What the inner city market means in design terms

A premises in the inner city of Stockholm pays high rent. That rent must be justified by the income. And the income is directly affected by how the premises are designed.

A restaurant in Östermalm competes with the best restaurants in the country. A store on Biblioteksgatan competes with Europe's strongest retail brands. An office space at Stureplan competes for tenants who have exceptionally high expectations. In that situation, mediocre design is a business risk. It is not enough for the space to be okay. It must communicate that it belongs in that segment.

Restaurant in Stockholm City – what is actually required

The restaurant scene in Stockholm's inner city is intense. Guests in that segment have experienced a lot and they notice a difference. This means that the interior design quality – choice of materials, lighting, acoustics and the overall feel – is at a level that matches what you are charging. A restaurant that charges 600 kronor for a main course needs an environment that confirms that value for money.

This also means that the design must have a clear identity. The Sthlm scene is saturated with competent but anonymous restaurant design. What stands out is what is clear and consistent in its position. We have designed for the restaurant segment in Stockholm and we understand what works in that specific context.

Office premises in Stockholm – premium tenants demand premium environments

The tenants who pay for office space in Stockholm's best locations are companies with their own strong brands and their own requirements. They know what a well-designed space looks like, because they have seen many. They know the difference between a space that communicates their ambition and one that does not.

If you own office space in Stockholm City, design quality is a direct factor in your ability to attract and retain tenants who actually pay premium rents.

Retail in Stockholm city centre – design as part of the product

Stockholm's strongest retail locations attract international brands with their own global design standards. This sets the bar for what local players need to match to be taken seriously in the same environment.

A local player with a well-thought-out, differentiated design can take a strong position in this competitive landscape. One who does not invest in their design will disappear into the crowd. This is especially true in the neighborhoods and streets where personality and local roots are an argument against the standardization of international chains: Södermalm, Vasastan and parts of the inner city where local is still highly valued.

Stockholm as a design context

Stockholm’s aesthetic is not Gothenburg and not internationally generic. There is a local design sensibility that is worth understanding and designing with. It does not mean a specific style – it is a misunderstanding of what local context means. It means an understanding of what communicates authenticity and quality to a Stockholm customer or tenant.

We work in Stockholm daily and we understand that context from the inside.

Do you have a space in Stockholm's inner city that you want to take to the next level in terms of design?

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Most property owners in Sweden know what a spreadsheet should look like. Direct yield, vacancy rate, operating costs, interest coverage ratio. These are familiar metrics and they are important.

But there is one variable that is rarely properly accounted for, even though it affects almost all the others: the quality of the interior.

It’s not about “making it pretty.” It’s about understanding that the physical environment you deliver to your tenant is part of the product. A better product is priced higher, rents out faster, and retains its tenants longer.

What a tenant actually pays for

When a company signs a lease for office space, or when a guest books a short-term rental, they are not buying square footage.

They buy the experience of being there. How it feels to work in the premises, receive customers, and be there every day.

It's an important distinction. It means that a well-designed 150 square meter space can beat a boring 250 square meter space. It's not a design philosophy thesis, it's how purchasing decisions are made in real life.

In markets like Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, where tenants have options, it is not enough for a premises to be well-located and technically approved. It must communicate something. It must feel like an active choice, not a compromise.

Commercial interior design and rental value – a concrete connection

A well-designed space with the right choice of materials, clear spatial logic and well-thought-out lighting charges 15 to 30 percent higher rent compared to a standard space with equivalent space and location.

The exact range varies by segment and tenant type. But the principle is consistent: a space that looks well thought out signals that the property owner takes their tenant seriously. It's a signal the market pays for.

For BTR (Build-to-Rent) projects, it is even clearer. Tenants who choose a fully furnished and designed accommodation are by definition paying more to avoid having to take care of the design themselves. The question is not whether they pay more. It is how much more you can charge depending on what you actually deliver.

The hidden cost of the holiday period

A space that is empty for three months doesn't just cost you rental income. It costs interest, operations and marketing, and it costs time you won't get back.

A well-designed space rents out faster. This is partly because it attracts more serious interested parties digitally and physically, and partly because an interested party who steps into a well-designed space makes a decision faster.

Nothing slows down a rental decision as effectively as an anonymous room without identity.

The cost of a professional interior design effort should be compared to the alternative: a space that takes four to six months longer to rent out, at a lower rent. Calculate that calculation and most of the hesitation disappears.

What property improvement with professional interior design means in practice

We are not a furniture supplier and not a renovation company. We are a design studio that starts with the business logic and works our way down to the surface layer.

This means that before we choose a material or design a wall, we ask the questions: What kind of tenant do you want to attract? What should a person who walks in feel? How does the space handle flow, sound and light under real-world conditions?

Based on the answers, we create a design concept linked to the business goal, not to a trend. Then we produce drawings, material specifications and documentation for the start of construction. You shouldn't have to coordinate three actors and hope that the whole thing fits together. That's our job.

Short-term rentals and the Airbnb market in Stockholm

Short-term rentals are one of the segments where commercial interior design provides the clearest return.

On platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO, properties compete on image and experience. The price differences are dramatic, and they directly correlate with how well thought out an accommodation is.

We have worked with property owners in Stockholm who, after a design effort, were able to increase their nightly rates by 40 to 60 percent, without moving a brick. The change was entirely in design and presentation.

It's clear proof that interior design is not a cost. It's an investment with measurable returns.

Office space and the employer branding market

If you own office space in a growth segment, tech, finance or creative industries, design quality is now one of the strongest arguments in the leasing process.

Your tenants are competing for talent. Talent chooses employers in part based on the environment they are offered. This means that a tenant in this segment is not just looking for a space. They are looking for a space that will help them recruit.

If your property delivers that, you are no longer in price competition with the standard. You are in a segment of your own.

Retail premises and property development for retail

A retail space is a medium. Every square meter communicates either for or against the brand that lives in it.

As a property owner, you can't control what your tenant's product looks like. But you do control the shell. A shell that is well-proportioned and technically prepared, with the right electricity, the right infrastructure and the right dimensions, attracts stronger tenants.

Strong tenants pay more and stay longer.

How to count at home

Take your current rent per square meter. Add 20 percent. Calculate what the difference is per year for the entire premises. Compare that amount to the cost of a professional interior design effort.

In most cases, the repayment period is 12 to 24 months. In short-term rentals, it is shorter.

It's a simplification, projects vary and we always do a specific analysis before we propose something. But the logic holds: design that doesn't produce a return is decoration. We don't work with decoration.

Next step

It always starts with a conversation. We want to understand your property, your goals, and where you are in the process, whether it’s planning a new project, a renovation, or a space that’s not performing as well as it should.

Do you have a property or a project where you want to understand what the right commercial interior design can give back?

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Lighting is the design element that has the most impact and costs the least to get right.

It's true in a restaurant, an office, a store, a hotel room, and a clinic. It's true for venues with high ambitions and for venues with limited budgets. And it's the area that's consistently underestimated and under-prioritized.

What light does to a person

Light affects us physiologically and psychologically. The intensity of light affects alertness and energy levels. Bright, cold light keeps us alert. Soft, warm lighting calms and relaxes. It’s a relevant design decision in any environment: do you want people to be alert and focused, or do you want them to relax and stay for a long time?

The color temperature of light, measured in Kelvin, is a technical parameter with great practical effect. Warm light, 2700 to 3000 Kelvin, is experienced as cozy and relaxing. Neutral light, 3500 to 4000 Kelvin, is standard in office environments. Cool light, 5000 Kelvin and above, is stimulating but can be experienced as harsh in longer exposures.

Lighting layers – why one light source is never enough

The most common mistake in commercial lighting is to rely on a single layer: overhead lighting that shines generally. It provides an even but flat light without depth, contrast or mood.

Professional lighting works in layers. General lighting is the general light that allows you to orient yourself and function in the room. Accent and spot lighting are directed at specific elements: a product, a piece of art, a table segment in a restaurant. Mood lighting works with dimmers and indirect light sources to create a feeling rather than a function. Natural light is the strongest but the most difficult to control.

Restaurants and dining experience

In a restaurant, lighting directly affects how food looks. The color temperature of the lighting above the table determines whether the red color of meat looks appetizing or gray, whether vegetables look vibrant or dull.

Warm lighting in the restaurant segment is no accident. It is an active choice that enhances the dining experience and creates the more intimate atmosphere that makes guests stay longer. A restaurant with a fixed lighting system that cannot be adjusted relies on a compromise that is never optimal.

Office and productivity lighting

In an office, the task of lighting is to support focus during long work shifts without causing fatigue. Glare is the enemy. It occurs when light sources are placed in the field of vision, when screens reflect window light, or when ceiling and wall surfaces are too glossy and reflective.

Dimmable office lighting allows employees to adapt their lighting environment to the task at hand. It's a small investment with a big impact on well-being and productivity.

Store and product lighting

In a store, the primary function of light is to highlight the product. Spot lighting on the products, with the right color temperature for the product's material, makes a dramatic difference in how the product is perceived by a customer. It's the difference between a product that lights up off the shelf and one that disappears.

Energy efficiency and LED

All commercial lighting should be LED today. This is not a sustainability claim, it is an economic fact. LED lighting consumes 70 to 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and lasts significantly longer. In a commercial space with lighting on for large parts of the day, the cost savings are significant.

Would you like to understand how lighting can improve your space? Fill out the form below. We'll get back to you.

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Material selection is one of the decisions in an interior design project that has the greatest long-term consequences. It is also the decision made with the least amount of information, often under time pressure and with a supplier who has an interest in selling a specific material.

It is the combination that causes most of the material failures we see in commercial environments.

This guide is about how to think correctly about material choices. Not about specific product recommendations – they depend on the project and context – but about the principles that apply.

Three requirements that always apply

Every material in a commercial space must meet three requirements.

Functional requirement. The material must withstand the actual load it is exposed to. A floor material in a restaurant is exposed to heavy traffic, water splashes and grease stains. A wall material in a hospital or clinic must withstand chemical cleaning. A bar counter is exposed to impacts, moisture and heat. Each material should be chosen to withstand what it is actually exposed to, not how it looks in a product brochure.

Communicative requirement. The material should communicate what you want the space to communicate. Wood communicates warmth, organicity and craftsmanship. Concrete communicates rawness, industrial character and urban aesthetics. Marble communicates luxury, tradition and exclusivity. These are not neutral qualities. They should be chosen actively and consistently.

Economic requirement. The material should be worth its cost, seen over the entire life cycle. The cheapest material per square meter is rarely the cheapest choice over five or ten years. Maintenance costs, repair frequency and how the material ages are relevant factors in the calculation.

Flooring – the most common compromise

The floor is the surface that is exposed to the most wear and tear in almost all commercial environments. It is also the surface whose material choice has the greatest visual impact on the room as a whole.

There are a wide range of flooring options for commercial environments: natural stone, tile, wood, concrete floors, epoxy floors, vinyl and carpets in various forms.

Natural stone is timeless and durable but expensive to install and requires proper maintenance to prevent it from wearing out badly. Tile is robust and easy to maintain but can give a harsh acoustic impression. Wood is aesthetically strong but requires more maintenance in commercial traffic and cannot withstand moisture. Concrete floors are popular for their industrial character but require proper treatment and can be cold and harsh acoustically.

There is no universal best choice. The best choice depends on the environmental requirements, aesthetics and budget. One thing we always advise customers to avoid: choosing a flooring material primarily because it looks good in a picture, without having checked how it looks and is handled in daily operation.

Walls and surfaces – more than just a background

Walls are often treated as the backdrop against which the rest of the design is placed. That's a mistake.

The material, color and texture of walls are an active part of the room's aesthetics and communication. An exposed brick wall says one thing. A well-painted smooth surface says another. A wall with wood paneling or one with textiles says another.

The important thing is that the choice of wall material is an active choice linked to the room's design strategy, not a default decision.

In restaurants and hotels, we often work with a mix of wall treatments: an accent wall with a stronger material and the remaining walls treated more neutrally. This creates hierarchy and focus without overloading the room.

In offices, the choice of wall material is as much an acoustic decision as an aesthetic one. Hard, reflective walls amplify noise. Absorbent materials and textiles dampen it.

Roof – the forgotten surface layer

The ceiling is the surface layer that most design decisions don't reach. That's a mistake.

In hotel rooms and restaurants, the ceiling is what the guest sees when they are relaxed. In offices, the ceiling is what is visible during long workdays. In clinics, it is what a lying patient stares at.

Standard-format acoustic panels are the most common ceiling choice in commercial environments. They work acoustically but communicate nothing and do not create a positive aesthetic impression. There are alternatives: exposed concrete ceilings, wood panel ceilings, plastered ceilings with integrated lighting, the cornice as a design element. It is not always right to invest more in the ceiling, but it is always right to make an active decision about it.

Interior details and duration

Handles, knobs, fixtures, splash guards and similar details are elements that cost relatively little per unit but which, in an entire project, constitute a budget and a communication.

It is in the details that a well-thought-out venue differs from a half-baked one. It is often the details that visitors and customers notice without being able to put it into words – a feeling that everything has been carefully chosen. We always choose details as part of the overall design language, not as separate budget items that can be saved on.

How we guide material selection in a project

We never present material choices as a list to choose from. We present them as a package that is aesthetically and functionally cohesive, with an explanation of why each choice was made.

It makes it easier to make informed decisions, and it reduces the risk of the kind of last-minute material changes that ruin the whole.

Would you like help thinking through the material choices in an upcoming interior design project?

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A spa treatment lasts one hour. The experience of being at a spa begins when the guest steps through the door and ends when they leave.

It is the total experience the guest pays for, not the 60 minutes on the treatment table.

It's a simple fact with great consequences for how a spa should be designed. Every part of the space, from the reception to the changing room, from the waiting area to the hallways, is part of the product. If any of them is lacking, it affects the whole, no matter how good the treatments are.

What a spa guest is really looking for

A guest who books a spa visit is not primarily looking for a treatment. They are looking for a break. A break from what they left outside. An environment that actively supports relaxation.

It is a psychological state, and it is the job of design to enable it.

This means that spa design requires a completely different perspective than, for example, office or restaurant design. Tempo, sound, lighting and material selection should all pull in the same direction: downshifting.

Hard, reflective surfaces, strong colors, high contrast, and sharp shapes counteract that feeling. Softer materials, muted acoustics, indirect and warm lighting, natural elements, and thoughtful fragrance support it.

Entrance and reception – the transition from the outside

The entrance to a spa is one of the most important design challenges in the entire project.

The guest often comes from a stressful everyday life. The entrance is the transition zone, the place where they physically and psychologically leave what they came from. The design should facilitate that transition.

This means a clear but calm welcome environment. No high counters that create a sense of a reception as a barrier. No bright lighting that continues the pace of the city. No loud music that competes with what the guest is trying to leave.

Materials such as wood-clad walls, natural stone or soft-textured carpet, lighting that is stepped down compared to the outside, and a sound and scent impression that is clearly different from the street. These are the elements that signal: you are in the right place now.

The treatment room – function and feel in balance

The treatment room is the room the guest spends the most time in and the room that leaves the strongest memory.

It imposes technical requirements: proper ventilation, the right temperature, accessible storage solutions for the therapist, and hygiene requirements that are non-negotiable. But it also imposes design requirements that are more difficult to specify but equally important.

The ceiling is what a lying guest looks at throughout the treatment. It's a design perspective that surprises most people, but it's crucial. What meets the eye? A regular acoustic panel with fluorescent lights, or a ceiling with warm lighting and a material that conveys care?

Sound is another dimension. Sound leaks in from other treatment rooms, from corridors, from technical equipment. In a spa, it is a fundamental quality issue. Acoustic insulation and careful placement of technical installation are not luxuries, they are requirements.

Changing rooms and transition zones

The locker room is the room most spa owners put the least design energy into. It's also the room guests talk about the most when things are bad.

Cold floors, cramped benches, overhead lighting, and cabinets that don't close properly. It's a combination that ruins the feeling faster than almost anything else.

A good changing room is generous in feel, not necessarily in size. Heated floors, soft lighting, sufficient storage solutions and a choice of materials that withstand moisture and daily traffic. It's an investment that pays off in the guest experience.

Pool and aquatic environments

If the facility includes a pool, jacuzzi, steam room or sauna, this is where the design requirements become most technically and aesthetically crucial.

Water features enhance everything: the lighting, the proportions, the texture of the materials. A well-designed pool facility can command premium prices and create the kind of experience guests share with their networks.

It requires working with specialized knowledge of moisture management, material resistance and ventilation requirements. It also requires an aesthetic vision that holds up in a wet and warm climate. Not all materials and not all shapes work in those conditions.

Scent, sound and atmosphere – the dimensions that remain

Most spa guests don't remember exactly what materials were used on the wall. But they remember the feeling. And the feeling is often in the sensory dimensions that are difficult to photograph.

Scent is one of the strongest memory anchors we have. A well-thought-out and consistent scent profile, not perfumed air but a subtle, specific scent that is linked to the place, creates an association that is activated every time the guest encounters that scent again.

Music and sound are equally important. Level, genre and how the sound is distributed in the venue should be well thought out. It's not background filling, it's a design parameter.

How we work with spa design

We have experience in wellness environments and understand the balance between technical requirements and experiential goals. We always start with what you want the guest to feel and work backwards to every design decision.

Are you planning a new spa, a renovation or an upgrade of your wellness facility?

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Gothenburg is not a small Stockholm.

It's a distinction that's important when talking about commercial design, because markets that seem similar on the surface often have quite different dynamics when you look closely.

Gothenburg has a strong industrial tradition, a large university sector, a prosperous commercial city and a growing creative scene. This affects the demand for premises, what tenants and customers expect and how design communicates in a Gothenburg market.

Gothenburg as a commercial real estate market

Gothenburg's commercial property market has strengthened its position significantly in recent years. Neighborhoods such as Haga, Linné, Järntorget and Frihamnen have undergone major changes and attracted a mix of established companies and growth-driven businesses.

Innerstaden, Avenyn and the Nordstan corridor are still strong for retail. Norra Älvstranden and Lindholmen have become hubs for tech and life science. And the old port and industrial landscape around Frihamnen and Ringön is being transformed into creative clusters.

It is a city in change, and the change creates opportunities for businesses that are early in positioning themselves correctly.

Gothenburg aesthetics – what resonates locally

Gothenburg has a character that is different from Stockholm. It is an industrial city with a maritime tradition, and the aesthetic legacy from that is tangible. Brick, cast iron, wood and robust materials belong here in an organic way.

This doesn't mean that all commercial spaces should look like warehouse hotels. But it does mean that design that draws inspiration from the city's material and industrial tradition often works well in a Gothenburg context. It resonates with the local audience in a way that isn't contrived.

What works less well is design that is imported straight from international trend books without local roots. It may look right but feel wrong, in a way that is hard to put into words but that people notice.

Restaurant and café in Gothenburg

Gothenburg has a food and café culture scene that is strong throughout Sweden. Taste Gothenburg and the position the city brand has built up signals that it is a market that takes food and experience seriously.

This provides opportunities for well-designed restaurants and cafés to take a strong position, but it also places demands. Gothenburgers have seen good restaurant environments and they know the difference.

Interior design that is consistent with the food concept and service style is a requirement for credibility in that market. It is not enough to have good food. The environment must confirm the brand promise.

Offices and workplaces in Gothenburg

Gothenburg's office market is dominated by a number of large players – Volvo, SKF, AstraZeneca – and a growing ecosystem of tech and startup companies clustering in Lindholmen and Johanneberg.

It is in the mid-segment – growth companies, consulting firms, tech scale-ups – and in public-facing businesses, that design studios like us add the most value.

Gothenburg employers compete for the same talent as Stockholm companies, and that talent moves freely between the cities. This means that the office environment as an employer branding tool is just as relevant in Gothenburg as in Stockholm.

Retail in Gothenburg

Handelsgatan, Avenyn and Nordstan are Gothenburg's primary retail locations. They have their own character and requirements.

But it is in the shopping streets of the city districts – in Haga, on Linnégatan and in Majorna – that the most interesting things happen in terms of design. These are stores with a strong local roots and a brand that resonates with a Gothenburg lifestyle segment.

These types of stores often have limited budgets but great potential with the right design. It requires cost-effective thinking and an ability to prioritize the right elements.

How we work with Gothenburg projects

We work with projects throughout Sweden, including Gothenburg, and we understand the differences between the markets.

We always incorporate local context into the design process. This means that we ask questions about the customer group, the location, and what communicates credibility in the specific Gothenburg context, not what works generally.

Do you have a commercial interior design project in Gothenburg?

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A bar or nightclub sells atmosphere. Not drinks.

The drinks are what guests pay for on the receipt. But the atmosphere is what they came for. It's the atmosphere they talk about. And it's the atmosphere they return for.

It is the job of design to create it. It is a completely different design task than a restaurant or an office. It requires understanding how light, materials, sound levels, flow and density interact to create an environment that feels right, alive and inviting to stay in.

Lighting as a mood creator

In a bar or nightclub, lighting is the most important design tool. Absolutely the most important.

Strong, cold light sources kill the atmosphere. It's like turning on the ceiling light in the living room in the middle of a party. The light exposes too much, creates a harsh impression and counteracts the intimate character that most evening venues want.

Soft, warm lighting with clear accents is the standard approach for a reason: it works. It creates depth, contrast and intimate zones without making it too dark to work. In nightclubs and dance floor scenarios, dynamic lighting, spotlights, LED rigs and possibly laser effects are added. It is its own technical field and requires a separate design strategy for that surface.

The bar counter as the center of the room

The bar counter is the center of a bar for social, functional and aesthetic reasons. Social because it is the place where people gather, talk and see each other. Functional because it is the workplace for the bar staff. Aesthetic because it is the surface that forms the primary design statement of the room.

A well-designed bar counter in the right material, with the right lighting and the right height, sets the tone for the rest of the venue. It is the element we place the most importance on in bar design. The choice of material for the bar counter must withstand intensive daily traffic with moisture and impact. Wood, concrete, steel and stone in various combinations are common choices, each with their own advantages and requirements.

Acoustics and sound level

Acoustics in a bar is not about minimizing noise. It's about designing a sound that's right for the place.

A cozy bar with intimate conversation has a different acoustic ideal than a dance bar with loud music. This requires that the acoustic design is linked to the business concept, not to a general standard. In a cocktail bar with a focus on conversation, the room's acoustics should allow for a normal conversation level without guests having to shout. In a nightclub, high volumes should be possible without damaging the surroundings, which requires acoustic insulation in the ceiling, walls and floor.

Flow and density

How people move in a bar, and how close it is possible to have it without it feeling crowded, are design issues with a direct effect on turnover.

Too high a density creates an unprofessional sense of chaos. Too low a density means that the atmosphere never lifts, the venue feels half-empty even when it has a decent occupancy. The right density is a balanced design decision: how many guests give a lively feeling without giving a sense of pressure? The flow, how guests move between the entrance, the cloakroom, the bar and any seating, affects the experience and how effectively the staff can work.

Outdoor space and outdoor dining

A bar with a well-designed outdoor seating area doubles its appeal during the summer months in Sweden. This requires that the outdoor seating area is well thought out as part of the whole: furniture that matches the interior design concept, lighting that creates the right atmosphere in the evening, and a boundary to the street or sidewalk that feels well thought out rather than added.

A well-booked and well-designed outdoor seating area draws guests in in a way that no advertisement can.

Branding and identity in bar design

A bar with a strong identity is told about. Without identity, it is just any bar. This means that the design should take a stand. Is it a craft cocktail bar with an emphasis on craft tradition? Is it an urban dance bar with energy and international inspiration? Is it a classic beer pub with local roots? Each of these communicates with its specific target group through the design.

Are you planning to open, renovate or reposition a bar or nightclub?

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