Interior design means more than just furnishing – it creates spaces that shape your quality of life.
The 5-step planning process at home INTERIOR guides you from the initial idea to the final implementation.
Interior designer Teresa Gruber helps clients make decisions with confidence.
The Nature Vibes project shows how materials, proportions, and details work together.
Expertise in material selection, style, and coordination ensures everyday usability and timeless aesthetics.
Interior design as a journey
A dream home doesn't happen overnight. It unfolds step by step, from carefully considered decisions and lovingly chosen details.
Some decisions are big, others small, but they all have consequences. It's like cooking: you choose ingredients, combine them and decide how to prepare them to create a dish that will delight your guests. The result is more than the total of its parts.
The same goes for your interiors: they should not just be ‘finished’ — they should perfectly match your lifestyle and taste.
Why a well-structured planning process?
That's why Teresa Gruber, interior designer at home INTERIOR, likes to call it a journey you take together. A perfectly planned space is telling a story – through people, materials, and moods.
To make this story coherent, you need a clear common thread. The 5-step planning process at home INTERIOR identifies this common thread.
Key Facts
The 5-step planning process
by home INTERIOR identifies this common thread.
Including
- Clear guidance at every stage
- Structured decision-making
- Certainty in complex design issues
- Protection against contradictory solutions
Interior design is much more than just a matter of taste. It is a craft, a discipline, and a means of shaping your quality of life.
Please note: Some information is purely indicative and not binding. The timeframe highly depends on the overall situation on site and on the suppliers, and may vary significantly.
Step 1: Getting to know each other
Your desires, your life, your style: it all starts with listening. When you plan to redesign your private spaces, you will bring along stories, preferences and also uncertainties.
What will happen during this phase? Teresa Gruber will take time to listen closely: detailed discussions, visits to your home, developing mood boards together. The goal is to understand how you live and what you truly need.
In the Nature Vibes project, for example, it quickly became clear that the desire for spaciousness and tranquillity should be coupled with clear aesthetics. No overloaded mix of materials, but instead a precise selection. Crucial decisions will be made even at this early stage.
Why is getting to know each other so important?
Getting to know each other is like the beginning of a doctor's appointment: before treatment can begin, a diagnosis is essential. Understanding your daily life, routines, and preferences helps us develop solutions that will last. That's why the initial questions are often the most important ones:
- How do you spend time in your living space?
- Should your kitchen be stylish or primarily functional?
- Which materials feel right for you?
- Is ease of care important to you?
Step 2: Creative work
Drafts and inspiration: Now the design stage can begin. Designs are created, variations considered, material samples sourced. Ideas are reviewed, examined for feasibility, and sometimes rejected.
The creative process: The key question in our Nature Vibes project was how to make nature feel contemporary. The material of choice was therefore wood panelling for a feeling of warmth and stone surfaces radiating calm and stability.
In this phase, rooms are considered as a whole: proportions, lighting, everyday routines.
Your eye-opening moments
Nothing happens by chance, but instead through trial and error. Teresa Gruber points out: ‘It's often this second phase that brings those eye-opening moments. People watch their ideas taking shape and, at the same time, new possibilities are emerging.’
What you get in this stage:
- Various design options
- Material samples you can touch
- 3D visualisations of your rooms
- Detailed explanations of each solution
Step 3: Decisions
Time for clarity in the process! Designs are being finalised, materials and colours specified, a detailed quote is drafted, and costs are broken down with complete transparency. Often, this is a moment of relief: You have a clear direction, a concrete path to your dream.
In the Nature Vibes project, this meant:
- The stone island in the kitchen was selected because it centres the space
- Herringbone parquet flooring was chosen – high-quality, elegant and durable
- In the bedroom, dark natural stone was selected as a calming accent behind the bed
Design expertise & taste
Everyday usability, maintenance requirements and visual impact play a decisive role. It's like wine tasting: you don't judge after the first sip. Instead, you examine the structure, finish and balance. This fine tuning is what makes interior design professional.
What you will get in this phase:
- A detailed list of materials with details of the manufacturers
- A transparent cost breakdown
- A schedule for the implementation
Step 4: Finishing touches
The soul of a room lies in the details. Textiles, light fixtures and acoustics work together. Carefully placed decorative elements can also completely transform the ambience.
The power of details. In Nature Vibes, this becomes clear in the bedrooms: bouclé-like fabrics, velour-like upholstery and textured surfaces create a rich and calming depth.
Indirect light lines trace the architecture, while spotlights skilfully highlight areas or special objects.
Project management
This stage is crucial in terms of the organisation: checking delivery dates, coordinating contractors, clarifying and managing their collaboration. Interior design involves a lot of management. This results in a smooth collaboration that in the end seems effortless. You can only get this if everything has been planned meticulously.
What happens in this stage:
- Selection and ordering of all accessories
- Coordination of all professions
- Fine-tuning of the lighting design
- Preparation for the final stage
Step 5: Implementation
The final result is not just rooms filled with furniture; rather, it's spaces that are actually alive. Making this happen involves careful organisation, coordination, and quality control. Ideas become reality, and wishes take on a tangible form.
In the Nature Vibes project, such a moment came when the fireplace with its stone base and shimmering metal surface was put in place. All of a sudden, the room had a centrepiece. Carpets link the different zones, while clear furniture shapes create the desired sense of calm. The vision was finally visible and, above all, clearly perceptible.
Experience makes all the difference
The final stage is crucial. Our team understands the importance of precision and will supervise the implementation until everything is perfectly executed.
Your advantages during the implementation process:
- One-to-one on-site support
- Quality control for all deliveries
- Coordination of all deadlines
- Final handover
Your next step: From dream to reality
Why structure, style, and safety are crucial
Interior design does not come from intuition. It is a journey of discovery that guides you through all important decisions.
With the 5-step planning process, home INTERIOR demonstrates how creativity requires structure and that good design is never a coincidence.
The result: more than just beautiful interiors!
Projects like Nature Vibes illustrate how materials, proportions, and details can convey a certain attitude. Teresa Gruber sums it up: ‘Interior design means understanding people's lives – and designing spaces that reflect those lives.’
This is how planning translates into genuine quality of living. And how a structured process results in your perfect home.
Ready for your project?
- Time frame for the complete process: 3–8 months, depending on its scope
- Cost: Transparent pricing starting at the planning stage (step 2), with costs offset against implementation fees when the order is placed.
- Your next step: Book your free initial consultation and discover how the 5-step process could work for your project.
Teresa Gruber
BSc.; Interior Design
With her eye for textures, colours and the delicate balance between functionality and design, Teresa manages interior design in a wide variety of projects. In her articles, she shares insights from her professional experience, inspirations from the world of interior design and tips for a clever planning process.
‘For me, good interior design begins where materials have a subtle effect and shape the ambience.’
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Images: Adobe Stock, home INTERIOR