Designing commercial interiors differs from designing residential interiors. The designer is tasked with creating and cultivating a project, while taking room features into account (e.g., number of residents and the capacity of the premises). This allows all guests to feel welcomed and comfortable within the confines of the interior. The professional and proper zoning of the interior allows for structured pathways for foot traffic, which is integral with regards to commercial buildings. Therefore, it's important to consider who will be occupying the premises, along with the number of individuals who will be occupying the premises.

During the initial phases of the design process, commercial properties may be required to make structural adjustments to ensure all regulations are satisfied. During this process, several planning options are proposed. When choosing a desired design style, it's necessary to take the personal preferences of all potential visitors into account. When selecting furniture and other accessories, it's important to consider how long potential guests would be willing to stay on premises. In special circumstances, "beauty" and grandiosity will not be of the utmost importance. Different rules of design apply when designing offices, banks, shops or nightclubs: at times, it's necessary to highlight a company's stability, highlight a hotel's level of comfort, or highlight the sense of a nightclub's status and exclusivity.