Don Clarke ran a shop fitting and design company before he set up his own coffee shops. He has the following words of wisdom on the importance of interior design.

1. Good design is a major marketing tool. The way your shop looks will determine how many people are tempted to cross your threshold. People will make an instant decision as to whether to enter a coffee shop based on the effects of the shop's lighting, colour scheme, furniture and atmosphere. Good interior design will persuade passers by to enter your shop.

2. Interior design will also give a prospective customer an idea of the cost involved in frequenting it - if you visit a 5 star hotel you know that you will be paying a large sum to stay there. Similarly, a customer will enter a well designed coffee shop prepared to pay a little extra for a coffee for the pleasure of being in a comfortable, pleasant environment.

3. Use an interior designer with a background in catering establishments. They will know how to design your shop to achieve the optimum amount of "selling" space.

4. Shopfitting companies will have in-house designers - this may be cheaper than hiring an independent interior designer.

In residential interior design, space is a crucial factor because a space that is too large or too small may drastically limit the possibilities of a desired residential interior design. Even existing doors and windows greatly affects the planned renovation, and covering these up or constructing new structures again involve an adjustment in time and budget.

Generally, residential interior design project would involve furniture and fixture selection, color, space planning, and the more complicated plumbing and electrical wiring. It is, of course, easier to plan a residential interior design project with an empty room or house, but this isn't always the case.