Interior architects who also serve as project managers draw upon their passion for their profession, their keen tastes, their skills, and their expertise honed over years of experience to perfectly meet your expectations. Whether in Paris or elsewhere in France, don't hesitate to invest in property (as a rental property or primary residence)! Whether it's a house or an apartment, redesigning your interior adds value, creates a more functional and aesthetic environment. The goal here is to optimize spaces while adding a specific style that aligns with your needs, personality, and taste. To navigate through the various building professions, it's important to understand the role of this space designer. In this article, you'll discover the 5 key points about the tasks of this artisan.
Architecte d’intérieur : un métier haut en créativité
Want to make changes to the interior of your home? The solution is to choose an interior architect. However, it's important to know who you're dealing with beforehand. This project manager works in the layout or renovation of apartments, houses, offices, shops, museums, and more. Their job is to create functional, aesthetic, and comfortable interior spaces. They do not intervene on the building's structure.
The space designer, also known as an interior architect, works with existing structures and plays with shapes, colors, lines, volumes, materials, and light. They take into account the technical constraints of the property and the client's budget (client or contractor). They create project plans by hand or using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software or 2D and 3D software. Then, they present sketches and technical and financial study descriptions of the works to the client, while considering aspects related to design, layout, and decoration.
Unе fois le projet validé, l’architecte d’intérieur et le commanditaire rédigent le cahier des charges sur lеquеl se basera la tenue du chantier, intégrant les aspects liés à Paris, aux matériaux, au budget et aux espaces. Cе documеnt présente les objectifs, les budgets et les délais à respecter par le maître d’œuvre, tout еn prеnant en compte les besoins spécifiques des clients. Mis à part l’aménagement et la rénovation de bureaux et de boutiques, ce professionnel peut créer des décors et des plateaux de débats, participant ainsi à une variété de projets et de secteurs. Il a égalеmеnt la possibilité d’exercer son métier en libéral, à titre individuel ou еn tant qu’associé dans une agence, offrant ainsi des services d’agencement et de design sur mesure. Souvеnt, il est salarié dans un atelier d’architecture, collaborant avеc d’autres architectes et designers pour concrétiser des projets de design d’intérieur, de rénovation, et d’aménagement, adaptés aux besoins de ses clients. Le CFAI, ou Centre de Formation des Architectes d’Intérieur, joue un rôle essentiel еn proposant des formations spécifiques pour ceux qui souhaitent se lancer dans ce métier passionnant.
Architecte d’intérieur : une collaboration bien fondée
The interior architect entrusted with your layout or renovation program follows precise steps, during which you will be regularly consulted. With the help of this artisan, you can invest with peace of mind.
1st Step: Preliminary Meeting
In this first step, interior architects meet with their client to gather all the information needed to understand the layout or renovation project. During a preliminary meeting, these architecture professionals:
Aussi, ils proposent de premières idées d’aménagement ou de rénovation, de matériaux, d’ameublement et d’équipement.
2nd Step: Study and Project Development
After the preliminary meeting, architecture professionals move on to the 2nd step, namely the study and development of the project.
Sketch Studies (ESQ)
After the initial contact with their client, interior architects conduct sketch studies. To do this, they:
Then, they submit the file to the client for approval.
Preliminary Draft (APS)
After the sketches are approved by the client, architecture professionals verify whether the initial drafts comply with current regulations, then they proceed to:
They then submit the file to the client for validation.
Final Draft (APD)
After approval of the preliminary draft, interior architects move on to the final draft, which includes several phases, namely:
This phase ends with the submission of the file to the client for approval.
3rd Step: Administrative Formalities
The third step concerns the Administrative Authorization File (DAA) and the General Design Pieces (PCG).
Administrative Authorization File
The project manager assists the client in administrative procedures. Specifically, the application for building permits and administrative authorizations. To do this, they create all the graphic elements and assist the client in assembling the administrative file to be sent to the city's urban planning department.
General Design Pieces
After the approval of the final draft and the obtaining of administrative authorizations, the architecture professional gathers all the detailed plans. These are essential for the realization of the project by the consulted artisans. Based on these graphic elements, these trades will be able to define the scope, characteristics, and quality of their services. The general design pieces mention:
Subsequently, the interior architect submits the PCG to the client.
4th Step: Consultation File for Companies (DCE)
In this fourth step, the client can choose to competitively tender several companies. With the help of the project manager, they select the method of consulting artisans, the conditions for carrying out the works, and establish the list of companies to be consulted. In this fourth step, the architecture professional is responsible for:
Il réalise également la conception de l’offre sélectionnée pour chaque corps d’état.
5th Step: Monitoring and Acceptance of Works
Les travaux démarrent après l’obtention de l’accord signé par le commanditaire. L’architecte d’intérieur peut alors passer à la 5e étape, précisément la coordination et le suivi du chantier. Sa mission concerne, par exemple, la transmission des directives auprès des entrepreneurs, l’organisation, et la direction des réunions d’études par rapport au chantier. Il assure par ailleurs l’Assistance des opérations de réception des travaux (AOR). En cas de malfaçons constatées, le maître d’œuvre détermine si elles doivent impliquer une réfection totale, partielle, ou une déduction pécuniaire.
Voici un tableau récapitulatif, pour avoir une vue d’ensemble sur les différentes étapes:
| Step | Description |
| 1st Step: Preliminary Meeting | – Analyzing the client's needs, constraints, costs, and budget.
– Visiting and measuring the space to be designed. – Defining the scope of the mission – Proposing ideas for layout, materials, furnishings, and equipment |
| 2nd Step: Study and Project Development | – Sketch Studies (ESQ): Analyzing the program and budget, studying documents, creating sketches.
– Preliminary Draft (APS): Creating plans to scale, brief description of works, provisional estimate, planning. – Final Draft (APD): Technical diagnosis, consultation of public services, detailed plans, description by trade, final cost estimation. |
| 3rd Step: Administrative Formalities | – Administrative Authorization File (DAA): Assisting the client in administrative procedures, building permit application.
– General Design Pieces (PCG): Gathering detailed plans, technical specifications, detailed description, schedule, graphic elements. |
| 4th Step: Consultation File for Companies (DCE) | – Creating the consultation file, including administrative clauses and graphic elements.
– Reviewing, economic and technical study, comparing offers – Designing the selected offer for each trade |
| 5th Step: Monitoring and Acceptance of Works | – Coordination and site monitoring, issuing directives to contractors, organizing study meetings.
– Assistance in the reception operations of the works (AOR), management of defects and necessary repairs. |
Architecte d’intérieur : une formation professionnelle
Architects and interior architects may sound similar due to their names, but they are actually two distinct professions. These two artisans do not work on the same subject and follow different studies. Professional training in interior architecture involves design, scenography, and decoration fields, notably a combination of plastic, decorative, and graphic arts.
To begin studies in interior architecture, you must hold a high school diploma in STD2A (Sciences and Technologies of Design and Applied Arts). For those with other high school diplomas, professional training is accessible provided they complete a year of Preparatory Course in Applied Arts (MANAA).
To access the profession of interior architect, a bachelor's degree +4 minimum is required. The training paths leading to this position after a Bachelor's degree are:
| Level of Studies | Diploma |
| Bac+2 | BTS ERA (Advanced Technician's Certificate in Layout and Realization Studies) |
| Bac+3 | DN MADE (National Diploma in Art and Design Professions) |
| Bac+4 | DSAA (Higher Diploma in Applied Arts, Design Space) |
| Bac+5 | DNSEP (National Higher Diploma in Plastic Expression, Design) or diploma from specialized schools in design and interior architecture. |
By collaborating with a qualified interior architect, you can be sure to succeed in your real estate project.
Interior Architect: Salary Depending on Employment
En principe, dans le domaine du travail, une mission accomplie signifie rémunération. Pour l’emploi d’architecte d’intérieur, le montant de la mensualité dépеnd dе son statut, notamment salarié d’une agence à Paris, où de nombreuses entreprises sont à la recherche de talents en design, aménagement et rénovation. Les architectes d’intérieur travaillant sur des projets d’aménagement d’espaces, de décoration d’appartements ou d’agencement de cuisines doivеnt gérеr le budget alloué par leurs clients et choisir judicieusement les matériaux à utiliser. Quе cе soit en studio ou en agence, la capacité à élaborer des plans et des projets sur mesure est cruciale pour répondrе aux besoins des clients.
Interior architects can work with decorators and layout specialists to ensure the success of their work and fully satisfy their clients. Whether planning renovations, designing custom spaces, or optimizing the use of allocated budgets, the profession of interior architect in Paris, for example, offers many opportunities for those who want to combine creativity and technical expertise in space planning.
Salary for an Interior Architect Employed by an Agency
An interior architect who chooses to work for an agency accepts that their salary is regulated by the national collective bargaining agreement for architecture companies. In other words, this agreement sets the maximum amount of income for the project manager. However, the monthly salary varies depending on the mission:
| Position | Gross Salary (€) | Net Salary (€) |
| Project Assistant | Between €2,000 and €2,900 | Between €1,560 and €2,262 |
| Project Manager | Between €3,000 and €3,400 | Between €2,340 and €2,550 |
| Project Director | Between €3,900 and €4,800 | Between €2,925 and €3,600 |
In addition to their salary, the architecture expert receives bonuses, bonuses, and benefits in kind, such as a company car. Note that the amount of the monthly salary varies from one region to another.
Salary for an Independent Interior Architect
Le montant du salaire des architectes d’intérieur indépendants est difficile à évaluer. Pour cause, différents critères influent sur leur revenu, comme l’expérience, la localisation, les tarifs pratiqués, la spécialisation… De plus, ils ont la possibilité de fixer leur tarif comme ils l’entendent et selon le mode de calcul qu’ils préfèrent. Voici des exemples de facturation concernant l’emploi d’architecte d’intérieur indépendant :
| Billing Method | Price Range (€) |
| Per Hour | Between €70 and €200 |
| Per Square Meter | Between €40 and €70 |
| As a percentage of the tax-free amount of the works | Between 8% and 15% |
As an indication, this job allows earning between €2,700 and €4,200 per month. However, in Paris or elsewhere in France, the independent interior architect pays taxes, contributions, and taxes.
Architecte d’intérieur : les qualités et les compétences requises
Pour l’agencement ou la réhabilitation de votre maison, appartement ou local commercial, vous aurez besoin d’un architecte d’intérieur. Néanmoins, votre choix ne doit pas uniquement porter sur la localisation du siège social de l’artisan (à Paris ou dans les autres villes françaises). Se référer sur les qualités et les compétences de ce dernier s’avère judicieux. Un bon architecte d’intérieur se montre créatif, inventif, a le sens de l’écoute, et exécute sa mission avec minutie et précision. De même, il est tenu de faire preuve d’imagination et de sensibilité artistique.
Côté compétences, le maître d’œuvre professionnel doit s’armer d’un bon sens de l’organisation, d’une bonne maîtrise des techniques, des logiciels de dessin et d’architecture. Muni d’une connaissance élargie des matériaux et des métiers du BTP (Bâtiment en travaux publics ou privés), il peut réaliser ses missions suivant les règles de l’art. À part cela, les compétences en histoire des arts et de solides connaissances artistiques sont à prendre en compte. Cela, si votre investissement immobilier concerne un chantier de rénovation d’habitat ancien à Paris ou dans les autres villes historiques de France.
