Achieving Interior Harmony: An Introduction to Furniture Solutions Design

In a traditional design process, furniture selection takes place after a new space is designed and mostly independently from architectural considerations. This can result in a disjointed aesthetic, functional inefficiencies, and increased cost. Most of all, it’s a missed opportunity.

As a design practice with in-house interior designers, architects, and engineers, Ballinger champions a collaborative design methodology that simultaneously considers all aspects of the environment from the outset. By integrating architecture and furniture early in the design process, we create environments where each element—be it a staircase or chair—plays a vital role in the functionality and story of a space.

When designing a new building, we simultaneously consider the exterior and interior. From the start, as an integrated practice with architects and interior designers working side by side, we take into account the key furniture modules for workspaces, offices, and conference rooms, as well as accessible clearances. We iteratively refine the design concept from the inside out and the outside in.

In existing buildings, our approach adapts to the context and constraints. In adaptive reuse and retrofit projects, component-based systems furniture allows for flexible responses to irregular conditions. For example, we transformed a 1930s office building with a 1940s laboratory addition into a contemporary work environment, using a systems furniture kit-of-parts. Planning this framework early enabled consistent and efficient implementation.

In higher education, modularity and flexibility are essential. The right furniture can help future-proof spaces by enabling frictionless reconfigurations. To maximize both flexibility and space, we consider furniture that can fold, stack and nest, and we plan for dedicated storage areas as part of the design process.

Students today expect seamless connectivity wherever they are. While integrating power into furniture can be a convenient solution, it limits flexibility. One solution we’ve deployed is a flexible in-floor power grid. Close coordination between our interior designers, electrical engineers, and architects allows us to align the grid and furniture layouts early, ensuring spaces can adapt from semester to semester, and students can stay connected wherever they land.

At the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Chemistry Tower, we designed a 120-seat flexible learning studio that supports a wide range of configurations. Thoughtful integration of lighting, audio-visual, furniture, storage, and drapery elevates the experience of learning and teaching in the space.

Embracing a holistic furniture solutions design methodology reduces late coordination changes, improves furniture placement, and produces a more coherent user experience. Ballinger’s integrated approach allows us to thoughtfully align furniture with architectural and project needs, ensuring that every piece is not only a functional necessity but also contributes to a unified spatial experience.