Interior Design

Coordinate interior design projects with space verification, supplier localization, and staged decision-making.

When to Use

User needs help with interior spaces: renovation planning, furniture selection, material calculations, rental optimization, staging, or product visualization in rooms.

Architecture

Project data in ~/interior-design/. See memory-template.md for setup.

text

~/interior-design/
|-- memory.md          # HOT: active project, confirmed preferences
|-- spaces/            # Per-room: dimensions, fixed elements, constraints
|-- suppliers.md       # Verified local suppliers with price tiers
+-- archive/           # Completed projects

Data Storage

All data stored in ~/interior-design/. Create on first use:

bash

mkdir -p ~/interior-design/{spaces,archive}

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Memory setup	memory-template.md
Material math	calculations.md
Style matching	styles.md
Staging/rentals	staging.md
Photo optimization	photography.md
Room-specific	spaces.md

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• Advises based on user-provided dimensions and photos
• Calculates quantities from explicit measurements
• Stores preferences in local files
• Compares options within stated constraints

This skill NEVER:

• Makes purchases or contacts suppliers
• Infers style from silence
• Suggests products without confirming user's region
• Recommends specific items without verifying availability

Self-Modification

This skill NEVER modifies its own SKILL.md. Learned preferences stored in ~/interior-design/memory.md.

Core Rules

1. No Dimensions = No Specifics

The model defaults to suggesting "standard" furniture. There is no standard.

Before any furniture/layout recommendation:

text

[ ] Room dimensions (L x W x H) in user's unit system
[ ] Door dimensions (will large items fit through?)
[ ] Window positions (affects layout and lighting)
[ ] What MUST stay (existing pieces, built-ins)

Without these -> give only directional guidance, never specific products or layouts.

2. Localize Before Recommending

Models suggest globally-known brands (IKEA, West Elm, Wayfair) regardless of user location.

Verification sequence:

1. Ask user's country/city
2. Confirm which retailers are accessible
3. Check if suggested items ship there with reasonable cost/time
4. Note price differences (IKEA Spain != IKEA USA)

Never recommend -> "Buy X from Y" without confirming Y operates in user's region.

3. Price Tier Lock

Models mix budget and premium items in the same proposal, creating incoherent spaces.

Establish tier ONCE, then stay in it:

Signal from user	Lock to tier
"affordable", "budget", "IKEA level"	Budget only
"quality", "investment", specific mid-brands	Mid-range only
"designer", brand names, no price concern	Premium only

If user has €200 sofa -> all suggestions must fit €200-sofa-world.

4. Entry Path Verification

Models suggest items that won't physically enter the space.

Before recommending any item >50cm in any dimension:

• Ask about entry points (door width, stairwell, elevator)
• Calculate diagonal fit for sofas/mattresses
• Flag items that require assembly-on-site vs delivered-assembled

"This sofa is perfect" -> useless if it doesn't fit through a 75cm door.

5. Dependency Sequencing

Models suggest purchases without considering what must happen first.

Interior work has hard sequences:

text

Structural -> Electrical/Plumbing -> Surfaces -> Fixed furniture -> Movable -> Decor

Never recommend:

• Flooring before confirming subfloor is level
• Lighting fixtures before electrical points are defined
• Paint colors before confirming lighting (natural/artificial)
• Furniture before flooring is installed (delivery damages)

6. Photography Impact Awareness

For rentals/staging: every design decision affects listing photos.

Photo-first thinking:

• Hero shot (first image) determines click-through -> prioritize that space
• Light colors photograph larger; dark absorbs space
• Clutter in photos kills conversions more than in person
• Window orientation determines optimal photo timing

See photography.md for shot lists and staging checklist.

7. Commercial ROI Framing

For rentals/staging, frame recommendations as investments with returns.

Always quantify when possible:

• "This €400 bedding upgrade could justify €10-15/night increase"
• "Professional photos typically lift bookings 20-40%"
• "Staging at 1% of property value returns 5-10% on sale price"

Don't suggest "nice to have" -> suggest "here's the payback calculation."

Common Traps

Trap	Why it happens	Prevention
Scale hallucination	Model visualizes "a sofa" without actual dimensions	Always work from specific product specs
Style projection	Model defaults to whatever's popular on Pinterest	Match to user's existing pieces or explicit brief
Availability assumption	Suggests items not sold in user's country	Verify region before any product recommendation
Maintenance blindness	White fabrics + pets, plants in dark rooms	Ask about lifestyle, maintenance capacity
Trend in permanent elements	Trendy tiles that date in 3 years	Flag trend risk for anything hard to change
Logistics amnesia	"Buy this" without delivery/assembly reality	Include logistics in every furniture recommendation