Services
Design-build services
Commercial & Retail Interior and Exterior Design in Greater Montréal
We design commercial, retail, and residential interiors — and the exteriors that frame them — to be built, not just rendered. As a design-build studio, the design is drawn knowing exactly how it'll be constructed, so the space you approve is the space you get: on budget, up to code, and finished the way it was shown.
From concept direction to buildable detail
Design here is a full arc, not a single deliverable. It starts as concept — the look, feel, and material language of the space, worked up as mood boards, palettes, and early 3D so everyone aligns on a direction before money is committed. From there it develops into resolved detail: layouts, finishes, lighting, millwork, and the exterior or façade language tied to the interior. The concept sets the target; design development makes it real and constructible. Much interior work that modifies an existing space can be designed by an interior designer, but some projects must have their design directed by an architect; our guide to architects and designers in Quebec explains where that line falls.
Interior and exterior, coordinated
One design language, inside and out: In some boroughs, storefront and signage changes can also trigger a design review (PIIA) before a permit is issued; our commercial permits guide covers when.
- Interior concept, layout, and 3D visualisation
- Material, colour, lighting, and finish direction
- Millwork and built-in design
- Façade, signage, storefront, and entrance design
- Coordination with construction drawings and permits
Where it fits
Offices, retail and showrooms, restaurants and lounges, clinics, and residential interiors across Greater Montréal. Note that in Montréal, exterior and signage changes often need separate borough approval and must meet façade standards — we factor that into the design and permit work from the start.
Where we do this work
Our design team works on commercial and retail interiors across Greater Montréal. The area pages cover local permitting, which shapes what a design can change.
The in-house difference
Design that survives contact with the build
Our designers sit at the same table as the people who'll build the space, so the design that wins your approval has already been checked for cost and constructibility — not a rendering that gets quietly value-engineered once a separate contractor prices it. Where a project falls under the Architects Act — often an exterior or envelope change — an OAQ-member architect directs that portion of the design from the outset, and our team coordinates around them from the first sketch.
Frequently asked
Interior & Exterior Design — your questions, answered.
How much does commercial or retail interior design cost in the Montréal area?
Fees depend on square footage, complexity and finishes. Commercial designers commonly bill hourly, as a flat project fee, or as a percentage of construction cost — the basis varies by scope and project size, and we'll tell you which applies to yours before any design work starts. Custom millwork, storefront work and procurement add cost. As a design-build firm we give one combined design-plus-construction estimate up front, so you see the total number before committing.
Do I need a permit and architect's plans to renovate my commercial space in Montréal?
A renovation permit and an updated occupancy permit (certificat d'occupation) are typically required, and each borough sets its own rules. Whether an architect must direct the design depends on the building's use and size under Quebec's Architects Act — many interior fit-outs that don't change the use or affect the structure, exits, fire separations or envelope fall outside it, while larger or use-changing projects are subject. We identify which applies at the outset and, where the Act applies, an OAQ-member architect leads that part of the design. We handle drawings and the borough permit process either way.
Do you handle both the interior and the exterior storefront, or just one?
Both. We design interior layouts, finishes, lighting and fixtures alongside exterior elements such as façades, signage, entrances and storefronts. Coordinating them keeps the brand consistent and avoids conflicts between trades. In Montréal, exterior and signage changes often need separate borough approval and must meet façade standards, which we factor into the design and permit work from the start.
Are your interior designers members of a professional association?
Yes. Our designers are members of the APDIQ (Association professionnelle des designers d'intérieur du Québec). The APDIQ is a professional association, not a regulatory order, so membership does not authorize acts reserved to architects; where a project falls under the Architects Act, an architect directs that part of the design.
Can you design around our brand guidelines?
Yes. For retail and office spaces, brand standards such as colours, materials, signage zones and fixture types can be built into the design from the start, then adapted to the space and to code requirements. If you operate more than one location, the design can be documented so it can be repeated.
Will we approve the design before construction starts?
Yes. Layouts, drawings and material and finish selections are reviewed with you and approved before construction begins. Changes are simplest and least costly at this stage, which is why the design is settled before anything is built.
Start a project
Have a space in mind? Let's design and build it.
Tell us about your project — commercial, retail, or residential — and we'll walk you through what design-build can deliver. Consultations across Greater Montréal.
Direct
(514) 697-1742info@indesignconstruction.caService area
- Montréal
- South Shore / Rive-Sud
- North Shore / Rive-Nord
- Laval
- Vaudreuil-Soulanges
- West Island