Investor Insights: Finishing Details That Define Interior Build Quality

Build quality is about more than the little aesthetic touches – but those touches certainly help to give any interior that all-important aura of craftsmanship. In both residential and commercial interiors, they can be an all-important determiner of value in the long run.

So, exactly what kinds of details are we talking about?

Joinery and Carpentry Precision

The more tightly and cleanly your joinery fits together, the better. When tolerances are small enough to be invisible to the naked eye, and they’re smoothed over with skill to create that look of perfection, the perceived quality of the entire interior jumps up several notches.

This is where bringing in tradespeople with a proven track record is essential. Ask whether they have experience dealing with any specialist material you might have in mind. Dealing with timber skirting requires a different skill set than dealing with MDF.

Doors, Ironmongery and Fixtures

It isn’t just the mouldings that we need to think about. The doors that sit within your architraves can be a major mark of quality, too. You don’t need to depart from the traditional, affordable kinds of plain white internal doors, provided that they’ve been installed properly, and ironmongery has been well-chosen. The handles and hinges you choose should also match the history and aesthetic of the property around them. If you’re working with a Georgian cottage, then modern chrome handles might be a poor choice.

Surface Finishes and Paintwork

The quality of the finish you get from paintwork is largely a consequence of how the surface has been prepared. When you’re painting directly over the previous, old layer of paint, you probably won’t get the required level of adhesion – and the result can be a lumpy, tacky finish. This is particularly visible if the surface in question is receiving steeply-angled light at certain times of the day.

Consistency Across Details

If you want the entire interior to feel cohesive and convincing, then it’s worth ensuring that those little details are not only competently installed, but also that they match from one room to the next. Fail to do this, and you might end up with a space that feels rushed or cobbled-together. Think about thresholds, light fittings, skirting profiles, and architraves.

Often, you might find yourself limited by the existing building. It’s worth realising this early on in the process, rather than when you’re midway through a project. Start by choosing all your elements, then decide whether each is a good match for every room. For example, if one of your rooms has a very low ceiling, then you might determine that a very high skirting board isn’t a good match for it. This, in turn, might influence your choices elsewhere in the space.