Choosing interior materials is often treated as a purely visual preference. Yet how well a material performs in a space is measured as much by how it ages as by how it looks.

Intensity of use

The same floor covering behaves very differently in a corridor walked through a few times a day and at a shop entrance in constant use. The first question to ask before choosing is how much the surface will actually be used. On heavily used surfaces, durability is a criterion that takes precedence over appearance.

Maintenance requirements

Every material comes with maintenance expectations. A surface that needs regular care quickly loses its original look when that care is not given. When choosing, the time the user can realistically spend on maintenance has to be taken into account.

The particular conditions of wet rooms

In wet rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens, resistance to water, moisture and cleaning products is decisive. In these spaces, waterproofing and services must be decided before the finish on top; if the solution underneath is not built correctly, the visible surface does no more than hide the problem.

Coherence

Materials that are liked individually do not always form a harmonious whole when put together. Materials should be assessed together, including their colour, texture and gloss. Identifying the dominant surfaces in a space and choosing the others accordingly makes it easier to avoid a scattered result.

The relationship with lighting

Materials change under light. A colour chosen under shop lighting can look different in a room that gets daylight. Material decisions should therefore be made together with the lighting design and, where possible, assessed under the space's own light conditions.

Order of decisions

Choosing materials becomes meaningful once the layout is settled. Choices made before it is clear how the space will be used become invalid when the plan changes. The right order is: first the layout, then materials and lighting, and finally the details.