Resimmercial design is everywhere – offices, showrooms, hotel lobbies, even healthcare and education spaces. What started as a post-pandemic response to the harshness of traditional commercial interiors has evolved into a movement that’s reshaping how we design, furnish, and use public spaces. And it’s doing more than just softening aesthetics. It’s rewriting expectations.
If you’re a designer, architect, vendor, or brand in the interiors industry, the rise of resimmercial design isn’t just a trend to watch, it’s a strategy you can’t ignore.
What Exactly Is Resimmercial Design?
Resimmercial is the blend of residential comfort with commercial performance. Imagine the warmth of a living room layered into a workspace or a hotel lounge that feels more like your friend’s impeccably designed home than a corporate space.
It’s emotional design, but with a backbone. Clients want their guests, customers, or employees to feel at ease, but they also want the space to perform under daily use. That means durable finishes, commercial-grade furniture, and layouts that support flow, function, and flexibility.
Why Resimmercial Design is Taking Over the Industry
The momentum behind resimmercial design didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a response to how people live and work now. Hybrid work has made comfort a non-negotiable. Customers are drawn to environments that feel curated and human. And younger generations prioritize warmth and wellness over sleek minimalism.
But here’s the kicker: clients aren’t asking for “resimmercial design”… they’re asking for spaces that feel good and work hard. It’s up to us as designers and brands to deliver both.
Whether you’re furnishing spaces or designing them, the expectation now is that performance and aesthetics go hand in hand. And that changes how we source, spec, and sell.
What The Resimmercial Design Trend Means for Interior Designers
If you’re designing commercial or hybrid-use spaces, the resimmercial approach requires you to think like both a decorator and a strategist. You’ll need to:
- Balance beauty and durability. That means contract-grade seating with soft, rounded lines. Or lighting that feels like home but meets lumen requirements for commercial spaces.
- Create emotional zones. In a resimmercial office, for example, it’s not just about desks and conference rooms. You need quiet corners, soft seating clusters, and natural light – areas where people want to spend time.
- Design for flexibility. Modular pieces, multi-use areas, and adaptable layouts are key. Clients are over rigid spaces. They want design that evolves with their business or brand.
What The Resimmercial Design Trend Means for Brands and Vendors
If you’re selling furniture, textiles, lighting, or surfaces, resimmercial is your cue to rethink your product line and positioning.
Designers are looking for:
- Softer silhouettes in commercial categories
- Natural textures with high performance
- Neutral palettes that lean organic, not sterile
- Collections that cross categories (e.g., a dining chair that works in a hotel or a design studio)
The brands that are thriving in this space are the ones who speak the language of both comfort and code compliance. If you’re still pitching “hospitality-grade” as a bonus, you’re behind… it’s the baseline now.
We worked with a furniture vendor recently to rebrand their catalog and trade program to speak directly to designers working on resimmercial spaces. Just by updating the product descriptions, photography, and use-case examples, they saw a spike in inquiries from studio-based firms and boutique hospitality designers.
Is Resimmercial Design Here to Stay?
In short: yes. Resimmercial is a full-blown shift in how we define good design. It prioritizes emotional connection, sensory experience, and long-term livability, without sacrificing structure or scalability.
More importantly, it aligns with a broader cultural shift: people want spaces that care for them. Whether they’re at work, shopping, waiting, or traveling, they’re looking for familiarity and softness. They want to feel seen, not just processed.
For us as designers and industry pros, that means we need to think beyond the visual. We’re designing energy, movement, comfort, and longevity. That takes more than moodboards, it takes clear communication with vendors, intentional sourcing, and design narratives that guide every decision.
How to Start Thinking Resimmercial
Whether you’re designing your own studio, a client’s coworking space, or a hospitality showroom, here’s how to integrate the resimmercial mindset:
- Start with human needs. What does the user actually want to feel here: focused, relaxed, seen, inspired?
- Audit your material library. Do you have performance fabrics that look like linen? Wood alternatives that can take a beating but still feel natural?
- Focus on lighting. Ditch the all-overhead lighting schemes. Layer in sconces, lamps, and dimmable options to create mood.
- Specify smart, not just pretty. Does the chair you’re sourcing look great, but squeak when someone moves? Does the rug pill after two weeks? Test everything.
- Rethink your sales pitch. If you’re a brand, show how your products live in emotional, real-life environments… not just white-background studio shots.
Resimmercial design has already reshaped the interior design industry – and it’s not slowing down. For those of us designing or supplying these spaces, the opportunity is wide open: create interiors that feel like home, perform like commercial spaces, and leave people wanting to stay longer.
