Design and structure
Interior design for a more useful, coherent València home
We coordinate interiors with the renovation itself: how rooms connect, where storage belongs, how the lighting works and which finishes suit the way you live. The agreed design is checked against the building and translated into a clear scope for the works.
Interior design in València: how the rules apply
Each rule below comes from a municipal, regional or national text listed in the sources. The note says what it means for this job; open a rule to read its full wording.
Community and building
- Notice to the community (LPH 7.1)
Changing a flat's interior still needs notice to the community, even when nothing visible from outside changes.[8]
Rule wording
An owner must notify the community’s representative before works inside a flat. Article 7.1 allows those alterations only if they do not impair the building’s safety, general structure or exterior configuration, or prejudice another owner’s rights; notice alone does not authorise changes to common elements.
- CTE in an existing building
A new layout can bring parts of the CTE into play; the technical team confirms which requirements apply and how the design meets them.[5]
Rule wording
The Código Técnico de la Edificación applies to existing-building interventions within its scope, with compliance justified in the project or technical report. Where full application is not feasible for specified technical, economic, planning or heritage reasons, the competent designer must justify the achievable solution and its limitations.
On site and at handover
- Architect and technical roles
An interior designer works on use, layout and finish; where a scheme needs a LOE project, the architect's role is appointed alongside it, not replaced.[4]
Rule wording
For residential building work within the LOE’s project requirements, the law assigns the architectural project and works direction to an architect, and material execution direction to a technical architect. Specialist designers and other technicians act within their legal competence and the agreed project team.
- Electrical installation documentation
A lighting scheme becomes circuits, switching and sockets that an authorised installer designs, installs and certifies; we coordinate the two from the first drawing.[6]
Rule wording
REBT requires low-voltage installation work within its scope to be carried out by authorised installation businesses, with the project or technical report, verification and certification appropriate to the work. The owner receives use and maintenance information; an inspection by a control body is required only for the specified cases.
- Heating, cooling, ventilation and hot water
Air-conditioning units, grilles and condensate routes are fixed thermal installations; positioning them early keeps them clear of joinery and ceilings.[7]
Rule wording
RITE covers fixed heating, cooling, ventilation and domestic hot-water installations, including the reformed part of an existing installation. The scope and capacity determine the technical documentation and commissioning requirements; applicable certificates and operating information form part of handover.
Do you need a permit?
València’s 2026 ordinance has three routes. Which one your job takes depends on what it touches and on the building.
No permit
Choosing furniture or finishes does not settle the permit route for the associated work. The ordinance exempts specified minor work only within its stated conditions. [1]
Declaración responsable
A layout or installation change may require a declaración responsable, with the appropriate documentation. We check the work behind the design choices. [1, 2] [3]
Licence
An interiors brief does not replace a required technical project or permission for structural or protected elements. [4] [1]
The Ajuntament has the final word. We confirm the route for your home before we quote, and we never start works ahead of it.
Three districts, from the municipal record
The 2025 municipal housing sheet records the share of dwellings built in 1980 or earlier. It is context for the district, not a survey of your building.
District 2
84.6%[9]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
L’Eixample (Ensanche)
In a catalogued building such as Edificio Ferrer in El Pla del Remei [10], keeping original floors, doors or mouldings starts from what the entry protects; elsewhere it is a design choice we plan around.
District 10
59.3%[11]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
Quatre Carreres
Spread across seven barrios from Montolivet to La Punta, with 59.3% of dwellings recorded as built by 1980; an interior brief here starts from the building's age and what it allows behind the finishes.
District 12
59.4%[12]
Dwellings built in 1980 or earlier
Camins al Grau (Camino al Grao)
Aiora's palacete and garden carry their own catalogue entry [13]; an interior scheme in a building nearby is checked against that building's own record before original features are removed.
Open the district page for protection rules, barrios and the questions that apply there.
Begin with how the rooms are used
A design brief is more useful than a collection of attractive photographs alone. Tell us where the present home is awkward: storage that is hard to reach, a kitchen cut off from the dining space, a bathroom that is difficult to use or lighting that does not suit the room. We compare options against those needs.
In a flat, furniture and circulation should be shown on the same measured layout as doors, windows and fitted units. An island or extra bathroom is only a useful option if the technical design and available space support it. See the kitchen layout guide and bathroom planning guide for the choices to consider.
Make materials and details work together
The agreed selection can cover floors, wall finishes, kitchen fronts, worktops, bathroom fittings, joinery and lighting. Physical samples help compare colour and texture in the home’s own light. We record the selected products and the relevant installation details instead of leaving decisions to a photograph with no specification.
Retained features need equal attention. If an existing tile floor or timber door is to stay, the scope should address its condition, protection and the junction with new work. The municipal ordinance provides a heritage viability consultation and specific documentation for protected properties and archaeological areas. Check the building’s catalogue entry, protected surroundings and the proposed intervention before choosing a permission route or altering original elements.[1] An image of a traditional interior is inspiration, not evidence that an individual protected feature can be altered.
Coordinate the design with the technical work
The CTE applies to interventions within its scope. [5] The applicable requirements and existing construction shape what is achievable. Lighting concepts need an appropriate electrical design; a new shower needs a workable drainage and waterproofing detail; an opened room may require structural input.
Regulated roles stay with the professionals the LOE names. [4] We coordinate the required independent professionals and explain where an interior-design appointment ends and a regulated technical role begins. The team guide helps you ask for the right deliverables.
Turn choices into a clear scope
Before ordering, confirm the layout revision, selected products, finish details, supply responsibilities and any remaining allowances. Changes after approval should show their cost and programme effect before proceeding. A free estimate leads to a fixed-price quote in writing for the agreed renovation scope, with design appointments and exclusions identified.
The aim is a home that fits its occupants and its building, with a specification the construction team can follow and the owner can understand at handover.
How we run it
Free estimate
Send photos or a short video, or book a call. We tell you what the job involves and give a free estimate.
Visit
We visit the property, measure up and look at the building, the installations and the community’s rules.
Design and permissions
We agree the design, coordinate any required independent architect or engineer, and check municipal and community requirements.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed-price quote in writing, with the official fees and IVA shown separately.
Paperwork and works
We coordinate any required filing and prior approvals before the affected works start. Your project manager tracks progress, decisions and agreed changes.
Handover
We inspect the agreed work with you, record outstanding items and hand over applicable certificates, manuals and completion documents.
Your questions, answered
Can you help choose a layout before I select finishes?
Yes. We begin with the room dimensions, how you use the home, furniture and storage. Service routes and any structural constraints are checked before an attractive layout becomes the construction plan.
Can original floors or doors be retained?
We can include retention in the brief, subject to condition, the proposed work and any protection requirements. The scope should state how retained features will be protected, repaired and joined to new work.
Is interior design the same as architectural or structural design?
No. Interiors focus on the use and finish of the rooms. Where the intervention needs regulated design, calculations or technical direction, we coordinate the appropriately qualified independent professionals and identify their appointments.
Can we make selections while I live abroad?
Yes. We can coordinate drawings, samples and decisions through the agreed remote process. Selections and changes are confirmed in writing so the specification and order list remain clear.
Sources
- Ordenanza reguladora de licencias urbanísticas y de actividades y de otros títulos habilitantes (Pleno 22 Dec 2025, BOP 27 Jan 2026, in force 28 Jan 2026). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- TRLOTUP (Decreto Legislativo 1/2021), art. 189: building evaluation; arts. 232 and 233: licence and declaración responsable; art. 245: utility supplies. Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV). Checked 3 November 2026.
- Sede electrónica procedure UR.LC.140: declaración responsable for works in a flat or common element of a non-catalogued building. Ajuntament de València, sede electrónica. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ley 38/1999 de Ordenación de la Edificación: arts. 2, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Real Decreto 314/2006: Código Técnico de la Edificación, Part I, art. 2. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Real Decreto 842/2002: Reglamento electrotécnico para baja tensión, arts. 18–20. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Real Decreto 1027/2007: Reglamento de Instalaciones Térmicas en los Edificios, arts. 2, 15 and 24. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ley 49/1960 de Propiedad Horizontal (consolidated text), arts. 7, 9, 10 and 17. BOE. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Municipal district 2 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 02-05 Edificio Ferrer. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 10 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 12 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 12-07 Palacete y Jardín de Ayora. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.