Interior Design and Spatial Aesthetics in Nigerian Commercial Hospitality Spaces

Interior design in commercial hospitality settings shapes customer experience, brand identity, and business performance, making design decisions consequential for both aesthetic and commercial outcomes. This study examines interior design approaches and spatial aesthetics in boutique hotels, restaurants, and event venues in Calabar, Cross River State, and Warri, Delta State, located in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone. Primary data are gathered from 25 interior designers, 20 hospitality venue owners, and 80 customers through structured questionnaires and observation protocols applied during venue visits. The study evaluates design themes, the integration of local materials and cultural motifs, lighting design quality, furniture selection rationale, and the coherence between interior design and brand positioning. The theoretical framework draws on environmental aesthetics, service design theory, and the hospitality management literature on the commercial value of design investment. The South South context introduces regional cultural aesthetics, including references to water, maritime heritage, and riverine community life, as potential design vocabularies available to hospitality designers in the zone. The study examines whether Nigerian hospitality interior design is drawing on these regional aesthetics or defaulting to generic international hospitality design conventions. Recent literature on African hospitality design has identified cultural specificity as an underexploited competitive differentiator. Findings are intended for hospitality operators, interior design professionals, and fine arts educators developing applied arts curricula for interior design specialisations. Keywords: interior design, spatial aesthetics, hospitality, South South Nigeria, applied arts