Article
How to Choose a Design Studio: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Start
Choosing a studio means choosing people you will live alongside quite closely for several months — sometimes a year. A beautiful portfolio is only half the story. The other half becomes clear before you start, if you ask the right questions. Here are seven worth raising at the first meeting.
1. How exactly is the price formed?
Ask directly: what are you paying for — per square metre, per room, a fixed fee? A transparent studio will easily explain the logic and give you a ballpark figure. An evasive "it depends" with no numbers at all should raise a red flag.
2. What does the project include?
A full design project is not just 3D images — it also includes space planning, working drawings and a materials specification. Without drawings and specifications, a "project" becomes a pretty render that no renovation can actually be built from.
3. How many visualizations and revisions are included?
Find out how many options you will see and how many revisions are included. Normally a studio allows a reasonable number of minor adjustments within the brief, and only a fundamental change of concept is billed separately — and that is agreed in advance, not after the fact.
4. Is author supervision available?
Supervision means controlling the build on site so the renovation matches the project. Without it the risk is simple: they drew one thing and built another. Ask whether the studio offers supervision and exactly what it covers.
5. Who is responsible for the realization?
Ideally, design and renovation are in one set of hands. Then there is no blame-shifting between the designer and the crew, less rework and clear timelines. If a studio only produces drawings, ask which contractors it works with and who controls quality.
6. What are the timelines?
A realistic studio will give you a ballpark and explain what it depends on. An apartment design project usually takes a few months; renovation takes longer. Promises of "turnkey in two weeks" are a reason for caution, not celebration.
7. Do they have their own style and completed projects?
Look beyond the renders at completed projects — photos of finished spaces, not just 3D. A recognizable signature and a portfolio of real work is what separates a studio with a voice from those who assemble interiors from other people’s pictures.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for when choosing a design studio?
Transparent pricing, full project scope (space planning, drawings, specifications), the availability of author supervision, responsibility for realization, realistic timelines, and a portfolio of completed — not just visualized — projects.
How is a full design project different from a visualization?
A visualization is only a picture of the future interior. A full project adds planning solutions, working drawings and a materials specification that builders can use to reproduce the design exactly.
Why is author supervision needed?
So that the renovation result matches the project. Supervision means the studio controls the work on site; it removes the biggest renovation risk — when "they drew one thing and built another".
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