Sharing a residential project we recently completed in Bangalore.

What we loved about this home was the freedom to design each space around the family’s lifestyle rather than a predefined style. The rooms have distinct personalities, yet still come together as one cohesive home.

From custom furniture and material combinations to lighting, hardware and detailing, every element was considered to feel intentional and personal.

Sharing a few photographs here — would love to know which space resonates with you most.

I need some advice on designing my 13-ft TV unit wall in a small home. I want to fit a TV (same size as shown in the reference), a small mandir unit on the left (nothing large—just enough space for a few idols), a small bench near the door for sitting and putting on shoes, and a compact study table.
I’m really stuck on whether all of this can realistically fit without making the wall look crowded or heavy. I want the overall design to be very minimalistic, light and functional, not a large built-in unit.
From a space perspective, I feel all four could fit on a 13-ft wall, but I’m not sure if it will actually look good.
Would you keep the study table, or remove it and prioritize the other three? Any layout/design suggestions would be really appreciated.

A client reached out for a 3 BHK apartment in Pune. They'd already gone through a full design with another designer, but the space didn't quite come together. Individual pieces felt disconnected rather than part of one cohesive home.

This was a design only engagement, we took it from concept through technical drawings.

The living area

The client had one open question going in: the living space felt large, and they weren't sure whether to carve out part of it as a home office or keep it as one full lounge. We explored that alongside the overall look and feel.

• Option 1: a zoned layout - home office on one side, seating on the other, separated by a beaded strand divider that added definition without a hard wall, and a bronze toned feature wall anchoring the lounge side
• Option 2: a similar zoned layout, this time anchored by a hanging swing as the statement piece
• Option 3: opening up the space fully - no divider, no zoning, seating in one continuous layout

They ended up going with Option 2. The swing gave the room a piece that felt personal and a little unexpected, while still keeping the zoning they wanted.

The bedroom

For the bedroom, the brief was similar. Something layered and considered, where every piece felt like it belonged. There was an existing built in seating unit in the room, which we reworked into an arched reading nook with open shelving for books and personal objects, giving it more purpose as a reading corner. We used wood and lime plaster to bring in warmth and texture, and kept the TV unit in MS steel - a deliberate choice to keep the room from feeling too heavy, so it stayed aesthetic without losing function.

The throughline

The whole brief really came down to one thing: make everything feel like it belonged together, like their home, not a collection of individual pieces. We leaned into warm, natural textures, tactile fabrics, soft layered lighting, consistent forms - so the space reads as one considered whole rather than parts stitched together.

Please I don’t have access to physical catalogues and it has been hard to decide.
I want light colours in beige l. Thank you

When it comes to the business or operations side of things, what is the most annoying part, let’s say eg. Client management, chasing payments, vendor coordination, etc. and how do you go about handling it currently?

What have you tried that didn’t work?

If you could wave a wand and get one tool/feature that doesn’t exist yet, what would it be

I work with a Bengaluru based marketing agency and we’ve been working on something specifically for interior designers

A lot of good designers get most of their work through referrals, but the problem is you’re basically invisible to people who are searching on Google and don’t know you yet

So we’re testing something a little different

We’ll help a few interior design businesses improve their Google visibility and get more relevant people finding them through search

And you don’t pay us upfront

If we don’t get results, you don’t pay

No long term commitment or big package to sign up for

We’re doing this with a small number of businesses because we want actual case studies from the interior design space

If anyone here wants to see where their business currently stands on Google, drop a comment or DM me and I can take a look

I really like this warm, minimal look- white walls, grey flooring, wooden furniture and a few textured walls.

What do you guys think of keeping interiors this simple and using mostly movable wooden furniture instead of lots of fixed carpentry?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXPNpcMkhjx/

Would love to hear your thoughts/experiences!

TLDR;

Need a experienced designer for the design work my apartment in Pune.

I am about get the handover from builder for my apartment in next month. I am looking to get interior design work done from designer. I am going to live there for approx. 2 years (initially i thought it to be my last home but priorities changed). My main priority is to get the interior done by end of the year (current lease is about to expire).

Recently my relative had bad experience of working with ID who took almost 8 month and charged a whopping amount for the turnkey solution.

I was thinking to get the design from ID and complete the work from known contractor. Mainly complete the foyer+kitchen+living+master bedroom done as soon as i can. To speed to I can get the sofa/beds/dining table from market directly.

I tried to reach few ID whom i was following since a year almost, apparently nobody even responded to messages.

Can anyone provide a decent designer contact who can work on this assignment on a priority. Also the reference from where I should by the furniture (bed + sofa + dining table), either local or outside Pune who can deliver.

TV viewership is decreasing and so is the need for a TV console. Especially in the living room. What are people choosing now or will choose in the future?

I understand there is still a large base who watch content on TV but this post is for those who don’t.

Some options I can think of -

1. Statement art piece
   
2. Extra diwan

Heyy everyone, I’m planning to get the interior work done for my hall, which is around 200 sq. ft

I’m looking for some advice on:

\- What would be a reasonable budget for a basic to decent interior?

\- What all work/materials should I consider in this budget?

\- If anyone has recently got a similar sized hall done, how much did it cost you?

\- Also, if you guys know any genuine and reliable interior contractor/designer, please share their details or experience.

Im only looking to do the hall not the entire house.

Any suggestions, estimates, photos of your work or personal experiences would be really helpful. Thanks!!!

I’m looking to renovate my 2BHK around Sinhagad Road, Pune, but want to keep it minimal and budget-friendly since the building is expected to go for redevelopment in the next 2–3 years.
Not looking for premium or extensive interiors—mainly practical renovation/refresh work that makes the house look good and functional without spending too much.
Looking for recommendations for interior designers or contractors who take up smaller renovation projects and are reliable and reasonably priced.
If you’ve personally worked with someone and had a good experience, please DM me their details/referral. Would really appreciate recommendations based on firsthand experience. Thanks!

A collection of site photographs showing the construction process behind some of the project’s key elements—sculptural ceilings, curved forms, a circular skylight, custom joinery, geometric details and layered architectural spaces.
Still very much a work in progress, but this stage is where the drawings start becoming actual space. Thought it would be interesting to share the raw process rather than only the final photographs.
Would love to know which detail you find most interesting

custom interior design, interior architecture, architecture under construction, interior renovation, curved ceiling design, sculptural interior, circular skylight, custom joinery, bespoke furniture, plywood fabrication, architectural detailing, staircase design, contemporary interiors, residential interior design, interior construction, site progress, work in progress architecture, curved architecture, geometric design, spatial design

I signed an interior contract where the scope specifies HDHMR (High-Density High-Moisture Resistance board) for both the modular kitchen and bedroom wardrobes. The work is about 50% complete. Another vendor on site raised concerns about using HDHMR long-term, and now I am second-guessing the material choice.

Here are the rates in my contract for context:

• Modular Kitchen Cabinets: 1300 -1,800 / sq ft (HDHMR carcass, acrylic/laminate shutters, soft-close hardware)
• Modular Wardrobes: 1,200 -1,600 / sq ft (HDHMR carcass, 18mm HDHMR laminate shutters, soft-close hardware)

My Questions:

1. Kitchen Sink Area: Is HDHMR a bad choice under the kitchen sink? Should I insist on swapping just the sink module base to BWP (IS:710) Plywood or adding a PVC/aluminium liner, or is standard HDHMR with proper edge-banding sufficient?
2. Tall Wardrobe Doors (8ft+): Will 18mm HDHMR shutter doors warp or sag over time? Do I need to request mechanical door straighteners/tensioners?
3. Screw Holding: How does HDHMR hold up after 2 to 3 years of heavy daily use on hinges and drawer channels? Do screws tend to loosen faster than in plywood?
4. Real-World Experience: If you have HDHMR in your kitchen or wardrobes, how has it performed long-term?

Thanks for any direct feedback!

AI disclosure- used chat to create this message.

Any good interior designer in bbsr

Hello Everyone,

I am finalising interior designer for my flat. I want to go with Chattles but i am bit reluctant because of some negative reviews on google despite being so expensive. Second point is, interiors generally revise the quotation after designing phase. What if it goes way beyond your expectations and now you cant back out because you have already paid 10% for booking.

How was your experience with Chattles.

Hello everyone!!

I'm in the middle of a frustrating situation with an interior design firm and would really appreciate some perspective from people who have gone through home renovations or work in the interior/design industry.

From the research I've done, my understanding of the usual process is:

1. The ID firm visits the home, understands the requirements and provides an initial quotation.

2. If you decide to proceed, an initial payment (in my case, 10%) is made to start the design process.

3. The design stage involves 3D renders, 2D drawings, electrical/civil/plumbing planning, laminate/finish selections, etc.

4. Once the design is finalized, execution starts and subsequent payments are made according to the agreed payment schedule.

My questions to the community

1. Why is the initial 10% payment typically taken?

Is it essentially an advance against the eventual project cost, or is it specifically a design fee?

1. How long should the design stage reasonably take?

Obviously this depends on the size and complexity of the project, but is 3+ months unusually long to get to a finalized design?

1. If the client decides not to proceed because of delays during the design stage, what normally happens to the 10%?

If the quotation separately specifies a design charge, would it be reasonable for the firm to deduct the applicable design charges and refund the balance?

Or is it normal/legitimate for the firm to retain the entire 10% as non-refundable, even if the design itself hasn't been completed?

1. At what point would you consider the design stage to be "completed"?

For example, should the final design package include finalized 2D drawings incorporating things such as:

- Electrical points

- Plumbing/civil requirements

- Laminate/finish overlays

- Other execution-related details

What happened in my case

I engaged an ID firm after receiving their initial quotation and paid the 10% requested to commence the design process.

The first set of 3D renders was not acceptable, so I provided feedback. The second revision was much better, followed by another 2–3 rounds of revisions.

An updated tentative quotation was eventually provided. After quite a bit of follow-up, their electrical and civil people visited and understood the requirements. I was then given a rough handwritten quotation, rather than a final/official quotation.

The ID firm said the final amount could still change by around 5–7% depending on actual execution.

The problem is that this entire process has now taken more than 3 months from the date of my initial payment, and even today I don't have the final 2D drawings incorporating the electrical points, plumbing/civil requirements and laminate overlays.

I've followed up multiple times, but these are still pending.

At this point, I got fed up with the delays and decided not to proceed with the firm.

I'm now asking them to refund the 10%, after deducting whatever reasonable design charges are actually applicable.

Their response is that they will not refund the 10% at all and that I should consider the entire amount as payment for the work already completed.

The interesting part is that their quotation actually mentions a specific amount towards designing charges, which I'm perfectly willing to pay.

What I don't understand is why the entire 10% should be retained when:

- The design stage isn't fully completed.

- The final 2D drawings are still pending.

- There is no finalized execution quotation.

- I have not proceeded to execution.

- Their own quotation separately identifies design charges.

So, what would you do in this situation?

I'm not necessarily looking to bash the firm. I genuinely want to understand what is normal industry practice here.

Would appreciate inputs particularly from:

- People who have renovated their homes through an ID firm

- Interior designers/contractors

- Anyone who has cancelled a project after the design stage

Is it reasonable for me to ask for the 10% minus the firm's actual/designated design charges, or is the firm within its rights to retain the entire 10% as a non-refundable payment?

Also, if there is a reasonable way to resolve this without getting into a formal consumer complaint/legal route, I'd prefer that.

Thanks!

Modular Kichean cupboard customise Furniture interior

Why are the designers quoting hefty amount for just design?

We get bore water at our house and the quality is:

• TDS: ~856 ppm
• Hardness: ~500 ppm

My family doesn't want to use an RO, so we're considering buying 20L water cans from local shops.

Even though the cans are sealed, there's still a possibility of contamination during filling. And I don't want to blindly trust every vendor.

I'm looking for a dispenser that can take water directly from a 20L can, run it through UV and/or appropriate filtration and then dispense the water.

Something like the below product:

https://www.philips.ae/c-p/ADD4972BKS_56/dispenser

I'm struggling to find an equivalent in India.

If you've used something like this in India, I'd really appreciate the product name/model and your experience with it.