[rrsteer]

If you are on LinkedIn, do search for interior designers on that platform. I connected to a couple of quality interior designers from Mumbai for a project. I have not seen many people use LinkedIn, but i find it a great platform to connect to professionals from a diverse set of fields.

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

A colleague had used Livspace last year for renovating his kitchen, and was quite happy with the results. According to him, their cost estimates are a bit high, but the quality of design & workmanship was excellent.

Please refrain from Livspace. We have scout 21 people stuck with Livspace. Budgets are a bit high, but you would want to spend a little more on quality. That is ok. However their job is really shoddy. Panel gaps on wardrobes, finishes being pathetic. For e.g these guys mounted the chimney using a sort of glue and cement instead of resting it on L clamps

Best is to go with word of mouth and pay up to 50% during the course of work and rest after handover

[arindambasu13]

Any leads for recommended architects in Bangalore for building a stand alone house on a 30 x 50 square foot property in Chikballapur? I am looking for end to end execution of the project, right from plan sanction, to getting the required approvals, and actual building of the house - of course, all within a reasonable budget and with quality work. Any contacts (especially with architect firms with whom anyone has personal experience) will be extremely helpful and appreciated.

Look forward to some good leads. Thanks in advance! Not too keen on randomly searching on the internet and engaging with firms I have no idea about - hence, personal recommendations from members is what I am looking for.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Look forward to some good leads. Thanks in advance! Not too keen on randomly searching on the internet and engaging with firms I have no idea about - hence, personal recommendations from members is what I am looking for.

Sending you a PM of someone i trust and know. But i dont want to publish a commercial name in a public forum.

[moralfibre]

I have burnt my fingers on this one as early as 3 weeks ago. Availed services of an acquaintance running a so called designer firm named Shrugo design studio. Their designs were decent but execution was so terrible that within 2 weeks of contracting them we parted ways.

Later realised that the category is split between these so called designers v/s actual architects. An architects perspective is so much different than a designers. I realised there were so many issues in the former designs.

Finally changed the whole design to accommodate the perspectives of the architects and was super impressed with the discussions. For those interested, we relied on https://mplusp.in/ and they have been excellent. The firm is run by a duo of qualified architects Pooja Chaphalkar and Meghna Kulkarni. They are passionate partners with a great sense of aesthetics, design and quality.

Unfortunately this field hasn't been VC'ed enough and there is hardly any content out there that can help you choose. You only rely on their credentials and past projects.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by subraiyr

Please refrain from Livspace. We have scout 21 people stuck with Livspace. Budgets are a bit high, but you would want to spend a little more on quality. That is ok. However their job is really shoddy. Panel gaps on wardrobes, finishes being pathetic. For e.g these guys mounted the chimney using a sort of glue and cement instead of resting it on L clamps

r

+1. I engaged Livspace to parts of my new house decor and the results were very mixed. From my experience the factory-made stuff is of good quality and the finish is excellent. But anything custom-made they botch up badly. But my biggest issue was with the involvement of the lead designer: she visited the site only a couple of times and once it was "handed over" to the execution team, lost all interest in the project, leaving us scrambling to finish the rest of the missing pieces on our own.

The fit and finish on the custom carpentry jobs is absymal. We had to repeatedly escalate to their corporate HQ (they don't like that!) and finally managed to get everything finished just last week (over 4 months delayed, most of it needlessly). Even then I got their furniture repolished and cleaned at my own expense because their standards of what the end product should look like didn't match mine!

I was much happier working with local carpenters and polishwalas, who are happy to design something based on a simple concept you explain to them and take pains to ensure that the fit and finish (panel gaps!!!) is good. You buy the material yourself and ensure quality that way. For painting and wallpaper, Asian Paints was stellar.

@GTO ping me and I can share some pics etc.

[GTO]

Many thanks for all the help & advice, guys! As it turned out, while I was researching online, an excellent contractor came up via a close friend's recommendation. It has been 2 - 3 weeks since the project started and the team appears to be thoroughly professional . I'm happy.

Still, there is definitely a void. Someone should start a "Team-BHP" for architecture, interior design & good contractors in India.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by noopster

I engaged Livspace to parts of my new house decor and the results were very mixed. From my experience the factory-made stuff is of good quality and the finish is excellent. But anything custom-made they botch up badly.

I was much happier working with local carpenters and polishwalas, who are happy to design something based on a simple concept you explain to them and take pains to ensure that the fit and finish (panel gaps!!!) is good.

Update on this: I have finally put the ghost at rest. There was a truly awful-looking "console table" that Livspace designed for us that ended up looking like a glorified shoe cabinet. Completely unusable and they botched up the paint job to add insult to injury. I discussed how we could best make use of the monstrosity with my local carpenter and he proposed we integrate it with a showcase he would build. He drew a sketch that I liked. It was a tough decision since we had no idea how it would turn out but we'd gained some confidence in the carpenter after a truly superb job he did on our dining set, so went ahead.

It looks beautiful now. Simple yet elegant and functional. I wish these so-called progressive designers get in touch with their basics. After the job was done and we were admiring it, I noticed that the original doors they had used hadn't made it to our final piece. On asking why, my carpenter showed me that they hadn't even used ply to make those doors but had sandwiched together some board sheets together that were already falling apart. The shiny duco paint was just lipstick on a pig.

Completely satisfied with what I have now. The missus is encouraging me to create a big stink on social media but posting my experience on Team BHP is the maximum I am willing to go to. Just take my word for it and avoid Livspace at all costs: you will be happier for it!

[adithya.kp]

Can someone tell the reasonable fee for architects?. I know there is no right answer since the price range is very wide. But for a good quality work, how much is fee?
Also, is this based on the size of the super built up area?

[shivmarwaha]

Hi, being an architect myself, I would like to clarify certain things. There is a difference between an architect, interior designer, interior decorator, contractor or turnkey players. Due to diminishing values, the lines are getting blurred. An architect is always the captain of the ship. And any architect who works on turnkey basis is basically trying to make money as there is an inherent conflict of interest. An architect has loyalty towards the project. A lot of times, I have to push back the client also. Architect is a professional who has spent atleast 5 years studying and is legally liable for the project. And interior decorator or designer need not go through this training and can slip away easily.

I have been practising architecture for more than two decades. And some of my clients are with me for that many years. Since we restrict ourselves to only design and engineering consultancy, we ensure that we never have conflict of interest.

So guys who are looking for architects, please be clear of the design brief for the project, don’t ask for free designs (interior contractors will happily give that as they make a lot of money doing the project, architects don’t) and understand that architects are unique as they understand art and engineering.

I will be happy to take questions

[Sran]

Originally Posted by adithya.kp

Can someone tell the reasonable fee for architects?. I know there is no right answer since the price range is very wide. But for a good quality work, how much is fee?
Also, is this based on the size of the super built up area?

Generally around 20-30 rs/sqft, depends on city and quality of the architect. Some also charge by 1-2% of the total project cost (commercial and residential apartments). The price is on total built up area (measuring the roof, l*b). These also include electric design. Structural engineer design can be included in this or they may charge extra for it. Land scaping is extra.

I am not an architect but my close friend is, in my city.

[adithya.kp]

Thanks guys. I have spoken to a few architects. It's very confusing. One of the guys quoted 450 per sq feet, which in my opinion is very high. But I don't know if this is the premium quality commands. Another guy said 6% + GST on the total cost of the project. I wonder why it should be function of the total cost, since contractor will be a different guy. I didn't get a convincing answer to that question. Another guy showed me an on going project done by him. The price is 1 lac something. But the design is not impressive. May be because thats how the owner wanted. He said there are architects who do this for as low as 25,000, but he is better in terms of quality!.

Two questions.
1. Is it fair to assume, you dont get good quality in 20-30 rs per square foot, or around 1 lac ? What is a reasonable price for good quality work?
2. Any reference in Bangalore. I know there are plenty of websites. But without word of mouth, its very difficult to select one.

[shivmarwaha]

20-30 rs/sqft is not a price at which you would get all the services. Depending on the project complexity and size, consultancy charges would vary. A structural engineer charges 5-8 rs per sq ft, MEP consultant charges around 12-15. So in 20-30 rs range, an architect is left with 10-15bucks. So for a project of 5000sqft house, an architect gets about 50-75k, that too spread over the duration of atleast a year with innumerable changes, site visits and meetings. This is a losing proposition and anyone who respects his time, will never take up jobs at such low costs. Or would depute some junior intern to take care of the project because of extremely low fee. That then reflects on the work. As an informed client, one needs to understand that any creative/engineering input costs money. Otherwise hire a contractor and get it done without an architect.

A reasonable amount of fee is usually worked out on the estimated cost of project. Ideally it should be 5% of the cost of construction/ project as per the council of architecture norms. If the project is a big one, the fee can be reduced due to volume involved.

[sethu]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Sending you a PM of someone i trust and know. But i dont want to publish a commercial name in a public forum.

May I have the contact shared through PM? I currently need this for our new home.