The growing popularity of cost-effective interior design services has made interior designers harder to differentiate. Determining who the best interior designer in Kolkata is for your design project is harder than ever.

To help you fast-track your search, we have created this list of 10 important things you must consider while choosing an interior designer in Kolkata.

1. Online vs. At-Home Services

If you look up “best interior designers near me” online, you will receive two types of results: providers of online and at-home services. Online interior designers provide remote consultations whereas at-home designers provide face-to-face assistance.

Ideally, your interior designer should do a bit of both.

Virtual interior design services are faster and cheaper. So, initial consultations on the design process are best carried out virtually. Once the virtual plans are finalized, the designers should visit your home and physically execute all the necessary tasks.

2. Service Area

Providers of “at-home” interior design services can only serve a limited number of customers. In other words, if your designers are located out of town, they cannot serve you. So, make sure that your “at-home” designer is located nearby.

3. Design Style

Find out if the designer’s style and decor preferences align with your interior design ideas by browsing their online portfolios. Ask for their virtual portfolio as soon as you contact them. Further, the discussions only if you are impressed with their past work. 

4. Availability

Make sure your project timeline is flexible with your designer’s schedule before you sign a contract. Interior design is a hands-on job and it can only be performed by dedicated professionals who are always available when you need them.

5. Quality of Consultation

Do interior designers offer a free consultation? Yes, even the best interior designer in Kolkata will offer free, in-person/video consultations. Make the most of these consultations by discussing key details like:

• Budget
• What kind of style are you looking for
• Floor plan
• Interior spatial requirements
• Project Timeline
• Furniture preferences

Judge the quality of their answers. Go ahead with the discussions only if the designer can answer every question with clarity and assurance.

6. Revisions

Is your interior design agency ready to accept your feedback to modify their designs? If not, avoid them. The best interior designers in Kolkata always adjust their services to incorporate their customers’ inputs.

7. Pricing

Does the designer charge a flat fee or by the hour? Discuss the pricing structure of your design project right from the get-go. Do not refrain from asking for free cost estimates in your initial discussions with the agency. You can check their interior design packages on their website.

8. Shopping Assistance

There are many things that homeowners need to buy right before they kickstart their interior design project. They include furniture items, décor items (e.g., mirrors and picture frames) lighting fixtures, storage items, flooring, kitchen/bathroom appliances, and more.

In terms of shopping for the items that will revive your interior space, there are two types of interior designers:

• Designers Who Shop for Clients: Clients generally give such designers a budget. The designers then go shopping either with the client or by themselves.
• Designers That Don’t Shop: Many designers leave the shopping to the clients. They only help their clients install or move around the pre-purchased items.

Ideally, you should be in charge of selecting the purchases. But, don’t refrain from asking for purchase assistance from your designers. The best interior designer in Kolkata will probably have contacts and partnerships that they can use to earn you discounts on your purchases.

9. Lighting Expertise

With a market full of unique lighting options, it is very difficult to select the right ones for your space. So, your designer should offer total assistance in this department. Make sure your designer is knowledgeable about energy-efficient lighting fixtures like LED table lamps or smart floor lamps.

10. Experience

Interior design is both a technical and an artistic field. Balancing the two is not easy. It’s a skill that can only be obtained via experience. That is why opting for experienced interior design agencies that have handled large projects in the past is so important. Aalap Elevation has years of experience designing spending interior spaces in both commercial and residential buildings. This wealth of experience helps the firm avoid costly design errors.