My search for the Top Luxury Interior Designers in Delhi NCR, India!

                I am writing this blog as I want to share my experience while hunting for the top interior designers in Delhi for my three bedroom apartment in PaschimVihar, West Delhi. You will be shocked to learn about the malpractices in this industry and how much information is hidden from us clients. I eventually found the best interior design company but first I would like to elaborate on the search that I did. I thought that I will spend about 30-35 lakhs on my 3 bedroom apartment (1,400 sq. ft.). For purpose of clarity I have divided this blog in 3 parts:

• The Search & Top 5 Traps to Avoid!
• Draft Designs & Negotiation with various Interior Designers with TIPS!
• My experience with the best Interior Design Company: http://www.futomicdesigns.com

The Search for Good Interior Designers:-

Like anybody, I started the search on Internet and found out a list of designers as well as directory sites like Sulekha& Just Dial. There were some other directory sites too but they seemed shady, so I discarded them. My queries to Sulekha& Just Dial turned out some very odd responses. The moment I registered I started getting calls from various designers. They can be categorized in these 5 categories which I will elaborate:

1.       Contractors / Decorators masquerading as Designers
Most were semi-literate contractors masquerading as Interior Designers. Some basic questions like their office, team size, qualifications etc. took care of their lies and I was able to discard them.

2.       Small Freelancers
 A few others turned out to be small freelancers (single person or 2 people team). Despite my husband’s apprehension I decided to meet them. However the moment I met them I realized that they are too inexperienced to design a luxury home. After all a person who is living in a luxury environment or has well-travelled would know about luxury designs rather than a 20-30k per month earning designer with some years’ experience. Some basic questions on latest materials, market prices and a look through their portfolio confirmed my suspicions. They are only suitable if you want just 1 room designed or want basic wallpaper / paint style of work. Basically if you are on a very low budget. Still I believe you will be better ofg going to large Home Stores such as Home Town & Home Centre!

3.       Very small design companies with 1 Designer & 2-3 people team
Similar to the previous category but more dangerous as they sound knowledgeable. I pestered them to show at least photos of 10-12 projects that they have done but they kept insisting on showing some site. However once they finally showed me the designs, I realized that they are all the same kind of category B designs. They showed me some good pictures but all were copied from the Internet. Finally I realized that they too are meant for very low budget or small one room projects.

Now finally the two main categories of mid-size companies:

4.       Turnkey Interior Designers
I met two of these companies that did work on turnkey basis and had at least 10+ employees. I found their designs quite decent and believed that it would be best to give the work to a turnkey provider so that there are zero headaches & boy was I wrong! Nevertheless I shortlisted these two companies for the next final round. I sent them my site layout and asked them to come with a custom presentation and quotation.

5.       Professional Interior Design Companies
Meanwhile I found two large design companies too. Both of them out rightly refused to do turnkey work & instead said they have a better way of functioning. I met both these companies & was impressed with their profile & previous designs. However I had a feeling that they would turn out to be more expensive. In fact one of these clearly told me up front that they charge 20% of the project cost as fees. However I still asked them to show me some custom design and give me a quotation. They agreed to design but said they will give us project range instead of quotation. Still I agreed as their designs seemed good.

The Meetings with Initial Designs & Quotations:-

After giving about 4 days’ time to all the four shortlisted companies, I asked to visit their offices. Except FDS (the one I finalized), all were a bit reluctant to invite me to their offices. When I did go I realized that they had very shabby offices which left me wondering if they can’t create good offices for themselves, how they will create a great home for me? The only exceptions were the Futomic Design guys. They had a marvelous office in Ansal Plaza Mall and another well designed one in Gurgaon (which I found out later). In terms of design, the two turnkey companies had just created a layout showing where the furniture will be placed. After much cajoling they showed me some photos of existing projects and told that we will give you this bed, this wardrobe etc. Then they offered to do my project for 30 Lakhs & 40 lakhs respectively. When I demanded a detailed list they just handed me a small list stating that they will give me Tiles Flooring, POP False Ceiling, 3 Beds, 4 Wardrobes, etc… Since I did not like their designs much I showed them some photos that I had shortlisted from the Internet. Everything I showed them, they said their carpenters will do and gave a very expensive add-on price. My husband wanted some changes in tiles which they said will cost extra. The tiles they were putting were of Rs. 50 per square foot range. So much for creating a luxury design! Both I& my husband decided that getting a job done in turnkey manner is full of discrepancies and we would not be able to get good materials. Moreover all turnkey companies give a price as their vendors do the work so that they can control the margin. It is an obvious conflict of interest something like giving a lump sum amount to a Doctor including diagnosis, checkups & medicines!

The other two professional companies however worked on a percentage basis where I can choose my materials from their sets and they charge on the total project cost. Both had created a concept presentation for me. Of the two, I obviously found Futomic Design Services Pvt. Ltd. to be the best. Not only were their designs original but most of the material that they showed me was unique and something that I had never seen before. I was impressed with their professionalism, especially their capability to source Internationally from China & Italy. They gave me a proper service chart and fee schedule that we agreed to. The only wrinkle was that they did not negotiate much. I got a 2% discount stating that I will definitely write about my experience online which is why I am writing a blog on my search for the top Interior designers.

My Experience with FDS: Futomic Design Services Pvt. Ltd.

Once FDS started work on my project it was a really interesting & exciting time. They showed us 3 layouts of our house from which we selected one after some minor changes. This was followed by individual room design sets and finally by a full blown 3D of our home. The execution was done on a tender system and I got my house ready in about 4 months’ time. The reviews that I got for my home on the inauguration day made the money I spent well worth it. My daughter was so delighted with her room that I had to give a separate party for her friends. I really thank Shiv &Jayant for doing such a wonderful job on my home. I whole heartedly recommend FDS to all as the best luxury interior design company that you will find in the market. I am attaching some photos which will give you an idea about the work they did.

• Summary of My Experience:
• Go only with big design companies if your project is medium or large
• Avoid Turnkey contracts, pay design fee & material separately so that you can choose
• See at least 10 project designs of the company you wish to finalize
• Thoroughly research the company, visit their office & look at their client list
• Choose an Interior Design Company based on their creativity & experience only!