‘Why should I waste money decorating a rented house?” – A common thought that strikes one’s mind while living in a rented apartment.

We all aspire to buy a house someday, live in it and design it beautifully.

While 2017 might have been lucky for the few who have had the felicity of finding their dream homes; there are few who are up for grabbing the big cheese in 2018.

So, for all who’re going to make big time purchases for their homes, here’s an estimate on what major items need to be bought, materials in which they are available, the approximate cost of each item and the estimated total cost of your purchases for a 3BHK, 2BHK or 1BHK in India.

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In this article, we will give you an idea on the approximate interior design cost you’ll have to incur. These prices may differ from 5% - 10% among the various Tier 1 cities. When it comes to Tier 2 cities, material cost increases, but labor charges go down and likewise in Tier 3 cities too, the same rule applies.

To start with, flooring and sanitary fixtures are usually of the builder’s choice. While few are flexible and allow you to choose your preferred materials, most don’t. But remember, once these are fixed, they cannot be replaced; so if you want something of your choice, talk to your builder prior hand and pay the extra material amount.

Let’s start with the cost of interiors for 3BHK apartment, one room at a time. Interior design cost for a 2BHK or 1 BHK would vary likewise with difference being in the number of bedrooms. Simple!

Interior Design Cost for 3BHK

Typically, in a 3BHK, there would be 1 master bedroom, 2 other bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and 3 washrooms.

Master Bedroom:

Common necessities in a bedroom would be a bed, mattress, wardrobe, flooring, light fixtures and false ceiling.

For beds and wardrobes, opt for good laminates, veneer and hinges. While laminates are off-white, decorative or textured; veneer polishes could be natural or reconstituted. Hinges are of several types viz Butt, Barrel, Piano, Butterfly, Pivot, Flush, Spring etc.

The major difference between a master bedroom and other bedrooms would be the size of the bed which is king sized in the former and queen sized in the latter.

Generally, 6-inch spring mattresses are preferred, but if you're looking for something less pricey, then go with foam. One can select from a range of 4-12 inch mattresses from brands like Kurlon, Sleepwell, Restonics, Dunlopillo, Sleepzone, Centuary etc.

Wardrobes are generally 8x8 laminate finish or veneer polish with variedly priced hinges. Popular brands in hinges are Enox, Godrej, Hettich, Ozone, etc.

While gypsum, fiber and wood are the preferred choices for false ceilings, but its price also depends on the designs chosen.

Flooring is an important aspect of any house and it could be either wooden (solid wooden, engineered, laminate) or specialized (sports, rubber, vinyl).

Price List for Master Bedroom:

Price List for Other Bedrooms

Living Room

Inevitable items in a living room would be a sofa set, wooden accessories, light fixtures, and false ceiling.

Sofa sets come in various designs (Sectional, Loveseat, Chaise lounge, Sofa bed, Modular, Two-seater, Three-seater) with different fabrics viz natural (cotton, wool, rayon, silk, linen), synthetic (polyester, nylon, polypropylene, acrylic, olefin), or leather with or without storage. Dimensions may vary from 4 to 8 ft length, and 28 to 40 ft depth.

Wooden accessories mainly include TV unit, dining table and shoe rack whose prices depend on laminates, veneer polish and hinges. Dining tables can be 3 to 6 extendable, 4, 6, or 8 seaters.

There's an array of lights (tubelights, CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and LEDs), light fixtures (concealed, hanging, surface, floor lamps, table lamps, wall lamps, track lighting, balcony garden lighting, cove lighting etc.) and brands (Bajaj, Crompton Greaves, Havells, Philips, Sneider, Anchor etc.) that you can choose from.

Price List:

Kitchen

Modular kitchen is in high demand and are usually L-shaped, U-shaped, Parallel, or Straight with popular brands being Hettich, Godrej Interio, Sleek, Johnson Kitchen, Haefel, Haecker, Kohler, EBCO, Arttd'innox etc. Laminates, polish and hinges also add to their cost.

Chimneys are an integral part of a modular kitchen. They come as Wall canopy, Island canopy, Downdraft chimney, or Integrated. Preferred chimney size is usually 60cm (2-4 burners stove) and 90cm (3-5 burners stove) with well-known brands being Bosch, Hindware, Prestige, Kutchina, Elica etc.

Price List:

Washrooms

Showers, wall mixers, water closets, basin, accessories and light fixtures are common in all washrooms.

While showers are available as hand, rain, telephone, or overhead types, wall mixers come as 2 in 1 (overhead shower, spout unit) and 3 in 1 (overhead shower, spout unit and telephone or hand shower). Jaquar, Cera, Hindware, Kohler, Parryware, Ozone, etc. are popular brands in this category.

Water closets could be Indian, European (EWC), S-Trap. P-Trap, Floor Mount, Wall Hung, Concealed Trap Way, Visible Trap Way, Round bowl, Square bowl, Elongated bowl, or Rectangular bowl with Acura, Anchor Vitreous, Cera, ESSESS, Hindware, Jaguar, Kajaria, Kohler, Kerovit, Parryware, Crystal, Pebble, etc. being well-known brands.

Basins range from Corner, Countertop, Over Counter, Under Counter, Wall hung, Half pedestal to Full pedestal, and Semi Recessed.

In accessories, you can include dispensers, napkin holders, paper roll holders, tooth brush holders, robe hooks, soap dishes, mirrors, towel rods, bathroom racks, etc.

Price List:

To get the approximate price for three washrooms, triple the given amount in the above list.

Interior Design Cost for 2BHK

In case of 2BHK, calculate the price for a master bedroom with another bedroom along with two washrooms (take the price of the washroom twice), living room, and kitchen from the above mentioned price lists.

Interior Design Cost for 1BHK

Likewise in 1 BHK, take the price of one bedroom only, which could have a king-sized bed or queen-sized bed with additional features of your choice along with one washroom, living room and kitchen.

Finally, approximate interior design cost can be summed up as seen in the following table.

As I said, these values would vary depending on the quantity and quality of the items chosen. Each item is available in a wide range and the choice is absolutely yours.

It is but natural to get confused and overwhelmed at the time of purchase. So, either have someone with you who knows the stuff or let an expert handle it. We value your money and therefore promote the concept of competitive bidding, before hiring, to help you enjoy a couple of advantages.

1. Browsing through a list of registered designers.
2. Comparing their profiles and portfolios is the second advantage.
3. Talking to three shortlisted designers at a time.
4. Negotiating helps you get your job done at a reasonable price.

Finally, what you get is not just your house decorated by a professional but done on your budget, too.

Click to know more about hiring a designer or how Designbids works.

Since, you have invested a lot of time and money into purchasing your home, why not invest a little more to make it look and feel special. Take a StyleQuiz and get a step closer to your dream home.

Hopefully, we have been able to help you with this article. Inputs from your end will be highly appreciated.