THE JOURNAL
From the Studio — page 18
Room Guides
Modular Kitchen Elevation Design: How to Plan It Wall by Wall
A wall-by-wall guide to planning modular kitchen elevations in Kolkata: work triangle, materials, colours, lighting and budget bands from Studio Contour.
Decision Guides
Should You Consult an Architect Before or After Buying a Plot in New Town
Signing a sale deed before an architect reviews the plot is how buyers in New Town end up with land they cannot build on the way they imagined. Here is why we always say consult first.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Remote Project Management for NRI Homeowners in New Town
A practical look at how NRI homeowners building or renovating in New Town, Kolkata can manage design and construction remotely, from sanction paperwork to site supervision.
Cost Guides
Salt Lake vs Lake Town: Renovation Costs Compared
Salt Lake vs Lake Town renovation costs compared: why Salt Lake projects run higher, what drives the gap, and what to budget for kitchens, bathrooms, and structural work.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Study Room Design Ideas for Salt Lake Apartments: Light, Noise and Storage
Study room design ideas for Salt Lake apartments: how to fix low light, road and wall noise, and cramped storage in older cooperative flats, from a New Town studio with 330+ buildings delivered.
Hiring Guides
Architect Selection for Commercial Buildings in Salt Lake Sector V
Architect selection for commercial buildings in Salt Lake Sector V: how Kolkata plot owners should judge approvals experience, portfolios, fees and site checks.
Room Guides
Dry Kitchen and Wet Kitchen: How to Split the Layout Properly
A practical guide to splitting dry and wet kitchens in Kolkata homes, covering layout, materials, ventilation, cost bands, and Vastu, from a New Town design studio.
Commercial & Workplace
Fitting Out a Bare-Shell Office in a New Town IT Park: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to fitting out a bare-shell office in a New Town IT park, from MEP coordination and NKDA norms to budgeting, acoustics, and lighting.
Cost Guides
Hiring an Architect for a Small Plot: Is It Worth the Fee?
Is hiring an architect for a small plot worth the fee in Kolkata? Studio Contour breaks down usable area, sanction delays and when the fee genuinely pays back.
Hiring Guides
How to Choose Flooring for New Town and Rajarhat Flats
A New Town and Rajarhat homeowner's guide to choosing flooring by room, climate, and building type, with real material trade-offs and a realistic process.
Hiring Guides
How to Hire an Interior Designer in New Town Kolkata: A 2026 Checklist From a Studio Behind 330+ Buildings
A 2026 checklist for hiring an interior designer in New Town Kolkata, from the studio behind 330+ buildings across New Town and Salt Lake since 2014.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Interior Design for Dual-Income Couples in New Town Kolkata
Interior design for dual-income couples in New Town Kolkata: how Studio Contour plans layouts, kitchens, timelines, and materials around two working schedules.
Hiring Guides
Revisions and Scope Creep: How Kolkata Architects Handle Design Changes
How Kolkata architects handle design changes and scope creep: what revisions cost at each stage, why post-sanction changes hurt, and what to ask before hiring.
Building Guidelines
Do You Need NKDA Permission for a Temporary Shed on a Vacant New Town Plot?
Yes, even a watchman's tin shed on an empty New Town plot falls inside NKDA's jurisdiction, and we walk through exactly when and how to get that covered.
Commercial & Workplace
Work-From-Home Setups for Sector V Professionals in New Town Flats
A practical guide for Sector V professionals working from New Town flats: fixing layout, acoustics, lighting, power and NKDA-aware retrofits for a real home office.
Room Guides
Balcony Desk Ideas for New Town Flats Facing a Busy Arterial Road
Turning a New Town balcony facing a busy arterial road into a workable desk nook, with noise, glare, and NKDA setback rules explained by Studio Contour.
Commercial & Workplace
Bar and Pub Interior Design in Salt Lake Sector V: Designing for the After-Work Crowd
A Salt Lake, Kolkata guide to bar and pub interior design for the after-work crowd, covering acoustics, lighting, layout, and licensing realities from a New Town studio with 330+ buildings delivered.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Best Paint Finishes for Salt Lake and New Town Apartments
A New Town and Salt Lake homeowner's guide to choosing paint finishes that survive Kolkata's monsoon, salt air, and high-rise sun, from a studio that's delivered 330+ buildings since 2014.
Hiring Guides
Choosing an Architect for a Joint-Family Home in Kolkata
Choosing an architect for a joint-family home in Kolkata: how to compare architects, settle the family brief early, get FAR and sanction arithmetic right, and budget properly.
Decision Guides
How to Compare Two Architecture Proposals That Look Identical
Comparing two architect proposals in New Town or Salt Lake? Here is how a Kolkata architect reads drawings, FAR, NKDA sanction scope and fees to find the real gap.
Room Guides
Kitchen Circulation Planning: Door Swings, Walkways and Fridge Placement
A Kolkata studio's field guide to kitchen door swings, walkway widths and fridge placement, with clearance numbers, layout comparisons and real timelines from 330+ delivered projects.
Decision Guides
Marine Plywood vs Waterproof MDF for a Washbasin Counter Unit
We compare marine plywood and waterproof MDF for the one carcass in a Kolkata bathroom that sits closest to standing water, the washbasin counter.
Decision Guides
New Town vs Salt Lake: Where to Buy and Do Up a Flat
New Town vs Salt Lake for buying and building: how NKDA and Bidhannagar rules, timelines, and interior fit-out costs actually differ, from a studio that has delivered 330+ buildings across both.
Decision Guides
New Town vs South Kolkata for Turnkey Interior Projects
New Town vs South Kolkata for turnkey interior projects: how NKDA rules, timelines, materials, and local know-how actually differ, and what it means for hiring right.