THE JOURNAL
From the Studio — page 19
Cost Guides
Reception Design for a Sector V Office: Making a Small Lobby Feel Corporate
A practical guide to designing a small Sector V office reception that reads corporate, from lighting and material choices to Bidhannagar approvals, budget, and timeline.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Rental-Ready Furnishing Packages for New Town Landlords
A practical guide for New Town landlords on building rental-ready furnishing packages that survive tenant turnover, Kolkata's monsoon, and NKDA compliance checks.
Decision Guides
Retail Store Design in a New Town Mall vs a Kolkata High Street: What Changes
How retail store design changes between a New Town mall unit and a Kolkata high street shopfront, from NKDA signage rules to lease structure, lighting, and footfall.
Decision Guides
Sliding vs Hinged Wardrobes: Which One Is Right for Your Bedroom?
Sliding vs hinged wardrobes for Kolkata bedrooms: real cost bands, materials, clearances, and which system actually fits your room, from a New Town studio with 330+ buildings delivered.
Room Guides
Walk-In Wardrobe Design: A Complete Guide for Indian Homes
A practical, Kolkata-specific guide to walk-in wardrobe design covering layouts, materials, storage systems, budgets and Vastu, from Studio Contour, New Town.
Room Guides
15 Sliding Door Wardrobe Designs for Modern Bedrooms
15 sliding door wardrobe designs for modern Kolkata bedrooms, covering materials, tracks, mirrors, sizing, and costs from Studio Contour, New Town's interior design studio.
Decision Guides
Action Area I vs Action Area III: A Design and Liveability View
Action Area I vs Action Area III in New Town, Kolkata: how zoning, plot maturity, and NKDA rules actually shape design, liveability, and build timelines.
Decision Guides
Architect vs Structural Engineer in Kolkata: Who Does What
Architect vs structural engineer in Kolkata: what each one actually decides on your New Town or Salt Lake plot, who to hire first, and where the two roles overlap.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Bookstore and Stationery Shop Design Ideas for a New Town Neighbourhood
A practical guide to designing a bookstore and stationery shop in New Town, Kolkata, covering layout zoning, materials, lighting, and NKDA compliance basics for retail fit-outs.
Commercial & Workplace
Designing a PG or Student Hostel Near Sector V: Bed Density, Storage and Common Rooms
Planning a PG or student hostel near Sector V in Salt Lake? Here's how to get bed density, storage and common rooms right, from a studio that's built 330+ buildings.
Commercial & Workplace
Home Office Network Planning for New Town Apartments: Router Placement and LAN Points
Router placement and LAN point planning for New Town, Kolkata apartments and independent houses, covering RCC signal loss, mesh setups, and pre-construction cabling.
Building Guidelines
How to Merge Two Adjacent Plots Into One NKDA-Sanctioned Building Plan
Can you merge two adjoining plots into a single NKDA-sanctioned building plan? We walk through amalgamation, joint mutation, and combined sanction step by step.
Seasonal & Trending
Where to Place an Inverter or Power Backup Unit Before Kolkata's Monsoon Power Cuts
The best place for a Kolkata flat's inverter is rarely the bathroom or the bedroom, it is a small ventilated nook we design specifically to keep the battery safe and cool.
Cost Guides
Sector V vs New Town Action Area III: Which Office Location Suits Your Fit-Out Budget
Sector V vs New Town Action Area III for office fit-outs: what actually drives your budget, NKDA vs Bidhannagar rules, timelines, and how Studio Contour helps you decide.
Design Inspiration
A Calmer Room: Sensory-Friendly Bedroom Design for a Special-Needs Child in Kolkata
We walk through the lighting, material, and layout choices that actually calm a sensory-friendly bedroom for a special-needs child in a Kolkata flat.
Hiring Guides
The Case for Hiring an Architect Before Buying the Land
Why hiring an architect before buying a plot in New Town, Salt Lake or Kolkata saves more than it costs, and what Studio Contour checks before you register.
Building Guidelines
Unisex Salon Interior Design in New Town: Zoning for Privacy and Footfall
A New Town, Kolkata guide to zoning a unisex salon interior for both client privacy and street-level footfall, with practical layout, lighting, and compliance notes.
Decision Guides
Where the Home Office Goes in a New Town 3BHK: Four Room Options Compared
Four real home-office layouts for a New Town 3BHK compared: third bedroom, balcony enclosure, living room partition, and built-in alcove, with costs and trade-offs.
Room Guides
Where to Place the Pooja Unit in a New Town 2BHK Flat
Where the pooja unit fits in a New Town 2BHK: five placements that work, vastu vs fixed floor plans, and the lighting and material details that make a small shrine corner feel right.
Hiring Guides
Choosing an Architect Who Will Still Answer the Phone in Year Three
Choosing an architect in Kolkata? Portfolio quality won't tell you who stays reachable through sanction, construction and year three. Here is what actually predicts it.
Hiring Guides
What to Look For When Choosing an Architect Across New Town Action Area I, II and III
Action Area I, II and III each sanction differently at NKDA. Here is what actually matters when choosing an architect in New Town, and why our 330+ buildings say more than a pitch.
Building Guidelines
Commercial Fit-Out Approvals in New Town: NKDA Rules Every Business Owner Should Know
A New Town business owner's guide to NKDA commercial fit-out approvals: what needs sign-off, the sanction path, common rejection triggers, and parking and occupancy rules.
Hiring Guides
Hiring for a Salt Lake Sector V Office Fit-Out: How to Pick a Commercial Interior Designer
Choosing a commercial interior designer for a Salt Lake Sector V office fit-out means weighing Bidhannagar approvals, timelines, and local track record, not just portfolio photos.
Room Guides
Dining Room Ideas for Salt Lake Homes
Practical dining room ideas for Salt Lake homes: layouts for co-operative flats and G+3 blocks, monsoon-proof materials, lighting, and Vastu guidance from a local design studio.