THE JOURNAL
From the Studio — page 20
Hiring Guides
G+3 Residential Builds in Salt Lake: Choosing an Architect Who Gets the Load Right
Planning a G+3 residential build in Salt Lake, Kolkata? Here's how load calculation, soil profile, and Bidhannagar sanction actually work, and why 330+ builds since 2014 changes what we catch.
Cost Guides
How Architects Price Renovation Work Differently From New Builds
Why architects price renovation work differently from new builds in Kolkata, what sits inside a renovation fee, and how to read a quote for a Salt Lake or New Town home.
Commercial & Workplace
Office Interior Design in Salt Lake Sector V: What IT Tenants Get Wrong About Bare-Shell Space
Office interior design in Salt Lake Sector V for IT tenants: what bare-shell space really includes, common fit-out mistakes, and a realistic budget and timeline.
Commercial & Workplace
Opening a Polyclinic in New Town: Layout, Licensing and Fit-Out Sequence
A practical guide to opening a polyclinic in New Town: OPD layout planning, NKDA and clinical establishment licensing, and the fit-out sequence that keeps your launch date real.
Commercial & Workplace
250 Sq Ft Open Kitchen Layout for a 40-Seater Restaurant in New Town
A 250 sq ft show kitchen has to turn 40 covers without the line backing up, so we sequence the cook line, pass, and exhaust route before ordering equipment.
Design Inspiration
Second Baby on the Way: Turning the Home Office Into a Shared Kids' Room
With a second child on the way, the study that has quietly hoarded desk space and clutter for years usually turns out to be the room the family actually needs.
Room Guides
Semi Walk-In Wardrobe Ideas for Bedrooms That Aren't Huge
Semi walk-in wardrobe ideas for small Kolkata bedrooms: layouts, plywood vs laminate finishes, lighting, sizing, Vastu placement and real cost bands from Studio Contour.
Hiring Guides
What an Architect Actually Does During the Construction Phase
What an architect actually does during construction in New Town and Kolkata: working drawings, stage-wise site checks, contractor coordination, bill certification and handover.
Practical Guides & Ideas
4BHK Interior Design in Salt Lake: Large Homes in Older Buildings
A practical guide to renovating large 4BHK homes in Salt Lake's older buildings, covering structure, layout, materials, and timelines from a New Town studio with 330+ projects delivered.
Seasonal & Trending
Best AC Placement for a Bedroom Before Kolkata's Summer Heat Hits
Where to mount your split AC's indoor and outdoor units for even bedroom cooling before Kolkata's April heat and installer bookings pile up.
Commercial & Workplace
250 Sq Ft Boutique Clothing Store Display Layout in Salt Lake
Our take on the display versus trial room tradeoff for a 250 sq ft boutique frontage in Salt Lake, where every linear foot of wall space has to earn its place.
Cost Guides
Built-In vs Freestanding Wardrobes: Pros, Cons and Costs
Built-in vs freestanding wardrobes compared on real Kolkata costs, materials, hardware, Vastu placement, and which suits your flat, from a studio with 330+ buildings delivered.
Building Guidelines
How Common Areas Are Calculated for NKDA Occupancy Certificate in Group Housing
Buyers ask us this constantly, how is common area actually calculated for an NKDA occupancy certificate, and which of the lobby, lift shaft, and terrace count toward it.
Building Guidelines
Designing a 24/7 Gym in New Town: Access Control, Zoning and Unstaffed Hours
Designing a 24/7 gym in New Town means solving access control, zoning, and unstaffed-hours safety before the first dumbbell rack goes in. Here's how we approach it.
Decision Guides
Double-Glazed vs Single-Glazed Windows for a Salt Lake Home Facing Traffic Noise
We compare double glazed and single glazed windows for a road facing Salt Lake flat, with real decibel ranges and per square foot costs to help you decide.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Duplex Staircase Design Ideas for New Town Kolkata Homes
Duplex staircase design ideas for New Town Kolkata homes: layout, materials, lighting, and NKDA setback considerations from a studio with 330+ builds since 2014.
Cost Guides
Budget for a False Ceiling in a 150 Sq Ft Bedroom in New Town
We work through a real budget for a false ceiling in a 150 sq ft New Town bedroom, comparing gypsum and POP costs and showing where cove lighting adds to the total.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Foyer Design Ideas for New Town Kolkata Flats
Foyer design ideas for New Town Kolkata flats, from layout and lighting to Vastu, materials, and storage, written by the architecture and interior studio that has delivered 330+ buildings here.
Room Guides
Hinged Wardrobe Designs: 12 Ideas That Never Go Out of Style
Twelve hinged wardrobe designs that actually hold up in Kolkata homes, covering finishes, colours, hardware, budgets and layouts, from Studio Contour's 330+ project experience.
Building Guidelines
How a Sanction Query From NKDA Gets Resolved in Practice
How an NKDA sanction query actually gets resolved in New Town: what a query means, the four types, day by day resolution, and how to design so it never comes back.
Cost Guides
Laminate vs Veneer Wardrobe Finish Cost for a 3BHK in Kolkata
We break down the real rupee difference between laminate and natural veneer shutters across all three bedrooms of a typical Kolkata 3BHK, room by room.
Hiring Guides
Hiring an Interior Design Studio for a New Alipore Bungalow
Hiring an interior design studio for a New Alipore bungalow means navigating KMC sanction rules, older structures, and heritage-adjacent facades. Here's how Studio Contour approaches it, and why 330+ buildings since 2014 matters.
Room Guides
Open Kitchen and Dining Layouts for New Town Apartments
A New Town, Kolkata studio's practical guide to open kitchen and dining layouts, covering ventilation, work-triangle planning, ceiling design, and structural checks before you break the wall.
Commercial & Workplace
Signing a Commercial Lease in Salt Lake Sector V: The Fit-Out Clauses to Negotiate First
A Salt Lake Sector V commercial lease guide to negotiating fit-out clauses (ceiling void, HVAC load, reinstatement) before you sign, not after.