THE JOURNAL
From the Studio — page 5
Room Guides
Bathroom Renovation in Older Salt Lake Houses: What to Expect
What bathroom renovation in older Salt Lake houses actually involves: waterproofing failures, plumbing stack issues, layout limits, timelines and costs, from Studio Contour.
Room Guides
Bedroom Design for New Town High-Rises with Full-Height Windows
A practical guide to designing bedrooms behind full-height windows in New Town, Kolkata high-rises, covering glare, heat, layout, Vastu, and storage.
Cost Guides
Building a Duplex in New Town Kolkata: Plot Sizes, Plans and Costs
A New Town, Kolkata builder's guide to duplex plot sizes, NKDA rules, realistic costs, and timelines, from an architecture studio with 330+ local projects delivered.
Room Guides
Common Bathroom Complaints in New Town Flats and How to Fix Them
Why New Town flat bathrooms keep failing (damp, weak exhaust, slippery tiles) and how Studio Contour actually fixes each one, from waterproofing to layout.
Room Guides
Grey Modular Kitchen Ideas: 20 Shades From Dove to Charcoal
A Kolkata studio's real guide to grey modular kitchens: 20 shades from dove to charcoal, the materials, pairings, price bands, and lighting that make grey work.
Hiring Guides
How Sumana Kumar Handles the Client Conversation Nobody Enjoys: Budget
How Sumana Kumar of Studio Contour runs the budget conversation with New Town and Salt Lake plot owners: buckets, sanction costs, staging, and honest architect fees.
Room Guides
Master Bathroom Design Ideas for New Town 3BHK Flats
Master bathroom design ideas for New Town 3BHK flats: layouts, anti-skid materials, waterproofing, lighting, and costs from a New Town design studio.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Modern House Elevation Designs in New Town Kolkata: 20 Real Examples
20 real modern house elevation examples for New Town Kolkata plots, with the NKDA rules, materials, and process that decide whether a design actually gets built.
Room Guides
Navy Blue Kitchen Cabinets: 15 Ideas That Look Anything but Dark
A practical, non-thin guide to navy blue kitchen cabinets, covering undertones, finishes, hardware, countertop pairings and lighting so navy reads rich, not dark, from Studio Contour, Kolkata.
Building Guidelines
Salt Lake Building Rules Explained for Homeowners and Plot Buyers
A practical Salt Lake building rules guide for homeowners and plot buyers, covering FAR, setbacks, cooperative sanctions, and why plans get rejected.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour: An NKDA Architect for Hire in New Town, Not Just a Drafting Service
Studio Contour is the NKDA architect New Town plot owners search for when a drafting service isn't enough. Sumana Kumar's team handles sanction, design and site, not just paperwork.
Decision Guides
Studio Contour vs a Freelance Architect for NKDA Sanction: What Changes
Studio Contour breaks down what actually changes when a New Town plot owner hires a studio instead of a freelance architect for NKDA sanction, with a worked example and process comparison.
Hiring Guides
Studio Contour: Why 'Cheapest Architect for NKDA' Is the Wrong Search
Studio Contour explains why picking the cheapest NKDA architect in New Town backfires, and what actually determines a smooth, one-pass building plan sanction.
Hiring Guides
Sumana Kumar on What an Architect Owes a Client After Handover
Sumana Kumar of Studio Contour on what an architect in New Town and Kolkata owes a client after handover: occupancy paperwork, the first monsoon, defects and the handover file.
Hiring Guides
Sumana Kumar on Why Studio Contour Turns Down Certain Projects
Sumana Kumar of Studio Contour on why the New Town architecture studio turns down certain projects, and what plot owners in Kolkata should fix before hiring an architect.
Room Guides
Wood-Finish Kitchen Cabinets: 16 Warm Colour Combinations
16 warm wood-finish kitchen cabinet colour combinations for Kolkata homes, plus materials, counters, lighting, and real cost/timeline guidance from Studio Contour.
Room Guides
All-White Kitchens: 10 Ways to Keep Them Looking Clean in an Indian Home
A Kolkata-based studio's practical guide to designing all-white modular kitchens that resist turmeric, oil, and monsoon humidity, with finish, countertop, and maintenance specifics.
Room Guides
Bedroom Balcony Design Ideas for New Town Apartments
Bedroom balcony design ideas for New Town apartments, layouts by balcony size, monsoon-proof materials, shading and NKDA rules, from Studio Contour.
Practical Guides & Ideas
Building on Filled-Up Land in New Town and Rajarhat: Design Precautions
New Town and Rajarhat sit on filled-up wetland, and that changes how foundations, drainage, and interiors need to be planned from day one.
Room Guides
False Ceiling Ideas for Older Salt Lake and Lake Town Flats
Practical false ceiling ideas for older Salt Lake and Lake Town flats, covering low ceiling heights, damp-prone slabs, lighting fixes, and materials that actually hold up in Kolkata's monsoon.
Decision Guides
Independent House vs Flat in New Town: Which Makes More Sense in 2026?
Independent house vs flat in New Town, Kolkata for 2026: real costs, NKDA FAR and setback rules, interior differences, and resale value compared.
Room Guides
Salt Lake Bedroom Renovation: What Older Sector Homes Need
A Salt Lake bedroom renovation guide for older sector homes: wiring, dampness, timelines, budgets and Bidhannagar approvals, from Studio Contour.
Room Guides
Small Bathroom Design Ideas for New Town Apartments
Small bathroom design ideas for New Town apartments, from layout fixes and humidity-proof materials to ventilation and Vastu, by the studio that has delivered 330+ buildings in New Town since 2014.
Decision Guides
Studio Contour: In-House vs Outsourced NKDA Drawing Preparation
Studio Contour breaks down in-house vs outsourced NKDA drawing preparation for New Town plot owners, with real cost, timeline and rejection-risk comparisons.