Interior design studio website cost in Basel: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Basel, a local agency charges, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between 12 000 and 45 000 CHF for an interior design studio website, and a freelancer based in neighbouring Alsace or Baden often asks noticeably less. Kolonell builds the portfolio, service pages and a qualified project inquiry at a fixed price: 2 700 CHF, 4 500 CHF or 8 200 CHF, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth. For a Basel studio, two items decide the real budget: the German version, supplied by you or quoted separately, and project photography, which Kolonell does not produce.

What are Basel's price ranges, from agency to cross-border freelancer?

Cautious orders of magnitude, built from public price sheets of agencies in the Basel region, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, hourly rates published by Swiss agencies (often 140 to 200 CHF per hour) and rates visible on Malt and Upwork, including French and German freelancers in the tri-national area.

To be frank: a good freelancer from Alsace or Baden who writes German and French can cost as much as or less than our Starter package, and that is an option worth serious consideration. Kolonell makes sense if you want a project manager reachable on Basel time (Google Meet, a written update every week), native English or French copy on every page, a written price and every access handed over, domain in your name. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), one to two hours behind depending on the season. Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50% at kickoff, 50% on delivery. See our international website offer.

How much does a solo studio really spend over 36 months?

For a founder working alone, Starter is often enough at launch. The table uses the same maintenance assumption on both sides (100 CHF per month for 33 months) and the same photography budget.

These figures structure the comparison; they do not predict an invoice. If you later move up to Growth, the 1 800 CHF difference between the two packages is quoted before any work.

Starter, Growth or Premium: what a Basel studio actually gets

A client area for approving boards and furniture lists, or an online quoting tool, is a custom application, quoted separately. Galleries ship in WebP or AVIF to stay light.

Relocations, Art Basel and the old town: Basel's interior design market

Basel has a very particular interiors market. Expatriate life sciences executives often arrive with a fixed move-in date and want a complete fit-out, sometimes fully furnished, in St. Johann, Gundeldingen or on the Bruderholz. Period houses in the Altstadt and the St. Alban quarter call for interior renovation that respects the building fabric. The Art Basel season and gallery life create demand for showroom fit-outs and collectors' apartments. And the tri-national region brings French and German clients.

• A relocation path: timeline, floor area, furniture budget, preferred language, without asking for more personal information than needed.
• Heritage: in Basel, protected buildings fall under the cantonal monuments office; only mention coordination with that office for projects where it actually took place.
• Accurate titles: in Switzerland, the title of interior architect is not protected at federal level; membership of an association such as VSI.ASAI should be stated exactly. If in doubt, check with the association.
• Photos and rights: check the photographer's web licence, get the owners' written consent and blur addresses, identifiable artworks and faces; an artwork in a collector's apartment can also raise a rights question.

Compliance, sticking to facts. The nLPD has been in force since 1 September 2023; the GDPR may apply if you target clients in France or Germany. Keep the form minimal and aim for WCAG 2.1 AA, with alt text on every portfolio image. This is not legal advice.

Five checks before you sign

• Language: who writes the German, who writes the English or French, and at what price?
• Images: no stock photo presented as one of your projects.
• Performance: weight of a project page on mobile, image format.
• Ownership: domain, hosting and accounts in your name.
• Afterwards: cost of adding a project, length of support, maintenance terms.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Nadia F. founded her solo studio in Basel three years ago; half her work comes from expatriate executives moving for a life sciences role who want a fully fitted apartment before they arrive. A Basel agency quotes her a site at 26 000 CHF over 10 weeks. Kolonell offers Growth at 4 500 CHF in 4 weeks, written in English for her main clientele; the German version is translated by a freelancer for 1 300 CHF.

Kolonell cost with German: 4 500 plus 1 300, so 5 800 CHF. Gap with the agency: 26 000 minus 5 800, so 20 200 CHF. Nadia puts 3 600 CHF into photographing three delivered apartments and keeps the rest as working capital.

FAQ

How much does an interior design studio website cost in Basel in 2026?

With a local agency, the order of magnitude runs from 12 000 to 45 000 CHF. A local or cross-border freelancer often charges 3 500 to 12 000 CHF. Kolonell charges 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 CHF at a fixed price.

Isn't a freelancer from Alsace cheaper?

Often, yes, and they may write German and French. Kolonell brings a project manager, native copy on every page and a written price; at 2 700 CHF for Starter, compare the two quotes line by line.

Can the site be in German, English and French?

Bilingual FR/EN is included in Premium at 8 200 CHF. German is supplied by you or quoted separately, about 900 to 1 300 CHF in our assumptions.

Does Kolonell photograph our apartments?

No, no shoots and no site visits. Book an interiors photographer in Basel, about 1 200 CHF per project in our assumption.

What happens after delivery?

Support lasts 3 months, 6 in Premium, after which maintenance is quoted on request. The domain and every access are in your name from day one.

Let's scope your project. Send us your photographed projects, your main clientele and the languages you need, and we will come back with a fixed-price package and a launch in 3 to 4 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.