The verdict in three sentences
For an interior design studio in Singapore, a redesign costs a 2026 ballpark of SGD 25,000 to 80,000 at a local agency, roughly $19,200 to $61,500, against $4,900 (Growth) or $8,900 (Premium) on Kolonell's fixed grid. The number one risk is not style but portfolio image weight: a poorly optimised project page can exceed 60 MB and wreck mobile display. Delivery takes 3 to 4 weeks once photos and copy are ready, provided project URLs are inventoried and enquiry forms are rebuilt in line with the PDPA.
This guide is for founders of studios in Tanjong Pagar, Tiong Bahru, Bukit Timah or around Orchard who renovate condos and landed homes and fit out offices.
What signals say a redesign is due?
- The portfolio still leads with projects from five years ago, and the latest ones live only on Instagram.
- Project pages take more than 5 seconds to open on a phone over 4G.
- The enquiry form does not distinguish condo, landed, HDB and office, so every lead needs a qualification call.
- The site calls the team "architects": in Singapore that title is protected, and an interior design studio should present its team as interior designers.
- Nobody can add a project without calling the original developer.
What budget should you plan in 2026?
| Option | Ballpark in SGD | Approximate USD equivalent | What is delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established agency (Orchard, CBD) | SGD 40,000 to 80,000 | about $30,800 to $61,500 | art direction, custom design, CMS |
| Mid-size agency | SGD 25,000 to 40,000 | about $19,200 to $30,800 | design and build, client supplies photos |
| Boutique studio | SGD 12,000 to 35,000 | about $9,200 to $26,900 | customised theme, portfolio |
| Freelancer | SGD 4,000 to 15,000 | about $3,100 to $11,500 | execution, image optimisation varies |
| Kolonell Starter | not applicable | $2,900 | focused site, selective portfolio |
| Kolonell Growth | not applicable | $4,900 | full portfolio, project pages, CMS, blog |
| Kolonell Premium | not applicable | $8,900 | the multilingual tier (languages set in the quote), advanced motion |
SGD amounts are ballparks from typical quotes and public rate pages of local agencies, converted approximately into USD. English is enough for most studios; Chinese falls under Premium. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Quote configurators, booking and client areas stay on quote. See the international offer.
Why does image weight decide success?
Illustrative example of a studio with 40 projects and 25 photos per project:
| Metric | Before redesign | After redesign | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average photo weight | 2.5 MB (raw JPEG) | 0.3 MB (WebP or AVIF) | compression and resizing |
| Total project page weight | 62.5 MB | 7.5 MB | 25 photos × 0.3 MB |
| Loaded on open | 62.5 MB | about 1.5 MB | lazy loading, 5 photos visible |
| Full library | 2,500 MB | 300 MB | 1,000 photos |
| Project URLs to redirect | 40 | 40 | one-to-one 301 map |
| Alt text filled in | rarely | 1,000 | descriptive writing |
The display gain is substantial on mobile, which is where most condo owners first discover a studio.
What timeline, and which risks?
| Week | Kolonell work | Risk handled |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 3 | inventory of 40 project URLs and service pages | SEO traffic loss |
| Week 1 | project, home and service templates | portfolio unreadable on mobile |
| Week 2 | build, optimisation of 1,000 photos | page weight |
| Week 3 | project migration, enquiry form | incomplete migration |
| Week 4 | 301 redirects, QA, copy review | downtime, unverified claims |
A local agency typically plans 10 to 16 weeks. Further mitigation: Search Console monitoring for 8 weeks, DNS TTL lowered 48 hours before cutover, and a copy review before go-live to remove any price, award or title claim that cannot be verified.
On data, the PDPA applies and the PDPC is the authority: a clear purpose for the form, consent, a retention period, and no collection of NRIC numbers, which PDPC guidelines strictly limit. Ask only for name, email, phone, property type, floor area and budget range. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask your provider
- How are photos compressed, and who keeps the originals?
- Are all 40 project URLs redirected one by one?
- Can I add a project myself, and in how many minutes?
- Is the enquiry form aligned with the PDPA?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
When is a Singapore agency the better choice?
If you want the agency to organise photo shoots on your sites, in-person art direction, or a local campaign tied to the launch, a Singapore agency makes sense. With Kolonell, photography remains a third-party item handled by your usual photographer.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Mei Lin, founder of an interior design studio in Tiong Bahru, is redesigning her English site.
- Local agency quote: SGD 48,000, about $36,900, 12 weeks, shoot included.
- Kolonell Growth: $4,900, plus a local photographer (third-party cost) for 5 recent projects at SGD 4,000, about $3,100: total $8,000.
- Gap: about 36,900 minus 8,000 = $28,900.
FAQ
How much does an interior design studio website redesign cost in Singapore?
At a local agency, SGD 25,000 to 80,000, roughly $19,200 to $61,500. At Kolonell, from $2,900 (Starter) to $8,900 (Premium).
Do we need Premium?
Only for a multilingual site, for example English and Chinese, with languages set in the quote at $8,900. An English site with a full portfolio fits Growth at $4,900.
How many photos does a project need?
15 to 25 optimised photos usually suffice. At 0.3 MB each, a 25-photo page weighs about 7.5 MB, with 1.5 MB loaded on open.
Can the site say "architect"?
No, unless the person actually holds that protected title in Singapore. The team presents as interior designers, and the copy review checks this in week 4.
What happens after the 3 months of support?
Maintenance moves to on quote. The delivered CMS lets your team add a project in 20 to 30 minutes.
Let's scope your project. An interior design studio redesign with an optimised portfolio, from $2,900 to $8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once photos and copy are ready. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
