The verdict in three sentences
For an interior design studio in Lausanne focused on high-end renovation and furnishing, choosing between a local agency and a remote studio depends less on price than on three practical questions: who organises the photography, who writes the copy and whose name the domain and code are in. If you want a partner who can visit your projects in Ouchy or Lutry every month, a Vaud agency remains the right call. If your portfolio is already photographed and you want a fast site, written in native English and delivered in 3 to 4 weeks at a fixed price, a remote studio such as Kolonell (Growth CHF 4,500, Premium CHF 8,200) is more than enough.
Which criteria really matter for a high-end renovation studio?
In Lausanne, a renovation studio's clients range from owners of period flats in Sous-Gare or below the Cathedral, to villas in Pully, Lutry or the Lavaux slopes, to an international clientele linked to sports federations, schools and multinationals around Lake Geneva. If you are an English-speaking founder in Lausanne, your site has two audiences: local French speakers comparing three studios before a first meeting, and expatriates who find you on Instagram or Houzz.
| Criterion | Lausanne agency | Remote studio | What to require in writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time zone | Same | Project manager reachable in your hours (one to two hours apart) | Meeting slots set in the contract |
| Meetings and site visits | Possible, often billed hourly | Video calls, no travel | Number of workshops included |
| Copywriting | Native French, English sometimes outsourced | Native English or French included | Who writes, how many revision rounds |
| On-site photo and video | Agency can coordinate its network | Local photographer to book (third-party cost) | Written usage licence, credits |
| Domain, hosting, code | Varies, sometimes in the agency's name | Check this too | Everything in the studio's name, admin access |
| Maintenance | Monthly contract is common | 3 months included, then on quote | Response time, update frequency |
| Data protection | Local knowledge | Must be documented | Privacy notice, minimal form |
The most underrated criterion is image performance. A project page with 25 photos at 3 to 5 MB each quickly exceeds 60 MB and ruins mobile display. Require WebP or AVIF, lazy loading and a target of under 2.5 seconds for the main visual on a smartphone.
What does each option cost over three years?
The figures below are a 2026 ballpark based on public agency rate pages and typical agency quotes in French-speaking Switzerland. Local maintenance is a market assumption, not a Kolonell price.
| Item over 3 years | Vaud freelancer | Local agency | Kolonell (remote studio) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio site build | CHF 4,000 to 9,000 | CHF 12,000 to 30,000 | CHF 4,500 (Growth) or CHF 8,200 (Premium) |
| Copywriting | CHF 800 to 2,000 extra | Often included | Native English or French included |
| Interior photographer (third-party cost) | CHF 1,500 to 3,500 per day | CHF 1,500 to 3,500 per day | CHF 1,500 to 3,500 per day |
| Maintenance 36 months (market assumption, CHF 90 to 250/month) | CHF 3,240 to 9,000 | CHF 3,240 to 9,000 | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Time to launch | 6 to 10 weeks | 8 to 14 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Indicative 3-year total (one photo day) | CHF 9,540 to 23,500 | CHF 16,740 to 42,500 | CHF 6,000 to 11,700, excluding maintenance on quote |
The gap is real, but it should not decide alone. A CHF 6,000 site that fails to reflect your finishing standards costs more in lost inquiries than a well-designed CHF 20,000 one. You can compare the exact scope of each tier on Kolonell's international offer.
When is a local agency clearly the better choice?
To be honest, a Lausanne agency wins in several situations. If you want someone on site during a villa shoot in Lutry, directing the photographer room by room, physical presence matters. If your visual identity, printed brochures and website must come from one workshop, a full-service agency simplifies coordination. And if your partners insist on a monthly face-to-face meeting, do not force video calls.
A remote studio is enough when your photos already exist or you work with a regular photographer, when one or two people make decisions, and when you are comfortable approving work online. In that case you pay for design and copy, not travel.
Questions to ask both types of provider
- Will the domain, hosting and code be registered in the studio's name, with admin access handed over at launch?
- Does the photo licence cover the website, social media and print, and how are photographer credits displayed?
- How do you protect client discretion: no private addresses, geolocation metadata stripped from files, written consent before publishing a home?
- Which fields does the inquiry form contain (budget range, timeline, property type) and where is the data stored?
- What accessibility target do you work to? WCAG 2.2 AA with descriptive alt text is good practice.
- How is the press page fed? It should only list real coverage, never invented awards.
- How do you link Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz without slowing pages down?
The Swiss frame. The revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD, also called revFADP) has applied since 1 September 2023, supervised by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). If you also target EU residents, for example across the lake in France, the GDPR may apply. Interior design titles are not protected at federal level: the REG register and professional associations serve as references, and some cantons regulate who may sign building permit plans. Stay precise about your actual qualifications. This is not legal advice.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Élodie runs a three-person renovation and furnishing studio in Pully. She receives about 60 inquiries a year, 35% of them outside her budget or scope. A local agency quotes CHF 22,000 for a bilingual site. With Kolonell she chooses Premium at CHF 8,200 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) and books two days with a local photographer at CHF 2,000 each, a CHF 4,000 third-party cost: total CHF 12,200. With the same photographer, the agency route reaches CHF 26,000, a CHF 13,800 difference.
The form qualifies budget and timeline. If the 21 unqualified inquiries (35% of 60) are filtered before the first call, and Élodie spent 1.5 hours on each, she recovers 31.5 hours a year. She keeps a local agency in mind for a future print campaign.
FAQ
Can a remote studio photograph my projects in Lausanne?
No, the shoot stays local: you book an interior photographer, usually CHF 1,500 to 3,500 per day as a third-party cost. The studio prepares the shot list and required formats.
How long does a portfolio site take?
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once content is received. Local agencies often quote 8 to 14 weeks depending on their workload.
Can I publish a client's flat without their consent?
It is wise to publish nothing without written consent, even without an address. Use one consent form per project and strip GPS metadata from photos before upload.
Which tier suits a renovation studio?
Starter at CHF 2,700 fits a compact site, Growth at CHF 4,500 a portfolio structured by project type, Premium at CHF 8,200 a multilingual site. Custom applications and search work are on quote.
What should I plan for data protection?
A privacy notice aligned with the nLPD, in force since 2023, a form limited to useful fields and a defined retention period, for example 24 months for inquiries that go nowhere.
To price your case, request a free quote stating how many projects you want to show and which languages you need.
Let's scope your project. A portfolio by project type, one or two languages, a CHF 4,500 to 8,200 budget and launch in 3 to 4 weeks. 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.