The verdict in three sentences
For a high-end residential renovation and furnishing studio in Montreux, the right provider is the one who can sell a CHF 200,000 project to a demanding owner, in French and English, without revealing their villa. A Riviera or Lausanne agency makes sense if you want a partner on your sites and a photo production managed end to end. A remote studio such as Kolonell is a sound choice if you supply your visuals, want native English or French copy and need a predictable launch budget.
In which situations does each option win?
Rather than one overall score, start from your real situation. The table covers the most common cases for a studio renovating and furnishing apartments in Clarens, villas above Glion and Caux, or period houses in Territet.
| Your situation | Suggested choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want a shoot across 3 sites with styling and drone | Local agency | on-site coordination, often 1 to 2 production days |
| Your photos already exist, taken by a photographer | Remote studio | the work is structure, copy and performance |
| French, English and Swiss German clients | Either, depending on budget | Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) or a trilingual agency |
| You require monthly meetings at your office | Local agency | a remote studio works by video call |
| Launch budget under CHF 10,000 | Remote studio | CHF 4,500 for Growth against CHF 10,000 and up at an agency |
| Integration with an existing local quoting tool | Local agency | knows the tool, can travel |
| Launch before the spring renovation season | Remote studio | delivery in 3 to 4 weeks |
Time zone almost never decides it: Kolonell assigns a project manager reachable in your time zone, and calls fit your office hours. The real criteria are travel and visual production.
What does each option cost over three years?
2026 ballpark, based on public agency rate pages and typical agency quotes around Lake Geneva. These are not survey figures.
| Item (CHF, 2026 ballpark) | Riviera or Lausanne agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell (remote) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site build | 10,000 to 22,000 | 4,000 to 9,000 | 4,500 (Growth) |
| Maintenance year 1 | 1,200 to 3,000 (market assumption) | 600 to 1,800 (market assumption) | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Maintenance years 2 and 3 | 2,400 to 6,000 (market assumption) | 1,200 to 3,600 (market assumption) | on quote |
| Photo shoot | 2,500 to 6,000 (third-party cost) | 2,500 to 6,000 (third-party cost) | 2,500 to 6,000 (local photographer, third-party cost) |
| German version | 800 to 1,500 | 800 to 1,500 (freelance translator) | 800 to 1,500 (freelance translator, third-party cost) |
| Total over 3 years | 16,900 to 38,500 | 9,100 to 21,900 | 7,800 to 12,000 excluding maintenance |
The Kolonell grid is fixed: Starter CHF 2,700 for a compact showcase site, Growth CHF 4,500 for a full portfolio with a qualified inquiry form, Premium CHF 8,200 for the multilingual tier. Every tier includes native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Details are on the international offer page.
When is the local agency clearly better?
It is when your studio mostly sells through physical contact: you host clients in a showroom, you want the provider to see your materials, fabric samples and bespoke furniture, and you would rather hand over the whole shoot. It is also better if your site must change every month with new projects and nobody in-house can publish them. In those cases, paying CHF 15,000 for a partner on the ground is rational.
What a renovation studio site must include
- Portfolio by project type (apartment, villa, period house, furnishing only), large WebP or AVIF images, lazy loading.
- Before and after only with the owner's written consent; never an address or a view that identifies the house.
- Photo credits under each series and a web and social usage agreement with the photographer.
- Inquiry form: property type, approximate size, budget range, timeline, and nothing more.
- Approach and fees page described in general terms (stages, billing method), with no invented amounts.
- Press only if the coverage exists; Instagram, Pinterest or Houzz profiles linked.
- Craftspeople and supplier partners described generally, with their agreement.
Swiss frame: the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (nLPD/revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023, covers your form and cookies under FDPIC supervision; the GDPR also applies if you target clients living in the EU, of whom there are many on the Riviera. The interior designer title is not protected at federal level; the REG register and professional associations are the usual references, and some cantons regulate who may sign building permit plans. Aim for WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask before signing
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- Will the domain name and hosting be registered in my name?
- Will I own the code and copy on delivery?
- Who writes the French, English and German, and who proofreads?
- How heavy is a project page on mobile, and how fast does it load on 4G?
- What is the rate after the support period and what does it cover?
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Céline, founder of a high-end renovation and furnishing studio based in Clarens, receives about 20 inquiries a month, half of them outside her budget range. Each qualifying call lasts 30 minutes, so 5 hours a month go on out-of-budget inquiries alone. She compares an agency quote of CHF 21,000 with Kolonell Premium at CHF 8,200 (French, English and German, languages set in the quote). The gap is CHF 12,800. With a form asking for a budget range, she aims to halve those calls, recovering 2.5 hours a month, about 30 hours a year.
FAQ
Can a remote studio photograph my projects?
No, you need a local photographer, at CHF 2,500 to 6,000 depending on the number of projects, as a third-party cost. The studio provides the photo brief and integrates the optimised images.
How long does a site with 12 projects take?
Allow 3 to 4 weeks with Kolonell once photos arrive and copy is approved. Local agencies often quote 8 to 12 weeks.
Is Growth enough for international clients?
Growth at CHF 4,500 covers a full portfolio in one native copywriting language. For three languages, Premium at CHF 8,200 is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.
Can I show a villa without revealing where it is?
Yes: remove identifiable lake views, photo location data and any address. Get written consent for each project, even if only 1 image is published.
Who owns the site at the end?
Require in the contract that the domain, hosting, code and copy are in your name from launch. This clause applies to both types of provider.
Let's scope your project. A renovation portfolio in French, English and German, CHF 4,500 to 8,200, delivered 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.