The verdict in three sentences
For an interior architecture studio targeting an international clientele, whether in Miami or on the French Riviera, the website is the first showroom: it must load fast, show projects in full resolution and filter inquiries. The realistic 2026 budget is 7,000 to 18,000 EUR (about 7,600 to 19,500 USD), plus 1,500 to 3,000 EUR for photography, delivered in 6 to 8 weeks. The main profit lever is the qualifying brief form (budget, square footage, timeline), which screens out off-target leads before the first call.
What separates a premium site from a standard showcase site
A 2,500 EUR site on a generic theme may be enough for a tradesperson. A studio signing projects worth 80,000 to 500,000 EUR needs custom art direction, photos that hold up when enlarged and a journey designed for a demanding buyer, often browsing from London, New York or Dubai.
| Criterion | Standard showcase site | Premium showcase site |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Adapted theme | Custom art direction, editorial typography |
| Project gallery | Compressed JPEGs, 10 to 20 images | Responsive AVIF/WebP, 30 to 80 images, full-screen zoom |
| Animations | None or default effects | Restrained transitions, controlled scroll reveals |
| Languages | One language | Two languages, optional Spanish or Italian |
| Form | Name, email, message | Qualifying brief: budget, area, location, timeline |
| Mobile performance | LCP 3 to 5 s | LCP < 2 s despite heavy visuals |
| Price 2026 | 2,000 to 5,000 EUR | 7,000 to 18,000 EUR |
The classic trap: spectacular animations that slow the site down. On mobile, an international prospect on the move leaves after 3 seconds. We favor 300 to 600 ms transitions and progressively loaded images.
Detailed pricing and timelines in 2026
| Item | Content | Price 2026 (excl. tax) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop and art direction | Positioning, moodboard, 2 design routes | 1,500 to 3,000 EUR | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Template design | Home, projects, project page, studio, contact | 2,000 to 4,500 EUR | 2 weeks |
| Development and CMS | AVIF gallery, project-type filters, animations | 2,500 to 7,000 EUR | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Second language version | Professional translation and SEO | 600 to 1,800 EUR | In parallel |
| Brief form | Conditional logic, notification, CRM export | 400 to 1,200 EUR | 3 to 5 days |
| Photo shoot | 4 to 8 projects, retouching, web formats | 1,500 to 3,000 EUR | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Maintenance and hosting | Updates, backups, CDN | 80 to 200 EUR / month | Ongoing |
A median project (8 gallery projects, two languages, advanced form) totals around 11,000 EUR excluding photos. The high end covers studios that want an editorial journal, a project map or a third language.
The brief form as a qualification tool
A high-end studio often receives 60% off-target inquiries: small spaces, incompatible budgets, simple decor advice. A 4-step form asks the right questions before the meeting and routes inquiries automatically.
| Brief question | Sample answers | Sales use |
|---|---|---|
| Property type | Villa, apartment, hotel, office | Assignment to the right project lead |
| Area | < 80 m², 80 to 200 m², > 200 m² | Fee envelope estimate |
| Works budget | < 50,000 EUR, 50,000 to 200,000 EUR, > 200,000 EUR | Main qualification filter |
| Timeline | < 3 months, 3 to 12 months, > 12 months | Callback prioritization |
| Contact language | EN, FR, ES | Assignment to the right contact |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Hélène, founder of a high-end interior architecture studio, receives 25 inquiries a month through an aging site, 15 of them off-target. Each unqualified inquiry costs 45 minutes (call, emails), about 11 hours a month. She invests 12,500 EUR in a premium bilingual site and 2,200 EUR in a 6-project photo shoot, 14,700 EUR in total (about 16,000 USD). Six months after launch, inquiries rise to 30 a month, 18 of them qualified instead of 10. With a 15% close rate and average fees of 18,000 EUR, that means about 1.2 more signed projects per month, or 21,600 EUR in extra fees. The site pays for itself in under a quarter.
FAQ
Should a premium architect website display prices?
Rarely as fixed amounts. However, stating a minimum works budget, for example from 50,000 EUR, cuts off-target inquiries by 30 to 40%.
How many photos are needed at launch?
Aim for 4 to 8 projects with 6 to 10 images each, 30 to 80 visuals in total. A professional shoot at 1,500 to 3,000 EUR beats 200 phone photos.
Do animations hurt SEO?
Not if they are light. We keep LCP under 2 s and page weight under 2 MB, which keeps the site green on Core Web Vitals.
Do we need a second language from day one?
For an international clientele, yes: 30 to 50% of high-end searches in resort markets happen in a second language. The extra cost is 600 to 1,800 EUR.
How long does the project take?
Allow 6 to 8 weeks from the scoping workshop to launch, provided copy and photos are ready by week 4.
Let's scope your project. Describe your studio, flagship projects and target markets, and we will price a premium bilingual site between 7,000 and 18,000 EUR, delivered in 6 to 8 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
