Raj - What you say is true that a lot of interior design's margin is in furniture. I will not sugar coat it. And many designers may seem to be more interested in that when you bring them in. But I have had several clients call me over the years saying they are building a new home and would like to consult primarily on layout. When you speak to someone is tell them you are not ready to order furnishings or window treatments, but that you would like a contract that focuses on layout, planning, and interior detailing (i.e. doors, trims, floors) - i.e. the bones of the house. What I would suggest is when you call for a designer, you be prepared to pay a good consultation fee. A good rule of thumb is that you can expect to pay between $3-$10 per square foot of your home depending on the area of your country and the expertise/experience of the designer. If you are not averse to paying this type of fee, and communicate to the designer that your interest is in getting the best solutions, not in purchasing furniture at this time, I'm sure you will be able to get the level of service you desire. If someone you talk to doesn't seem thrilled to provide this kind of service, move on to the next person. Don't rely on "fame" or how well known someone is. They may be well known for doing show houses or just because they've been in the field the longest in your area. Not because they're the right fit for you. You could also check the Houzz directory for good designers in your area. The difficulty is that there are often decorators whose expertise and focus is really just on furnishings not so much on construction - and they serve a purpose for their clients. But there are other designers who provide more of a wholistic approach and have more familiarity with building a new home. These are the people you should seek out. Houzz is a fantastic community - and as I said you may get good advice here but there's really no replacement for someone to work with you in person. Sorry for the super long post but I feel passionately about this and I think this advice will best suit your needs.

HI RinaI do agree I love jewelbox rooms, but I consider them more cosy ... and with a grey marble floor it goes all Versace Italianate! I am trying to balance the colours by bringing in a pattern on the covers rather than plain. I feel this will bring colour without overpowering the room. In the pictures I showed above, the rooms are basically neutral but the colour is brought in via pattern - I think this might be the way to go...Ideally a green or blue on a subdued grey would be the best, but I dont know what the market is like for Sumit...Cushions can do a lot to tie in the other white/grey elements.Shelley - navy is a good suggestion, but as Sumits area is quite tall and thin, trying to keep the general area light Any more suggestions most welcome. These are just ideas after all and Sumit will choose what works for the room in the end ;-)

Hi! I'm so glad I came across your floor plan, got pretty excited and ideas started flooding. Firstly, I'm uploading a draft of a floor plan I made as a rough copy (with a pencil and a paper), so kindly excuse the imperfections. (please refer to the picture I've posted along with this.) Secondly, as you mentioned, you would want to include the balcony in your seating area, I recommend you to break the wall and instead use French windows to allow the light within and it'll also feel very open. Then, about the kitchen, as you said you wouldn't want a large dining area, you could take that space for an open kitchen, where the counter also serves as the dining space from the outside. And since, the kitchen would be made towards the direction of the arrow pointed (refer to the pic) we get ample space to make a Pooja room. And to give an enclosed feel to the living room I chose and L shaped couch for it. I would suggest you to go for a mounted TV on a rotatable stand on the wall so that its accessible from anywhere across the room. Having done that, we are still left with some space (marked with a circle in the pic ) which could be used to put some more seats for the living room OR... (THIS IS MY FAV PART IN A HOUSE!) you could also use that space to mount a swing from the top. There were few more probabilities to do this house, but I genuinely found this one to be the best, coz I'm a huge fan of open spaces, and it's a good layout a lot of things could be done with it. All the best.

Dear Mr Venugopal, Hope your flooring project has come out elegant. Hope you spend some quality time with your new project. @Ms. Preeti, thank you for your compliments. These comments truly mean a lot to us and this is what keeps the team motivated and going. For your knack of reading, I recommend you check the following ethnic styles. for flooring/ceiling/wall options : 1. Jaipur cobalt blue based porcelain products or blue pigments as wall paint/ceiling paint A lost art, remnant of Persian influence, promoted by ancient Moroccan immigrant artiste. 2. Bishnupur/ Haripur terracotta tiles- mughal art form on indian clay palette. Incredibly beautiful to behold and imparts a timeless elegance to ethnic structures. 3. Odisha terracotta art panels- Remnant of same Mughal dynasty. Artiste carve objects of delight using modern clay kilns. Districts- Kendujhar, Sonepur, Khordha and Balangir. 4. Bidriware ceiling tiles - Metallic panels with heavy inlay work . Remnants of Persian Artefacts. 5. Marble inlay works and marble floor medallions- Mughal architecture, colorful setting often inspired by flora and fauna or geometric islamic patterns. Craftsmen mostly from Rajasthan. 6. Khiching Black chlorite floor medallions/ wall panels/ Stone Bathtub and Sinks- Traditional odia ethnic patterns hand carved on Black Chlorite stone. One of the hardest stone in India. Objects include large format floor tiles and solid stone bathtubs. Imparts a stunningly modern perspective to structures. Exclusive to Mayurbhanj district, Odisha . (We are soon to start an export house on the stone based bathware/wall panels/ floor panels) 7. Stone jaalis of Jaipur -Indo-Persian architectural element- intricately carved geometric/floral jaalis for wall panels and cutouts. 8. Compressed Bamboo tiles from Assam- Traditional material with modern technologies- excellent insulating properties and easy to lay-an alternative to wooden flooring. 9. Mother of pearl inlay/ wall tiles -Iridiscent tiles for ultra-luxury -Persian element- Supposedly interacts with the body to calm the senses. Skilled craftsmen from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Lucknow. 10. South Indian Oxide flooring in traditional floral motifs and geomtric patterns- Red, Blue and Yellow are primary oxides. Available as Athangudi tiles . 11. Limestone paste , mud and cowdung flooring for sustainable buildings -zero energy flooring , pest repellent and could be used over existing floor slabs with proper sealing. Compatible with mud houses and concrete as well. Incredibly rustic and long lasting element. 12. Odisha stone wall panels/tiles - Made traditionally of sandstone, chlorite or granites . Traditional odia motifs hand carved over stones. Labour intensive process and recommended for contemporary fusion settings. Found in Khordha, Puri and Mayurbhanj districts. 13. Wooden floor/wall motifs - Mughal element of geometric patterns and floral designs. adds definite interest to any wooden flooring/ wall panelling. Skilled craftsmen available in UP- Shahranpur, Agra, Lucknow and throughout Jammu and Kashmir. These are only a few popular elements. For further research, books on traditional temple architecture, Mughal architecture are recommended. Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar