Short answer: A high-end project can take between 8 and 18 months. Knowing the phases, milestones and key decisions of each moment is the best way to live it with peace of mind.
· Process · 11 min
The most frequent question in a first meeting, after the budget, is always the same: how long is all this going to take?
And the honest answer is: longer than it seems and shorter than you fear, if everything is well planned. A well-executed luxury interior design project takes between 8 and 18 months from the first meeting to handover, depending on the scope.
What matters is not the total duration, but understanding what each month is invested in. This is the complete guide, without jargon but without omissions, of the journey of a high-end project.
Before signing anything, before even talking about budgets, we dedicate time to an initial conversation. No renders, no proposals, no commitments.
In this phase something more important than the project is decided: whether the studio and the client are a fit. We talk about the space, how you live or will live in it, what excites and what bothers you about your current life, your references, your indicative budget.
If the conversation flows, a visit to the space is scheduled. If not, both parties can step back without cost or discomfort. This stage should not be rushed: many bad projects could have been avoided simply by lengthening this moment.
Once the engagement letter is signed, formal work begins with an exhaustive briefing. It is not a quick questionnaire. It is a multi-session process where we go deep into:
In parallel, we draw up plans of the existing state with laser technology (millimetre-precise measurements), analyse natural light at different hours and seasons, and study structural possibilities with a building engineer.
The deliverable of this phase is a briefing document that the client approves before moving to design. If something was misunderstood, it is corrected here, not later.
This is the most creative phase and, for many clients, the most exciting. We work on proposals for:
The concept design is presented in a long, unhurried meeting, with all materials on the table. Afterwards, the client is given at least a week to reflect before the next meeting, where decisions are closed or the direction is corrected. Challenging the studio in this phase is not a problem: it is exactly what should happen.
The construction documentation is the technical heart of the work. It is where the vision is translated into precise constructive documentation. The full package includes:
This documentation is what is given to the trades for quoting, contracting and execution. Its quality directly determines the quality of the result on site.
It is also the phase in which the definitive budget is closed. A good studio holds two commitments here: precision (the budget honestly reflects what the project will cost) and transparency (the client perfectly understands each line item).
With the construction documents closed, the trades are contracted. In luxury projects, this rarely means hiring a general contractor who subcontracts everything. We usually work with independent guilds coordinated directly by the studio:
Each one quotes against the construction documents. Deviations are negotiated and resolved before starting. A project that begins with closed budgets and complete plans does not generate unexpected cost overruns.
Construction is the longest phase and, contrary to what many clients expect, it should be the calmest if everything before has been done well. By the time we get to site, the big decisions are already taken. What remains is to execute them.
During this phase, the studio:
The client receives weekly or bi-weekly reports with progress photos, pending decisions and potential issues. Constant communication is what differentiates a serene site from a stressful one.
While the works are being finished, in parallel what we call the dressing of the project is executed: loose furniture (sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs), textiles, rugs, decorative lighting, art and accessories.
Many pieces have long lead times (12-20 weeks for high-end Italian furniture, for example), so they are ordered several months in advance. Others are installed on site (bespoke curtains, rugs, paintings).
On handover day, the client should not find an empty house waiting for furniture: they should find a finished home, with the table set and the lights on.
Handover is not the end. During the first six months we remain available for adjustments, touch-ups and small modifications. It is common that small details —a hinge that needs adjustment, a luminaire that needs reorientation, a textile to be modified— are fine-tuned with the client already living the space.
After those first months, we maintain the relationship. Many of our clients return with second residences, offices, children's homes. Continuity is one of the privileges of doing things slowly and well.
After many projects, three factors make the difference between an exceptional experience and a difficult one:
At Lobo Interiors we have built our process so the client is informed without being overwhelmed. Scheduled meetings, clear reports, decisions grouped at logical moments of the project. We do not call you every week to choose handles; we manage that and present it in batches.
If you want to know in detail how we would work your specific project, write to us. The first conversation, as always, with no commitment.