Two months for a furnishing scheme, eighteen for a major renovation. What decides the gap is not floor area but the authorisation regime, lead times and how fast approvals come back. Here is what actually happens during that time.
Exempt from authorisation, exempt from public consultation, or a full thirty-day consultation: in the canton of Vaud your project falls into one of three regimes, and neither its size nor its budget decides which. This guide helps you place yours before committing any spend.
Choosing the right interior designer is probably the most decisive choice you will make for your project. More decisive, in many ways, than the choice of materials or furniture. This is the person, or studio, who will orchestrate several months of your life, translate your identity into space, and coordinate dozens of trades on your behalf.
Yet in Switzerland, the information available to make that choice remains limited. The title of interior designer is not legally protected, which means anyone can use it. That makes selection trickier than elsewhere, and also more important. Here are the criteria that actually matter when choosing an interior designer in Switzerland, in order of priority, drawn from years of working in French-speaking Switzerland.
“When will it be ready?” That is almost always the first question asked of an interior design studio, and it is a fair one. A renovation project sits inside a family life, professional commitments, and sometimes a tenancy or sale window. Having a clear view of the timeline changes everything.
The honest answer is that there is no standard duration. But there is a realistic framework, grounded in the Swiss market, in cantonal lead times, and in years of accumulated site experience. This guide breaks down what to expect for each project type in French-speaking Switzerland, along with the factors that speed things up or slow them down.
