An interior design company in Bangkok can mean two very different things: a studio that hands over a drawing set and steps back, or one that stays on site until the space opens. The difference does not show up in the proposal. It shows up in week six of the build, when the site is bare concrete, the render looks like a different building, and somebody has to hold the client’s confidence together. UNFORMALDESIGN is a Bangkok interior design studio led by Italian architect Alessio Carta, working across hospitality, F&B, retail and wellness in Thailand and the wider region.
According to Google Ads Keyword Planner data pulled on 31 August 2026, “interior design company Bangkok” draws around 590 searches a month in Thailand at low advertiser competition. Most of that traffic is somebody deciding who to appoint. This is the information they are usually missing.
What separates two studios that quote the same fee
Scope after handover, almost always. Two proposals can carry near-identical fees and describe near-identical deliverables, then diverge completely once construction starts.
| Drawings-only studio | Studio that stays on site | |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverable | Concept, drawings, specification | The same, plus presence through the build |
| Contractor questions | Answered by email, if at all | Resolved on site as they arise |
| Material substitutions | Decided by the contractor | Decided against the design intent |
| Who absorbs the unknowns | The client | The studio |
| Where the risk lands | Opening week | Design stage, where it is cheaper |
The second column costs more in fee and less in total project cost, because most budget damage in a fit-out comes from decisions made quickly on site by whoever happens to be standing there.
The unfinished weeks, and why they feel worse than they are
Every hospitality, F&B or retail build passes through a stretch with nothing finished to look at: duct-tape lines on a slab marking where a counter will sit, walls that are still studs, services running in the ceiling. A render looks complete. A site at that stage does not, and that gap is where client confidence usually wavers.
The work here is not construction. It is translation, and it is a real part of the scope:
1. Walk-throughs that read the bare shell back as the finished space, so the client can see what is there. 2. Sequencing explained in advance, so a space that looks worse this month is understood rather than escalated. 3. Communication during the slow-looking weeks, when mechanical and electrical work is happening behind walls and nothing visible changes.
A studio that skips this is not saving the client money. It is transferring anxiety to the person paying for the project.
Questions worth asking before you appoint
- Who attends site, how often, and is that written into the fee?
- What happens when the contractor proposes a material substitution at 11pm?
- Can you show a project where the finished space matches the approved drawings?
- Who is accountable for the gap between the render and the room?
Answers to those four separate the two columns of the table above faster than any portfolio does.
What this looks like in delivered work
UNFORMALDESIGN’s projects run from Ombra and AILATI in Bangkok to Socialtel and Fria Nikkei in Koh Samui, Radisson RED in Phuket and retail and adaptive-reuse work in China and Vietnam. The consistent factor across them is that the studio is present when the material decisions get made in the building, not only when they get drawn. Portfolio: https://unformaldesign.com/projects/
Indicative market ranges for planning purposes, not a quotation: fit-out at a good standard sits around ฿10,000 per square metre, high specification runs ฿15,000 to ฿20,000, and design fees fall between ฿500 and ฿2,000 per square metre depending on how much construction involvement is included. Bangkok typically adds 10 to 30 percent over equivalent work in the provinces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in an interior design company in Bangkok? Look at what happens after the drawings are delivered. Ask who attends site, how often, and whether it is written into the fee. Two studios can quote the same amount and differ entirely in whether they resolve contractor questions and material substitutions during construction.
How much does an interior design company in Bangkok cost? Design fees in this market run roughly ฿500 to ฿2,000 per square metre depending on scope and construction involvement, with fit-out around ฿10,000 per square metre for a good standard and ฿15,000 to ฿20,000 for high specification. Bangkok generally adds 10 to 30 percent over the provinces.
Why does a construction site look worse before it looks better? Because services, structural work and rough-ins come before finishes. For several weeks a site shows bare slab, studs and ceiling voids while the expensive, invisible work happens. Nothing on site resembles the render yet, which is normal sequencing rather than a problem.
What is turnkey interior design? One studio carrying a project from concept through drawings, construction and delivery, rather than handing off drawings and leaving the client to coordinate contractors. It concentrates accountability for the gap between the design and the finished room in one place.
Does UNFORMALDESIGN work outside Bangkok? Yes. UNFORMALDESIGN has delivered projects in Bangkok, Koh Samui, Phuket and Krabi, and retail and adaptive-reuse work in China and Vietnam. Contact founder Alessio Carta at alessio@unformaldesign.com or +66 97 112 3561.
The takeaway
Choose on what happens after the drawings, not on the drawings. Ask the four questions above, get the site attendance written into the fee, and expect the middle of the build to look wrong for a while. To discuss a project, contact Alessio Carta at alessio@unformaldesign.com or +66 97 112 3561.