Registrations and compliance
| Item | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| GST registration | Every invoice carries GST, input credit is available where you can claim it, and the contract value is traceable. A contractor who prefers cash has no interest in being findable in year three |
| Udyam / MSME registration | A registered business with a filed address, which is the minimum standard for a contract you may need to enforce |
| PAN and TAN, TDS compliant | Deductions handled correctly at source on the payments you make to us |
| Written contract with a defined scope | A line-item bill of quantities, named brands and series, stated exclusions and a milestone payment schedule |
| Labour compliance and worker documentation | ID copies and, where a building requires it, police verification for every person on your site |
| Site insurance | Third-party and works cover during construction, so damage on site is not a negotiation |
Brand authorisations
We specify hardware and board by brand and series rather than by adjective, and we hold direct authorisations with the manufacturers whose products appear on our drawings. That matters for one practical reason: a manufacturer warranty on a hinge, a runner or a board is honoured directly by the manufacturer, and a direct relationship is what makes a claim straightforward rather than an argument.
- Hardware. Hettich, Hafele, Blum and Ebco — specified by series and load rating on every joinery drawing, with the manufacturer’s own warranty passed to you.
- Board. Branded BWP 710 and WPC with the grade and brand stated on the bill of quantities, not described as ‘waterproof ply’.
- Laminate, acrylic and veneer named by manufacturer and code, so a replacement panel in year four can actually be matched.
- Paint systems specified as a system — primer and topcoat from the same manufacturer — because that is the condition on which the warranty depends.
- Sanitaryware and fittings from named ranges with available spares, which is the difference between a repairable mixer and a disposable one.
Everything on this page can be checked
Warranty and the guarantee
Two commitments sit in every Greenbox contract, and both are written rather than verbal. The full terms are set out on our warranty and guarantee page.
| Commitment | What is covered | How to claim |
|---|---|---|
| Workmanship warranty | Carcass construction, installation, finishes and making good | A named contact and a stated response time, in the handover pack |
| Manufacturer warranty | Hinges, runners, channels, boards and appliances, honoured by the manufacturer | Direct, with the purchase and series documentation we hand over |
| Defects liability period | Anything that emerges in normal use after handover | A joint snag walk, a written list with dates, and closure |
| Retention | 5% held for 60 days after handover | Released after the snag list is signed closed |
| On-time completion guarantee | The programme in your contract, with the conditions stated | Set out in writing at contract stage, including what pauses the clock |
Client recognition
The recognition we take seriously is the kind clients give. Our aggregate rating is 4.9 out of 5 across 127 ratings, and the reviews behind that figure — including the ones that are not five stars — are on our reviews page. Repeat and referred work accounts for a substantial share of our projects, which in a city where almost everyone knows someone who has had a bad renovation is the measurement we watch most closely. Completed projects, with the constraints and the decisions behind them, are documented in the portfolio.
A client asked which awards we had won. None that we paid for, which unfortunately narrows the list considerably. Here are four people whose flats we finished last year; call any of them.
Greenbox principal designer
What we deliberately do not claim
- Awards we have not won. A significant number of Indian design awards are pay-to-enter and pay-to-display. We do not buy them and we do not list them, and we would encourage you to ask any firm what an award cost them to receive.
- Media mentions we cannot link to. Where our work is published we will send you the link. A logo strip of publication names with nothing behind it is a design decision, not a credential.
- Association memberships as qualifications. Membership of a trade body is a subscription, not an assessment. Useful, and not the same thing as a credential.
- Project counts we cannot evidence. Our figure is 250-plus completed projects and we can show you the list by year and category.
- Certifications that do not apply to interiors. Several quality marks are quoted in this industry that govern manufacturing processes rather than site work. We do not display them.
How to verify any of this
- Ask for the GST number and check it. It takes two minutes on the government portal and it tells you the business is real and filing.
- Ask for three client references from the last year, and call them. A firm that will not give you three has an answer you should hear.
- Ask to visit a live site. A finished project is a photograph; a site in week seven is the truth about how a firm works.
- Ask to see the warranty document before you sign, not after handover. Read what voids it.
- Ask for the brand authorisation letters for the hardware being specified on your job.
- Ask what the retention and defects liability arrangement is, and get it in the contract rather than in an email.
More about the studio
Who does the work is on our team page, how a project runs is on our process, and what clients say is on reviews. If you want to talk to us about a project, contact the studio or ask for a free consultation.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
Has Greenbox won any design awards?+
None that we list, because a significant number of Indian interior design awards are pay-to-enter and pay-to-display. We would rather show you 250-plus completed projects, 127 client ratings averaging 4.9 out of 5, and references you can call. If an award matters to you, ask any firm what it cost them to receive.
What certifications does an Indian interior designer need?+
There is no licensing body for interior design in India, which is the central problem. What can be verified is business registration, GST compliance, labour documentation, site insurance, brand authorisations from the manufacturers being specified, and a written warranty with a named claim route. Ask for those rather than for certificates.
Why do brand authorisations matter?+
Because a manufacturer warranty on a hinge, a runner or a board is honoured by the manufacturer, and a direct authorisation makes that claim straightforward rather than an argument. It also means the product on your drawing is the product installed, with the series recorded so a replacement in year four can be matched.
How can I verify a contractor is genuine?+
Check the GST number on the government portal, ask for three references from the last year and call them, ask to visit a live site rather than a finished one, read the warranty document before signing, and get the retention and defects liability arrangement written into the contract. All five take an afternoon.
What is the on-time completion guarantee?+
A programme written into the contract with the conditions stated, including what pauses the clock — client-side decisions, variations added mid-build, society restrictions and force majeure. The full terms, and the remedies where we miss it, are set out on the warranty and guarantee page rather than summarised here.
Is Greenbox insured?+
Yes — third-party and works cover during construction, so damage on site is handled through the policy rather than through a negotiation. We share the certificate on request before contract, and we also carry the labour documentation that Mumbai societies increasingly ask for.