The full specification table
The table below is the guide as printed — element, what the style requires, the specification and the 2026 cost band it commands.
| Element | What the style requires | Specification | 2026 cost band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palette | Deep tonal layering, three shades of one family | Bone, mushroom, walnut; or ivory, sand, bronze | Rs 65–120 / sq ft painting |
| Joinery form | Full-height, floor-to-ceiling, with shadow gaps not skirting | 18 mm BWP ply, 2 mm edge band, shadow gap detail | Rs 2,800–4,500 / sq ft |
| Joinery finish | PU on veneer, book-matched across the run | Walnut or smoked ash veneer, 7-coat PU | Rs 2,100–3,400 / sq ft |
| Stone | Book-matched slab used as a wall, not as a counter alone | Statuario or sintered stone, 12 mm on a frame | Rs 900–2,400 / sq ft |
| Flooring | Engineered timber or large-format stone, herringbone or plank | 15 mm engineered teak, 4 mm wear layer | Rs 620–950 / sq ft |
| Ceiling | Multi-level with concealed drivers and integrated AV | Gypsum with a 8 in raft and a linear slot | Rs 180–320 / sq ft |
| Lighting | Scene control, 2700K, CRI 95, no visible sources | Profile lights with DALI or Casambi dimming | Rs 2,200–6,500 per circuit |
| Metal | Solid brass or bronze, unlacquered so it patinas | Solid brass handles, CP in brushed brass | Rs 1,200–8,000 per piece |
| Textiles | Heavy weaves, motorised sheers plus blackout | Linen sheers, wool-blend drapes, motorised track | Rs 2,400–9,000 / metre |
| Automation | Lighting, curtains and climate on one control plan | Documented scene plan, not an app per device | Rs 2.5–12 L per flat |
| Detailing | Shadow gaps, flush doors, level thresholds throughout | 3 mm shadow gaps; tolerance under 2 mm | Adds 15–25% to joinery |
| What to avoid | Gold everywhere, visible screws, mixed metals, ornate mouldings | — | — |
How to use the guide
- Buy tolerance before materials. A modest veneer executed to a 2 mm tolerance looks better than an expensive one fitted to 6 mm, and it is the harder thing to procure.
- Specify the shadow gaps on the drawing. They cannot be added on site; they are a manufacturing and setting-out decision that has to exist before anything is made.
- Write the lighting scene plan early. Scene control means deciding what the room does at dinner, at midnight and on a weekday morning, and then wiring for it.
- Select slabs personally and reserve them. Book-matching requires two consecutive slabs from one block, which cannot be sourced later.
Three mistakes this prevents
- Mixing metals. A luxury scheme is judged on consistency, and a chrome tap in a brass bathroom undoes several lakh of stonework.
- Ornament instead of detail. Carved mouldings and applied gold read as expensive; flush doors, level thresholds and shadow gaps read as luxurious.
- Automation bought device by device. Five apps for lights, curtains, AC, music and locks is not automation; it is five more things to explain to a guest.
Download the style guide (PDF) →
See luxury interior design and read what makes interiors luxury.
Frequently asked questions
What does a luxury interior cost per sq ft?+
₹2,800 to ₹4,500 per sq ft of carpet, ex-GST, at the specification in this guide, and considerably more with imported stone, full automation and bespoke metalwork. A 1,200 sq ft flat at ₹3,500 is around ₹42 lakh before GST, excluding loose furniture and art.
Is imported material necessary for luxury?+
No. Indian stone, Indian veneer and Indian joinery executed to a tight tolerance produce a better result than imported material fitted loosely. Import where the material genuinely has no local equivalent — sintered stone, certain marbles — not as a default position.
What is a shadow gap and why does it cost so much?+
A deliberate recessed line, typically 3 to 12 mm, where two surfaces meet instead of a skirting or an architrave. It costs because it removes the tolerance: a skirting hides a 6 mm gap, a shadow gap displays every millimetre of error along its whole length.
Should brass be lacquered?+
Not in a luxury scheme. Unlacquered solid brass develops a patina that is the point of using it; lacquered brass holds a factory shine for two years and then the lacquer fails unevenly and cannot be repaired without stripping. Patina is the better-looking failure mode.
How long does a luxury fit-out take?+
Six to ten months for a 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft flat. The extra time over a standard fit-out is in approvals, sample rounds, slab selection, bespoke manufacture and the snagging of tolerances that a conventional project would accept. Compressing it is what produces expensive-looking rather than luxurious work.