Renovating in Lausanne: the professional people call too late
In short
An interior designer in Lausanne plans and coordinates the layout of a space — distribution, light, materials, ergonomics — well beyond decoration. Budget 15 to 22% of the works cost for a renovation, or CHF 120 to 300 an hour. In Lausanne, the building's architectural heritage rating (a scale of 1 to 7) determines what is possible inside, sometimes before style even enters the conversation.
Most people call an interior designer once the quotes are in — when the budget slips or two contractors start blaming each other for a wall. It is almost always too late by then: the most expensive decisions — opening a partition, moving a kitchen, changing the layout — are made beforehand, on the plan, not on site.
Interior designer, decorator, architect: who does what
The three trades are regularly confused. The interior decorator works on the look of an existing space — colours, furniture, materials — without altering its structure, and needs no recognised diploma to practise. The interior designer shapes the space itself: layout, circulation, light, ergonomics, and coordinates the trades. The architect in the strict sense (EPFL training, SIA member) deals with the building envelope, the load-bearing structure and the shell. For an apartment renovation in Lausanne, it is usually the interior designer who leads.
- Rethinks the layout: partitions, openings, circulation, built-in storage
- Draws up the plans and the specification, and coordinates the contractors
- Trained at a university of applied sciences (HES-SO, ECAL in Lausanne); may be a VSI-ASAI member
- Relevant as soon as the layout is touched or the renovation goes deep
- Works on what exists: colours, furniture, textiles, lighting, styling
- Advises without changing the structure or the layout
- No compulsory diploma to practise the trade
- Relevant to refresh a space whose layout already works
What an interior designer in Lausanne actually does
A commission is not just a handsome 3D render. It unfolds in stages, and the essentials are settled long before the choice of materials.
Precise measurement of the existing space, mapping of constraints (load-bearing walls, ducts, ceiling heights) and of what the building's heritage rating allows.
Several layout scenarios, priced as ballpark figures, before any finish is chosen — this is where most of the budget is decided.
Final plans, material selection and a precise description forming the basis for genuinely comparable quotes.
Contractors put in competition on the same specification, offers analysed, a reasoned recommendation given.
Coordination of the trades, schedule and budget control, quality checks through to handover.
What an interior designer costs in the canton of Vaud
Since 2020 the SIA fee scale is no longer binding: fees are negotiated. In practice, for a full renovation commission, they most often sit between 15 and 22% of the works cost. On a time basis, expect CHF 120 to 300 an hour depending on the firm's profile and the complexity of the project. A one-off advisory job — a few sessions to validate a layout — is almost always billed hourly.
Interior designer fees — ballpark figures
- By percentage: the fee follows the works cost — transparent, but worth capping so it does not swell with the budget
- By the hour (CHF 120 to 300): suited to advisory work or small scopes
- Fixed fee: possible on a well-defined scope, it sets the amount in advance
- Always check: what the commission covers — whether construction management is included or not changes everything
A ballpark figure only holds once it is set against your apartment, your building and its heritage rating. Compare architects in your canton
The Lausanne factor: the heritage rating
This is the specificity that surprises Lausanne owners most. Every building in the canton of Vaud is given an architectural heritage rating, on a scale of 1 to 7, which sets its level of protection — and therefore what you are allowed to change, inside included.
Buildings eligible for listing as historic monuments. Protection covers the exterior AND the interior; any intervention goes through the heritage office (Direction des monuments et sites).
Genuine heritage interest but lighter oversight. Alterations remain possible, though supervised.
Wide freedom to alter, or even replace: the majority of Lausanne's investment buildings.
Objects with no particular heritage value, sometimes at odds with the setting; few or no constraints of this kind.
Beyond the rating, a purely internal renovation that touches neither the structure, nor the façade, nor the use can often qualify for an exemption handled directly by the municipality. As soon as a load-bearing wall, the façade or a protected building is involved, the file goes through CAMAC — 2 to 3 months in theory, often 6 to 9 months in practice. An interior designer who works regularly in Lausanne factors these timelines in from the preliminary design.
When to hire one — the earlier the better
The best time to call an interior designer is before you buy, and in any case before you request a single quote. On a plan, moving a bathroom costs a pencil stroke; on site, it costs weeks and several thousand francs. Bringing the professional in early also means avoiding a property whose heritage rating forbids precisely what you had in mind.
Opening a kitchen, creating a suite, gaining a room: as soon as partitions move, this is their job.
Lausanne building stock from before 1950, a low heritage rating: constraints are steered upfront, not mid-works.
A single specification and one point of site management stop everyone passing the blame around.
Built-in storage, furniture drawn for the space: this is designed with the plans, not after the fact.
How to choose: the questions to ask before signing
- Is the professional a member of VSI-ASAI (the Swiss association of interior architects) or university-trained?
- Can they show projects comparable to yours, completed in the Lausanne area?
- How are fees set — percentage, hourly or fixed — and what exactly do they include?
- Is construction management part of the deal, or does it stop at handing over the plans?
- Do they know the Vaud procedures: CAMAC, the heritage rating, asbestos survey for any building from before 1991?
A good interior project is judged by what you do not see: the square metres gained, the smooth circulation, the storage you stop noticing because it simply falls into place.
Common mistakes in Lausanne
Discovering heritage protection after the purchase or after the quotes means starting the project from scratch.
Without a shared specification, two offers for the same apartment can differ twofold without either being «wrong».
Most renovations exceed the budget by 15 to 25% because of what surfaces once the walls are open; set aside a 10 to 20% reserve.
Choosing colours before the layout is fixed means decorating a plan you will have to redo.
A project in Lausanne?
Describe your property and what you want to do with it — you will get a first read on feasibility, layout and a ballpark figure, before any commitment.
Describe my projectFAQ
The interior designer shapes the space itself — layout, partitions, circulation, light, ergonomics — and coordinates the contractors; they are trained at a university of applied sciences (HES-SO, ECAL). The decorator works on the look of an existing space (colours, furniture, textiles) without altering its structure and needs no recognised diploma. For a renovation that touches the layout, you need the interior designer.
For a full renovation commission, fees generally sit between 15 and 22% of the works cost. On a time basis, expect CHF 120 to 300 an hour depending on the firm and the complexity. Since the SIA scale is no longer binding as of 2020, these amounts are negotiated and vary from one project to the next — which is why it pays to have the scope of the commission spelled out.
A purely internal renovation that touches neither the structure, nor the façade, nor the use can often qualify for an exemption handled by the municipality. As soon as a load-bearing wall or the façade is involved, or the building is protected (heritage rating 1 to 3), the file goes through CAMAC, with a timeline of 2 to 3 months in theory, often 6 to 9 months in practice.
Every Vaud building is given a rating from 1 to 7 that sets its level of heritage protection. Ratings 1 and 2 protect the interior as well as the exterior and require sign-off from the heritage office; rating 3 falls under the cantonal inventory; from rating 4 onwards the freedom to alter is wide. Checking this rating before buying or designing avoids the late discovery that an intervention is forbidden.
As early as possible — ideally before the purchase, and in any case before requesting quotes. The most expensive decisions (layout, openings, moving wet rooms) are made on the plan; changing them mid-works costs weeks and several thousand francs. Getting involved upfront also frames feasibility against the heritage rating and the permit timelines.