The 10 Best Interior Designers in Tbilisi

Design documentation is priced per square metre of the apartment, not per hour. Local studios quoting in lari sit around 30 to 100 GEL per square metre. Studios quoting in dollars run from roughly $20 per square metre for layouts and technical drawings up to $40 to $50 once decoration and site supervision are included. On a 70 square metre flat that is broadly 2,000 to 9,000 GEL for the design package alone. Treat these as bands, because scope, revision rounds and how often the designer visits site all move the number.

Almost always, yes, and confusing the two is the most common budgeting error here. Design is quoted per square metre of floor area. The build is quoted separately, either per square metre or as a line-item estimate. Published 2026 figures for Tbilisi put a full renovation from black frame at roughly 400 to 600 GEL per square metre at budget level, 600 to 900 mid range, and 900 to 1,500 and above for premium finishes. Studios quoting in dollars describe a standard turnkey job at $350 to $550 per square metre with design included, so check which of the two numbers you are being given.

For a cosmetic refresh with no layout change, a competent crew and a clear reference image can be enough. You need drawings the moment you move walls, wet zones or electrics, because those mistakes are expensive and often irreversible. A design package also gives you something to hold a contractor to, namely a fixed layout, a lighting plan and a material schedule. If you are renovating a flat to rent out, a designer usually earns the fee by stopping you overspending on things tenants never notice.

Several studios on this list are built for it and one prices remote design at the same rate as on-site work. What matters is what arrives on a schedule, meaning photo or video updates, site visit reports, and a named person who answers in a language you read. Ask specifically who approves a substitution when a supplier cannot deliver a material, because that decision gets made in a day. Agree how supervision is billed, per visit or as a flat rate, before anyone starts.

At minimum, a measured plan, furniture layout, demolition and construction plans, electrical and lighting plans, a plumbing plan, floor and ceiling plans, and finishing schedules. Most studios add 3D visualisations of the main rooms. Procurement and author supervision are usually priced on top. Get the deliverable list in writing next to the fee, because a design project at $20 per square metre and one at $50 are not the same document set.

Ask to visit one completed project in person rather than only viewing renders. Ask for the legal entity name and identification number, then check it on the public registry. Ask who supervises the site and how often they actually attend. Then ask for two clients from the past year you can speak to. A studio with a genuine track record produces them quickly, and one that stalls has already answered the question.