Most architecture and interior design websites are portfolios. A grid of beautiful finished rooms, a short about page and a contact form. That works well for showing taste. It works less well for a homeowner deciding who to trust with a renovation that will take most of a year and happen inside the place they live.
A homeowner choosing a studio is not only asking "do I like their work?" They are asking "will this project run smoothly, will I know what is happening, and who do I call when something goes wrong?" A website that answers those questions wins more of the right enquiries.
Why a grid of finished rooms is not enough
Finished photos show the end result. They do not show:
- What the house looked like before
- How long the project took
- How decisions were made along the way
- Who was responsible for each part of the work
- How problems were handled
For a renovation client, those are the worries. Many have heard stories of projects that ran over time and budget, contractors who disappeared and designers who were hard to reach once the drawings were done. A portfolio grid cannot reassure them about any of that.
One house, told properly
Instead of twenty projects shown with one photo each, consider telling the story of one project in full. A single case study can include:
- The brief: who the clients were, what they wanted and what constraints they had, such as budget, planning rules or living in the house during works
- The before: photos or drawings of the starting point
- The design: the key decisions and why you made them
- The build: how long it took, any problems and how they were solved
- The result: finished photos, with notes on what changed for the clients
Use real figures where you can, such as the duration of the project, and get the client's permission for anything you share. A well-told case study shows how you work, not only what you produce.
Keep the wider portfolio too. The case study goes first, and a smaller selection of other projects follows for visitors who want to see range.
The process in stages
Renovation clients want to know what will happen and when. Lay out your process in clear stages. Many practices use three or four, such as:
1. Brief and survey. Understanding the house, the clients and the budget.
2. Design and approvals. Drawings, materials, planning or building permissions where needed.
3. Build. Construction, with regular site updates.
4. Finishing and handover. Fit-out, snagging and handing over the keys.
For each stage, explain what the client does, what you do, how long it usually takes and what they receive at the end. If you charge fees by stage, this is a good place to explain that.
Who is accountable
One of the most reassuring things a studio can say is who is responsible for what. If you are a design-and-build practice, say clearly that one team runs the project from first sketch to final fitting. If you work with outside contractors, explain how you manage them and who the client's single point of contact is.
Introduce the people. A short profile for each person a client will deal with, with a photo, their role and their background, helps a homeowner picture working with you.
A short letter from the studio founder can also work well. A few paragraphs on why the studio works the way it does, written plainly, often says more than a list of services.
An enquiry form that qualifies
Renovation studios often get enquiries that are not a good fit: projects that are too small, too far away or too early. A contact form with only name, email and message cannot filter these.
An enquiry form that qualifies asks:
- Where the property is
- What kind of project it is, such as an extension, a full renovation or an interior refit
- Rough budget range
- When they would like to start
- Whether they own the property and whether planning permission is needed or in place
- How they heard about you
This saves time on both sides. You can reply quickly to strong enquiries and politely redirect the rest. Say what happens after someone submits the form, such as "We reply within three working days and arrange a call if the project fits."
Setting up Stonefold
Stonefold is a Framer template for architecture studios, interior designers and design-and-build practices. It is built on the idea of one accountable team, from first sketch to final fitting. Rather than a portfolio grid, it is built to earn a homeowner's trust before they enquire.
It includes:
- A one-house case study
- A three-stage process
- A services slider
- A studio letter
- A qualified enquiry form
- A built-in setup guide with nine steps and a pre-publish checklist
- Layouts hand-tuned for desktop, tablet and phone
It costs $49, with free updates through your remix link.
One important step before you publish: point the enquiry form at your own email address. It ships demo-safe, so this is step one of the setup guide and takes about a minute. Skip it and enquiries will not reach you.
To set it up, choose the project that best shows how you work and use it for the case study. Adapt the three stages to your process, write the studio letter in your own voice, and adjust the enquiry form questions to match the projects you want.
See our lists of Framer templates for architects and Framer templates for interior designers for other options.
Getting found
Most homeowners search with a place and a project in mind, such as "kitchen extension architect [town]" or "interior designer [city]". Mention the areas you work in and the types of project you take on in plain text on your site. Give your case study a descriptive title that includes the location and project type. Keep your Google Business Profile complete with photos and a link to the site.
A renovation is one of the largest things most homeowners will ever spend money on. Your website will not do the selling alone, but it can show, before the first meeting, that you know how to run the project and that someone will answer the phone.