Full-Service Design vs Single-Room Residency.
Cerro Studio offers four engagement models. Two of them — Full-Service and Single-Room — cover most of what people ask about. Picking the right one is usually clearer than people think.
Full-Service Design
Cerro Studio's whole-home engagement. 14–24 months. One principal designer end-to-end, six phases, full FF&E, year of post-occupancy care.
Single-Room Residency
Cerro Studio's fixed-scope, fixed-fee engagement for one room — kitchen, primary suite, library, or considered living room. 10–14 weeks.
Full-Service Design is the core Cerro Studio engagement: 14–24 months, one principal designer end-to-end, the six-phase process from Discovery through Living In, full FF&E, full procurement, and a year of post-occupancy care. Design fees start at $180,000 and scale with project size, complexity, and FF&E budget. About 80% of the studio's bookings each year are Full-Service engagements.
Single-Room Residency is a fixed-scope, fixed-fee engagement for one room — typically a kitchen, primary suite, library, or considered living room. The fee starts at $38,000 for the room itself, plus FF&E budget. Timeline is 10–14 weeks from kickoff to delivery. The principal designer is still on the project; the work is just compressed to a single room with one site visit and a focused decision pace.
The decision is usually a function of scope, timeline, and budget. If you have a whole house that needs interior design — a renovation, an addition, a new build, or a previously-built home that wants comprehensive treatment — Full-Service is the right engagement. If you have a single room that needs a complete reset and the rest of the house can stay where it is, Single-Room is the right engagement.
The dimensions that matter.
| Dimension | Full-Service | Single-Room |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Whole home — every room, every system | One room — fully designed and delivered |
| Timeline | 14–24 months | 10–14 weeks |
| Design fee | From $180,000 | From $38,000 |
| FF&E budget | Set in Discovery; typically $500K–$3M+ | Set in week one; typically $40K–$200K |
| Principal involvement | End-to-end through all six phases | Kickoff, design review, install, walk-through |
| Custom millwork and lighting | Yes — drawn and specified throughout | Yes — within the room scope |
| Post-occupancy care | 12 months of Living In support | 30-day walk-through and warranty period |
| Best fit | Whole-home renovations, ground-up new builds, complete refreshes | Single-room resets, post-renovation styling, holiday-ready primary suites |
- Whole-home renovation or ground-up new build
- Multi-room program that needs to feel coordinated
- FF&E budget over $400,000
- 12+ month timeline available
- Want a single point of accountability for the entire home
- One room that needs a complete reset
- Rest of the home can stay as-is
- FF&E budget under $200,000 for the room
- Need delivery in under four months
- Want to test the studio before a larger engagement
Many Single-Room engagements become Full-Service over time — clients use the first room as a way to assess whether the studio is the right fit, then expand the engagement. Cerro Studio explicitly designs Single-Room as a possible entry point to a longer relationship; the design language and procurement standards are identical to Full-Service.
What people ask.
What's the difference between Full-Service and Single-Room Residency?
Full-Service is the whole-home engagement: 14–24 months, all six phases, full FF&E, one principal end-to-end. Single-Room Residency is the fixed-scope, fixed-fee engagement for one room: 10–14 weeks, $38K starting fee, one principal still leads but the timeline and scope are compressed.
Can I start with Single-Room and upgrade to Full-Service?
Yes — and many clients do. Single-Room is explicitly designed as a possible entry point to a longer relationship. The design language, procurement standards, and principal involvement are identical, just compressed in scope. About 30% of Single-Room engagements convert to Full-Service within 12 months.
How much does a single-room interior design project cost at the luxury tier?
Cerro Studio's Single-Room Residency starts at $38,000 for design fee, plus FF&E budget (typically $40K–$200K depending on the room and finish level). Total cost for a fully-delivered single-room reset typically runs $80K–$240K including everything from custom millwork to art coordination.
How long does a luxury whole-home interior design engagement take?
Cerro Studio Full-Service engagements run 14–24 months from Discovery through Living In. Discovery is 4–6 weeks; Concept is 6–10 weeks; Design Development is 12–18 weeks; Procurement is 10–20 weeks (overlapping with construction); Installation is 2–4 weeks; Living In is the 12-month post-occupancy phase.
Is Studio Consult cheaper than Single-Room Residency?
Yes — Studio Consult is $4,800 flat for a half-day on site with the principal designer, fully credited toward a future engagement. Single-Room Residency is the next tier up at $38,000 starting fee with full design and delivery for one room. Plan Review is the lowest-friction starting point at no cost.
We'll help you decide.
If you're weighing this decision on your own project, send your plans (or just your context) and the principal designer will return a written assessment within five business days. Free, no obligation.