That’s a spot-on question 👍 — because in luxury interiors, materials and décor (Italian marble, premium veneers, designer lights, imported furniture, luxury fabrics) can eat up 30–50% of your budget. Designers in Delhi NCR often have vendor tie-ups, and whether they pass on the benefit or keep it as their margin makes a huge difference.
✅ How Luxury Vendor Tie-Ups Usually Work
🔹 1. Direct Discounts for Clients
- Designer has tie-ups with brands like:
- Luxury furniture → Natuzzi, Stanley, BoConcept, Good Earth, Beyond Designs.
- Stone & Surfaces → Classic Marble, R K Marble, Antolini.
- Lighting → Flos, Artemide, Moooi, Klove Studio, Bhagirath Palace premium.
- Fabrics & Wallpapers → D’Decor, RR Décor, Sabyasachi by Nilaya, Arte.
- Vendors give designer 10–20% trade discount, which some pass directly to clients.
🔹 2. Designer Retains Discount as Margin
- Some designers keep the discount as their sourcing margin.
- Example: Sofa MRP ₹5,00,000 → vendor gives designer at ₹4,25,000 → designer still bills client ₹5,00,000. 🚩
🔹 3. Shared Benefit
- Ethical designers sometimes split the discount (e.g., client gets 10%, designer keeps 10%).
- Transparent and fair.
💡 What You Should Ask Your Designer
- Do you have tie-ups with luxury vendors (furniture, lighting, marble, fabrics)?
- Do you pass on trade discounts to clients or keep them?
- Will I get original vendor invoices with GST for high-ticket items?
- Do you charge a sourcing fee instead of keeping hidden discounts?
- Can we visit vendors together so I know actual prices?
⚠️ Red Flags
- Designer resists showing you vendor invoices 🚩.
- Only insists on buying through them, not directly.
- Pushes brands without giving you options/alternatives.
✅ Pro Tip
- Always insist on transparent invoicing from vendors.
- It’s okay if designer charges a sourcing/consultation fee (₹10k–₹50k per trip) — at least it’s upfront.
- On luxury purchases (₹10L+), even a 10% discount passed on saves you a huge amount.
👉 Do you want me to draft a “Vendor Discount Transparency Clause” (sample contract text) that you can insert in your agreement, so you’re guaranteed to get invoices directly from vendors and clarity on who keeps the discount?