BlogPost - Interior Design Community

Client management for designers, 9 practical moves when custom orders disappoint

Client management for designers, what to do when custom orders disappoint Custom orders are the heartbeat of our industry, and sometimes a custom piece arrives, and your client is not thrilled. This guide refreshes our original post for today’s design pros with concise steps you can take before, during, and after delivery. It maintains the […]

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Designer friendly brands, 7 non-negotiables real designers expect

Pricing and Profitability, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

Is Your Favorite Brand Actually Designer Friendly? In the Interior Design Community, we asked design pros a simple question that hits the heart of the business of interior design: what makes a brand truly designer-friendly? The response was loud and detailed. This piece draws directly on that real talk and offers interior designer tips for

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Client Texting Policy for Designers, Real Talk and Tactics from the Trade

Client Communication and Boundaries, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

Should Interior Designers Charge for Client Texts? The Trade Weighs In Picture this, you are in the middle of a site visit, knee deep in tile samples, when your phone buzzes. A client wants to know if their sofa fabric is kid-friendly. You answer quickly. Then another message comes through. And another. Before you know

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Pricing strategies for designers, what “Reasonably Priced” really means

Pricing and Profitability, BlogPost / Sharon Sherman

The Real Meaning of “Reasonably-Priced”: What Our Interior Design Community Had to Say Written by Sharon Sherman Designers hear it every week, “Are you reasonably priced?” This article unpacks real language you can use and practical pricing strategies for designers. It draws on insights from the Interior Design Community and is built to help you reframe

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Client Gifts: Hand Me Downs, Real Stories and Practical Tips

Client Communication and Boundaries, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

Design pros build deep relationships with clients, and sometimes those connections lead to generous gifts. This piece collects hand me downs from interior design clients, plus a short guide to accepting client gifts with clarity. It is part celebration, part practical advice, and all about the business of interior design. Hand Me Down stories from

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Interior Design Procurement, A Practical Playbook For Fewer Headaches And Happier Clients

Operations and Project Management, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

As design pros, we juggle dozens of items, multiple vendors, and shipping realities that do not care about install dates. Procurement will always carry some friction, so the goal is not perfection, it is a predictable process. Inside the Interior Design Community, we see the same patterns, concealed damage, wrong finish, off by an inch,

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Bookkeeping Red Flags for Interior Designers, Lessons from the Design Community

Pricing and Profitability, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

When Bookkeepers Go Bad, Lessons from the Design Community Money management is not glamorous; it is essential to the business of interior design. Inside the Interior Design Community, designers shared honest experiences with bookkeepers who missed the mark and sometimes crossed the line. This round-up highlights bookkeeping red flags for interior designers, plus steps to

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Hiring Employees for Interior Designers, A Complete Guide

Operations and Project Management, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

The snapshot, employees vs contractors Growing firms usually blend two paths, employees on payroll, and independent contractors for specialized or variable work. Employees give control, quality consistency, and culture. Contractors give flexibility and speed for seasons and specialties. The IRS weighs three areas when deciding status, behavioral control, financial control, and the type of relationship.

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The Projects Designers Are Most Proud Of, and Why They Still Matter

Client Communication and Boundaries, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

The business of interior design is not only proposals and punch lists, it is also the work that imprints on you. Inside the Interior Design Community we asked, which project are you most proud of, and why. We asked designers on @interiordesigncommunity to share the project that made them proud. The responses were not pageview

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What Tough Times Teach You About Running a Design Firm

Operations and Project Management, BlogPost / Laurie Laizure

Moving Forward in Tough Times Running a studio involves more than just taste; it’s the business of interior design. When projects stall and supply chains wobble, the weak spots in your systems become apparent. In this blog, designer Nikki Levy shares how a tough season became the catalyst to tighten processes, protect profit, and rebuild

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