The contractor was charming right up until he ghosted her. A designer in our community told me this story. She met with a general contractor for coffee to discuss partnering on a series of remodels. He had seen her work online and “loved her refined process.” “Walk me through how you run a project,” he […]
Protect Your Interior Design Process: 9 Ways to Handle Contractor Copycats Read More »
Contractor bids for interior designers can feel like a tightrope walk. Your client wants “transparency,” your trusted GC wants their time respected, and you want bids you can actually compare without turning your project into a free-for-all. This guide gives you a clean, repeatable way to run the contractor bid process like a pro. You’ll
Contractor Bids for Interior Designers: 6 Steps to Compare Estimates Read More »
When I ask designers this question inside Interior Design Community, the answers come fast. You can almost feel people exhaling. Picture this. It is 11:37 p.m., you are sitting at your kitchen table with a laptop that sounds like a small airplane, half a glass of grocery store red, and an inbox full of “quick
If You Started Your Interior Design Business Today, What Would You Do Differently? Read More »
Project photos are the fuel for your portfolio, website, and social feeds. They are also photos of real people, real homes, and real lives. So what happens when a dream client says, “Please do not post this online”? In the Interior Design Community, this question comes up in conversations about the business of interior design and client
Client Photo Privacy: How To Handle “No Photos” Requests Gracefully Read More »
If you have been in the business of interior design for more than five minutes, you have heard some version of this line: “We do not really have a budget, we just want to see what it costs.” Inside the Interior Design Community, this comes up all the time. Design pros are trying to create
When Clients Say “We Don’t Have a Budget”: Real Talk for Interior Designers Read More »
Author: Guest post by Shannon Ggem, Principal Designer, Ggem Design Studio As interior designers, the brands we specify reflect our values. At Ggem Design Studio, we are not just curating beautiful rooms, we are choosing which companies we invite into our clients’ homes and into our own workflow. Our brand vetting standards are one of
How Interior Designers Vet Brands Before They Specify Them Read More »
Interior Design Community Exclusive: High Point Market 2025 Where Innovation Meets Emotion High Point Market has always been a source of inspiration and innovation, but this season, it transcended trends to become a full-on movement. From warm palettes and layered materials to a stunning integration of kitchen and bath into the interior design conversation, what
High Point Market 2025 Recap, Natural Elegance, Mixed Metals, NKBA at Broad Hall Read More »
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
Client management for designers, 9 practical moves when custom orders disappoint Read More »
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
Designer friendly brands, 7 non-negotiables real designers expect Read More »
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
Client Texting Policy for Designers, Real Talk and Tactics from the Trade Read More »
