Your vendor list should do more than look good. It should protect your timelines, your margins, and your sanity. You know that moment when a client says, “Can we just order it today?” and you are staring at your sourcing spreadsheet trying to remember which vendor actually ships complete, on time, and without a surprise […]
Stop Guessing, Start Sourcing: How to Build a Reliable Trade Vendor List Read More »
Your business has grown, but your trade pricing hasn’t kept up. Here’s how to approach the conversation professionally, with scripts, a meeting agenda, and strategies that protect both the relationship and your margins. You know the moment. Your studio is finally humming, projects are booking consistently, purchasing is steady, and then you realize your trade
How to Renegotiate Vendor Pricing Without Damaging the Relationship Read More »
You don’t need a huge portfolio to open trade accounts. You need the right paperwork, a smart strategy, and a phased approach that protects your time and your margin. You land your first real project, and the pressure hits fast. You want your client to get great product access and pricing. You want to look
Getting Trade Accounts as a New Interior Designer: What You Actually Need Read More »
You know the moment. You’re ready to present a fresh concept, the kind that makes a room breathe, and your client says: “But we’re keeping the dining set, the two overstuffed chairs, and that dresser. Can we just paint them?” The short answer from working pros: yes, often. The better answer: yes, with a framework,
Working with Client Furniture: How to Evaluate, Price, and Protect Your Design Vision Read More »
You can love eclectic sourcing and still run a sustainable business. The key is to set up a procurement model that works even when trade discounts are thin, inconsistent, or nonexistent. You know the moment. You find the perfect vintage piece, the scale is right, the patina is right, the room finally clicks, and then
Cost Plus Isn’t Always Below Retail: Pricing Designer Procurement Beyond Trade Discounts Read More »
When your team is busy, your calendar is tight, and you still want alignment, a vision board session can work if it produces real outputs. Here’s a structure you can run in 90 minutes, plus the follow-up that turns inspiration into goals and decisions. There’s a point in every design firm’s year when everyone is
How to Run a Team Vision Board Session That Turns Into Real Goals Read More »
Guest Blog by Wendy Estela Esq. As an attorney, I’ve drafted hundreds of interior design contracts, and I can tell you that the most contentious disputes I see don’t happen during the project. They happen when a project ends early. One reason is usually vague language about deliverables. Here’s what I see all the time:
The Deliverables Problem: Why This One Word Is Costing Designers Thousands Read More »
How Much Time Should Interior Designers Spend on Social Media? If social media is taking time you meant to spend on client work, you do not need more willpower. You need a clear purpose for the channel, a weekly time cap, and a small set of metrics you review on schedule. You open Instagram to
Vintage sourcing is one of those things clients love in theory, until you need a decision in 20 minutes. You spot the perfect piece, the kind that gives a room depth and story. You know it solves the scale problem, or brings the patina that new items cannot. The listing says it will sell fast,
Buying Vintage on a Deadline: Budgets, Boundaries, and Approvals Read More »
A designer + GC partnership can make projects smoother and more profitable, or it can blur responsibility and create unnecessary stress and expense. The difference is clarity on roles, money, risk, and how you’ll exit if life changes. You and your contractor click. The site runs calmer when you’re both involved, decisions get made faster,
Designer + GC Partnership: Roles, Money, and Risk Before You Team Up Read More »
