Redefining Design, Sharon Sherman on Educating Designers and Growing Profit

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Design is evolving fast, and so are expectations on creative entrepreneurs. In this refreshed feature, we share insights from Sharon Sherman, the designer behind Thyme & Place Design in Bergen County, New Jersey. Sharon blends artistry with operations, and her message to the trade is simple: You can serve clients sincerely and run a profitable company at the same time.

Sharon Sherman’s path to running her own studio

Sharon spent two decades inside a high-end design-build firm, cutting her teeth on multifamily developments while managing complex scopes across several states. When a leadership role she had earned was handed to someone else, she chose the scary option, she left and launched her own firm. The leap was not glamorous, she had two young kids, a skeptical spouse, and no borrowed client lists. Her past clients still found her, and within two years, she was back to her prior income level. She is clear about how she defines profitability, revenue from day one is not the same as matching a prior salary once you account for expenses, but the business traction was immediate.

Why she is educating designers

After years in the field, Sharon noticed the same pattern at events and inside designer communities, kitchen and bath pros were losing scope to interior designers, and interior designers wanted to break into kitchens and baths. She is a process-first thinker; the first things she built for her own studio were a business plan and a marketing strategy, and she believes design is a business. Emotion matters, but if you are not selling, you are not a business. Her mission now is to help designers expand their services with confidence, so they are not limited to a subcontractor role on their own projects.

The furnishings opportunity for K&B pros

Sharon’s rallying cry is practical, expand beyond cabinets and tile. If you have already shaped the flow, storage, and lighting, finishing rooms with furnishings is a natural extension. Specify counter stools clients actually want to sit in, choose tables and chairs that fit real bodies, and pick lighting that is beautiful and cleanable above an island. Treat sourcing like the technical work you already do, sit in pieces, touch finishes, and avoid fragile fabrics in heavy-use zones. You do not have to be everywhere, you do need a shortlist of trade partners who back you with service, shipping, and damage resolution.

Process over heroics

What makes interiors daunting for many kitchen and bath pros is not the work, it is the lack of a repeatable process. Sharon maps the path from consult to install and standardizes approvals, purchase orders, and site rules, so decisions do not pile up and creativity does not stall. She does not shop retail highways, she works with the trade showrooms and lines she knows, and she is clear with clients about how she specifies and why. If clients want to buy some retail pieces, they can, with guardrails, and she will not take on warranty headaches for items she did not source.

Sales is service

Many creatives recoil at the word’ sales,’ but Sharon reframes it. If clients pay you for ideas and products, you are selling, and the most ethical form of selling is understanding people, meeting them where they are, and guiding them to a result that fits their budget and life. That mindset frees designers to price with purpose and to communicate value without apology. Her career-long toolkit encompasses contracts, interviewing, pricing, and conflict management —the unglamorous skills that make the glamorous work possible.

Learn the market, then teach what you know

Sharon treats markets like a lab. She visits showrooms that welcome designers of every revenue level, tracks changes in hardware, colors, and textures, and notes which vendors ship reliably, customize products, and provide support. Her wish list includes guided routes for first-time kitchen and bath attendees at High Point, with a handful of stops that actually serve their projects. Back home, she takes those learnings into classrooms and conference rooms, sharing standards and templates that compress learning curves for working designers.

Collaboration without turf wars

Is expanding into furnishings stepping on toes? In Sharon’s view, there is room for everyone. In her area, several strong firms specialize in kitchens and baths, and none of them are short on work. She does not pitch every room in a house; she focuses on projects where built-ins, millwork, and cabinetry anchor the scope, then adds furnishings when the fit is right. If an interior designer is already leading a home and bringing a cabinet specialist into the team, great. Partnerships work best when roles are clear and the client ends up with a cohesive space.

The future of kitchen design

The gray and white default is fading. Sharon sees clients personalizing again, designing for themselves rather than a hypothetical buyer. Color is back, wellness is front and center, and technology is getting smarter. From circadian-friendly lighting to leak detection to smarter ventilation, performance is catching up to aesthetics. She also sees emerging tools, including AI, nudging the industry toward more responsive spaces and even health-aware features in everyday products.

Boundaries that protect the work

A quick snapshot of Sharon’s boundaries shows how process protects profitability. She charges for consultations, qualifies clients before visiting the site, and sets clear expectations for sourcing and service to avoid any surprises. For projects that are a match, she is fully committed, often designing the cabinetry, millwork, and countertops alongside window treatments, soft goods, and accessories, then managing the installation with the contractor to ensure a seamless finish.

Listen to the conversation with Sharon Sherman

Hear Sharon’s full story, from the leap to entrepreneurship to her take on sales and legacy, on the To-The-Trade interior design podcast. It is a brilliant listen for designers who want real talk on growth, scope expansion, and the business of design.

The Interior Designer’s Ultimate Guide to Kitchen & Bath Business Success: 

Pricing and Profitability