Dear Dakota: My Clients Won’t Invest in Furniture or Styling. What Am I Doing Wrong?
We received a message for our Dear Dakota Series and I know many interior designers struggle with this exact same thing.
“I’m an interior designer in a small town and have been doing it for two years now, and I cannot get a client to buy into the furniture and styling phase of my design process. They either say ‘I already have everything from our current home’ or ‘I can do that myself later, we ran out of money.’ I really want to start building a high-end portfolio, but I can’t do that if clients won’t let me install and style. What am I doing wrong? HELP!!”
If you read that and felt déjà vu … you’re in good company. I have some advice to help you start landing the portfolio-worthy projects you want, while still serving your regular clients between those bigger jobs.
01 | PRICE THE PROJECT AROUND THE END RESULT.
One reason this may be happening without having any information beyond what was shared via our form is that you may currently be billing your services at an hourly rate and without a clear scope of work. Meaning: you’re doing work on demand with no “end goal” of a finished space for you or your client.
When I see clients NOT go all in on furnishings after presentation, it’s generally because:
The project is being delivered in phases that feel à la carte (and therefore optional), and/or
The design fees are too low to have the client fully buy in or care about the furnishings presented
Your design fees for your full service clients should include ALL the services you provide in order for them to have a fully styled, completed, furnished space at the end.
So EVEN IF you bill hourly, you should still:
Prepare a clear scope of work that covers EVERYTHING to get them a fully furnished and styled space, and
Set a large enough retainer to cover yourself even if they don’t invest in the furnishings.
A well-defined scope reiterates and anchors the expectation that the project ends with a finished room. That is, afterall, what they’re paying you for.
02 | REFRAME YOUR OFFER SO THE ONLY WAY TO WORK WITH YOU IS TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
If you say yes to clients who don’t want to invest in furnishings and styling, you’re choosing to build a portfolio of unfinished work.
^^^ That’s a business choice, not a client problem.
The work you want to do depends entirely on the choices you make before the project ever begins. If clients aren’t buying furnishings and styling, it’s likely because they’re being given the impression that part is optional at some point in your process.
So how to prevent that?
Don’t present furnishing design as a separate phase with a separate contract and fee.
Don’t present styling as an optional add-on.
Don’t show a design presentation that suggests the space could be “done” without furnishings and your finishing touch.
Don’t skip over talking about the ENTIRE process
Clients follow where you lead. If you hesitate, they hesitate. If you offer flexibility, they’ll take it.
As an interior designer, you are not in the business of making do with what exists.
You are in the business of creating what does not yet exist.
If a client doesn’t want that, they are not a fit for your full service design.
03 | TALK ABOUT THE FURNITURE BUDGET EARLIER
If you wait until the design presentation to mention furnishings, you’re introducing a huge investment after your client has mentally spent everything on hard finishes.
Instead, talk about the investment EARLY.
In your investment guide, during your discovery call, in your proposal, in your contract.
For example, on the discovery call:
“For a project your size, my clients usually invest X–Y in furnishings and styling. That’s what creates a finished home like the ones you were drawn to in our portfolio.”
This does two things:
It prevents the “We’re out of money” surprise later.
It screens out clients who aren’t a good fit for your full-service offer. You can either decline them or funnel them into a smaller, more appropriate service
04 | UNDERSTAND THAT SMALLER MARKETS REQUIRE MORE EDUCATION
In small towns, many clients have never worked with a designer, let alone purchased furnishings from anywhere but the local Costco.
🫠🫠🫠
They might think buying furniture is:
optional
something they can DIY
something their current furniture can “mostly cover”
something they can do whenever the time is right
That’s where your expertise comes in.
You have to show them (through marketing, case studies, your investment guide, before + afters) that the magic of a beautiful, unique space happens with furnishings and accessories.
Your market won’t understand full-service design until someone teaches them WHY it’s important or what can be possible with it beauty and function wise.
That someone is you. 👏
BUT WHAT ABOUT CLIENTS WHO TRULY CANNOT AFFORD FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSORIES?
You don’t have to lose those clients, compromise your full-service model, or lower your standards.
There are GREAT alternate services you can offer that don’t dilute the value of your full-service work.
Here are two of my faves:
OPTION 1: OFFER A “FINISHING TOUCHES” DESIGN DAY
A Design Day can be tailored to clients who already have their big pieces but still want the room to feel cohesive and polished.
Your Finishing Touches Design Day might include selecting:
New window treatments
A properly scaled rug
Lamps and lighting
Artwork
Accessories
Pillows
You may also offer an upgrade where you’ll style the space once all the finishing touches arrive.
And, this is important! Most of those finishing touch items have great margins!
This quick turnaround, mini service lets them “keep their furniture” but still experience the magic of a finished room. And, because you’re layering, not furnishing from scratch, it’s much more budget-friendly for them.
This is a great bridge service to offer clients who don’t have the budget for full service or don’t see the value in it.
Check out our Design Day Templates here for more info on offering this service in an elevated way.
OPTION 2: OFFER AN ADVISORY-ONLY CONSULTING PACKAGE
This is a structured, premium offer where clients get your expertise BUT not your execution.
This might look like:
A standalone block of hours or scheduled single sessions
A set rate (higher than your effective hourly rate from full-service projects)
Support with guidance, direction, troubleshooting, material reviews, layout advice, etc.
No deliverables, no sourcing, no drawings, no purchasing, no install
This service allows clients with smaller budgets to still benefit from your creativity and your brain but, without pulling you into a partial full-service project that won’t result in portfolio-quality work.
And because it’s clearly defined, clients will respect the boundaries and you'll be able to properly funnel clients into one of the three services you offer that works best for them.
Full Service - highest budget, minimal work for the client
Design Day - mid to low budget, moderate work for the client unless they upgrade
Designer by Your Side/Paid Design Advice Consult - budget doesn’t matter to you’re offering advice only (Check out our Paid Design Advice Consult Templates here)
