For many interior designers, a large source of business comes from past and current client referrals. I mean, of course! Who better to ask when hiring someone to help with your most important investment (your home) than a trusted friend who’s actually gone through it with your company?

It goes without saying: having an amazing client experience will have clients referring you from the day they sign on to years after they work with you, so it’s important to focus on delivering your services in an elevated and thoughtful way from day one. This way, when it comes time to ask for a formal testimonial, your clients will already have been singing your praises all over town so the ask won’t be a difficult one. 

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If you’re anything like me, there’s a lot that needs to get done in your day for you to keep the odds stacked in your favor. Kids, pets, partners, homes, health, friends, family, school, travel…the list goes on and on, and I haven’t even mentioned work.

But here’s the truth (and a reminder I write in my journal just about daily):

I have time for the things that are important to me. 

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When you’re hit with the unexpected, it’s natural to spiral downward and feel out of control and hopeless. 

As a former wedding planner, I had to plan for the unexpected and also have a plan FOR handling the unexpected. Often the unexpected things I planned for (wine spilling on the bride’s dress, someone not rsvp’ing and then showing up anyway, fake eyelashes falling off, etc.) were never the things that actually happened (like how could I have planned for the wild goose that knocked over the chuppah, or the kitchen fire, or the cake table being invaded by ants, or the bridesmaid’s chiffon dress getting TAPED together and shredded before the ceremony ← PS: my brides never knew any of these things happened).

If I’ve learned one thing in life and business, mindset is everything.

In 2022, my team and I wrote 43 blog posts for interior designers (this one makes it 44). Today, I’m sharing the top ten blog posts for interior designers based on analytics (not thoughts and feelings), plus the two blog posts I enjoyed writing the most. 

Thank YOU for being here and reading my blog, The Weekly Install, and my Instagram posts.

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Growing up in the catering industry and later running my own wedding and event planning company, I learned that hosting is an art—one that’s just as much about experience as it is about execution. Every detail, from the way guests are greeted to how smoothly an event flows, influences how people feel.

And the same is true for your interior design client experience.

Just like a perfectly executed event, a well-run design process makes clients feel taken care of, guided, and confident in their decision to hire you. It’s not just about the finished space—it’s about the journey.

In this post, I’m sharing my unexpected hosting insights that translate seamlessly into your design business—how small shifts in communication, preparation, and presentation can elevate your process, set you apart from competitors, and ensure clients walk away raving about their experience.

Because whether you’re welcoming guests into your home or onboarding a new client, luxury isn’t about extravagance—it’s about how you make people feel.

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Most interior designers worry that following up too much will make them seem desperate. But what if I told you that not following up is the reason you’re losing potential clients?

Your prospects are busy, and in a sea of designers, the one who follows up professionally and strategically is the one who gets hired. So, how many times should you follow up? What should you say? And what’s the one email that turns indecisive prospects into paying clients?

I’m breaking it all down inside this article.

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This post was so popular, some other online folks shared it almost word for word, w/o permission. Get the original article here.

If you’ve been posting on Instagram with little success generating new business, OR you’re finding that being on Instagram is taking a toll on your mental health, it might be time to consider some new ways to market and grow your interior design business. 

Don’t get me wrong. I have clients with a solid marketing strategy for Instagram who book clients from the platform, generate revenue, and expand their reach. 

But, I often find that when our interior design clients rely SOLELY on Instagram as their key “marketing strategy” (and you know I adore you, but Instagram is a social platform, not a marketing strategy), they often experience a great deal of frustration. Not to mention, many don’t stop to consider whether their ideal clients are even on Instagram at all (many aren’t!).

So, if you’re an interior designer and your clients aren’t on Instagram, OR you’re tired of the algorithm, don’t want to do reels (which is what the platform has been prioritizing for almost four years), or go into a dark headspace anytime you’re on the app, then this article is for you.

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