2025 will be a milestone year for me, God willing, because it is the year I will turn the same age my dad was when he lost his very short battle with cancer. 

He died when I was 17, and back then, 44 seemed SO old. My dad owned a popular restaurant and catering business and a beautiful home, had five kids, was happily married to my mom, and was a powerful, charismatic presence. 

Now, as I approach the same age, I realize just how young he was and how his life was really just beginning. 

Losing him at such a young age has given me a unique perspective on how precious my time is and has majorly impacted my priorities. It is also why I spend time every Friday reflecting on how I spend my time every single week. 

As I plan for 2025, I reviewed all my notes over the past year and noticed some consistent themes of things I didn’t enjoy or realizations I had that I ignored for MONTHS. 

And this is NOT the year for me to hold onto anything that does not serve me. 

So, in honor of my dad, one of my all-time favorite humans in the entire world and the person who has had the most significant impact on who I am today, here are the 11 things I’m saying BYEEEEE to in 2025. (in no particular order) …

In 2024, my team and I wrote 49 original blog posts for interior designers (this one makes it 50). That’s a big dip from 2023, when we wrote 90 original posts (based on our own experience!!). What can I say? We love nothing more than sharing insights to help interior designers improve their business operations and client experience.

While we didn’t write as many blog posts this year, we introduced plenty of new ways to help interior designers through our trainings in The Workroom. This year’s highlights included:

• Beyond Retail: Increase Revenue + Profits by Selling Wholesale Furnishings

• Elevate Your Design Presentation live training 

• Mastering Asana for Interior Designers

• Permits to Punchlists: Essential Construction Training, Management, & Pricing Tips for Interior Designers 

And I can’t forget to mention the three cohorts of our signature program, The Designed to Scale® Method. What an honor to help so many designers through my tried & true framework. 

If you haven’t had a chance to dive into those resources linked above, I highly recommend checking them out. In the meantime, don’t miss our 10 most popular blog posts of 2024. These are the posts that resonated most with our community of interior designers—each one thoughtfully crafted, 100% human-written, with no shortcuts or AI assistance here.

And, of course, a huge thank you for being here, reading my blog, The Weekly Install®, The Design Brief™, and my Instagram posts. 

YOU fuel everything we do.

Alright, let’s count down the top 10 posts of the year.

As an interior designer, when a client trusts you - THAT.IS.EVERYTHING!

And we also know that project lines can often get blurred.

Sometimes, this is fine. Designers can easily expand the scope to add in a selection or two. Other times, it’s not. Projects become overwhelming, and there is no end in sight.

I have my own recommendations on how to handle scope creep to ensure it’s a positive experience for both the client and the design business. But, we also wanted to hear from designers on this topic so we asked designers to share their own experiences and philosophies on scope creep. We are so excited to share their responses (with their permission).

Learn how designers handle scope creep, whether hosting a proposal meeting is helpful in reducing scope creep, and the contract terms to include to make sure you’re covered when (not if) this happens. Plus get tips from ten designers on what they do and say to clients when scope is added to a project.

Dear Dakota,

What do you do when your client goes to your supplier and gets access to your trade pricing by pretending to work at your design company? I landed my dream job working on a penthouse with a fantastic client. I used all the Dakota Design Co. templates to set up the process, including contract terms and conditions. The client was great to work with, she always paid on time, and we got to know each other quite well. She's paid me in full for the initial contract but has been waiting on bespoke furniture orders that have been delayed in customs. I've been communicating with her about these pieces and was working with her on some additional work for wall paneling and custom desks. She emailed me yesterday to say she followed up on her two furniture pieces with the two different suppliers because she “didn't want to bother me” and got invoices from both. Now she's asking me why there is a difference between what she paid and what I paid to the supplier!

Needless to say, I am furious with the suppliers for providing this information to my client and for putting me in this awkward position. They are not my standard vendors, but the client requested I use them. To resolve this problem, I spoke with both suppliers who were extremely apologetic, one even sent an email to the client explaining the price discrepancy as an order fee. I've explained to my client that my design fees are set at a competitive rate and I do not offer my trade pricing to clients. As a gesture of goodwill, I offered her credit for the delivery fee on the other piece of furniture which is about to be delivered, but now she wants to cancel this order even though I do not accept refunds on bespoke orders, as stated in the contract that she signed. 

She then returned some of the ordered furniture that she slightly damaged along with some accessories purchased from my showroom. To maintain what was initially a great relationship, I accepted these returns and offered her credit minus admin fees and a reduced rate for the damaged pieces. I applied these credits to the bill for my additional work and communicated with my client kindly and respectfully throughout the whole project process as I would like to keep her happy because I wanted to photograph her home since the final products came out so beautifully. What should I do to prevent this from happening in the future?

Join The DTS Files to get my advice and insights.

Taking extended time off from your interior design business when you’re the CEO and principal designer can feel daunting. You've put your heart and soul into building your reputation, taking care of clients, solving issues, and marketing your services. You've likely been involved in every.single.thing that happens in your business daily, weekly, and monthly.

Most interior designers start their own business for more freedom, flexibility, and control over their schedules. Yet, as businesses grow, it can feel impossible to take time off because so much of what you do isn't documented. The feeling that, “If I take time off, everything will come to a screeching halt” is often true—if you don’t plan properly.

Whether you’re planning for maternity leave, a fully unplugged vacation, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip, with the right preparation, your business can run smoothly while you’re away. It may even thrive with the tips in this article, benefiting your company, your team, and your bottom line for years to come.

So, whether it's you, the CEO, preparing for time off, or one of your team members, follow these steps to ensure a smooth transition and that your business and clients are well cared for while you enjoy your time away.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota, 

Do you have tips for managing the not-quite-end of a renovation project? This is when things start to unravel. Clients get anxious and start to micromanage because they're exhausted and overwhelmed. It's not a pleasant experience for anyone involved

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota, 

We charge a flat fee for Phase I and Phase II of our interior design services, and don't charge a service fee for the purchasing phase. Our flat fee pricing is contingent upon the client agreeing to purchase furniture through our vendors. We offer this arrangement to secure the entire project and ensure that clients buy all the required items from us.

Recently, we encountered a new challenge with a client. Although she loves the design and we are within budget, she expressed intentions to sell the custom home and not purchase furnishings at all. 

It’s been two months since we presented the design, and she hasn't signed the contract yet. I've contacted her multiple times, but she has only responded regarding ongoing contract work, not the furniture purchase. 

In my current contract, I have a provision that allows me to charge the client a fee of a specific % if the client removes items from the scope that were originally presented with a cost and within budget. I'm curious to know if your contract includes anything similar or if it has provisions to make it ironclad in such cases.

While this particular project is already underway, I'm concerned about handling similar situations in the future. Do you have any advice?

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.