Feeling Overwhelmed in Your Interior Design Business? Here’s Why—And How to Fix It

If you're constantly juggling projects, struggling to stay on top of client communication, or feeling like your business is running you instead of the other way around—you’re not alone.

The most successful interior designers have one thing in common: a clear, repeatable process for managing their business and client experience.

In this article, I’m breaking down:

• The top habits of million-dollar designers (that have nothing to do with talent)

• How your services may be contributing to overwhelm (and how to fix them)

• The exact steps to define your ideal client (without cheesy ICA exercises)

• Why your client experience process needs to come AFTER you refine your services

Ready to streamline your business and stop feeling buried in emails? Join The DTS Files to read the full article.

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Written July 2021 | Updated January 2025

When I start working with interior design business owners to streamline their operations, most of them have a contract they’ve been using for years. But as we review their client experience to figure out where things are broken, we almost always find ways to make that contract work harder. Not only to protect their business but also to make life easier for them and their clients.

While I’m not an attorney, I recommend reviewing your contract after every project to see if you need to tighten it up or make changes. (Because let’s be honest — every project presents its own set of challenges.)

A solid residential interior design contract is one of the very first ways to create a smoother, more professional, and more profitable business. If your contract terms don’t line up with your actual design process, or you’re unsure how to lean on your contract when something goes sideways, you’re setting yourself up for headaches later.

A solid residential interior design contract is one of the many steps to creating a seamless experience for you and your customers. If your contract terms aren’t aligned with your interior design process OR you’re unsure how to rely on your contract when issues pop up, you’ll eventually run into some bumps in the road.

My Favorite Interior Design Contract Terms

After working with 100+ interior designers and (jumping on calls with their attorneys to make sure their contracts were buttoned up), I’m sharing a few of my favorite terms that I often see missing from residential interior design contracts.

Interestingly enough, these are also the challenges my interior design business owner clients face that make running their business difficult.

Let’s dive in! 

01 | COMMUNICATION

This is one of the most important items you should specify in your residential interior design contract (this goes for ANY service provider, regardless of the industry)! Things get personal when you’re working closely with someone for an extended period of time, and boundaries can start to get fuzzy after a while.

Including a term about your communication policies allows you to proactively outline how and when clients should communicate with you to receive the most timely response.

• Want to stop getting text messages from clients around the clock? Put it in your contract.

• Don’t want to meet or have calls on evenings or weekends? Put it in your contract.

02 | THE CONTRACT TERM

If your clients think they have you forever, they won’t be in a rush to make decisions and that’s when your profitability takes a hit.

Spell out the length of your engagement and key milestones, even if you work hourly.

As the pro, you should know how long each phase of your interior design process will take, and to be of service to your clients, you should let them know how long their service will take (or at least provide estimates for key milestones).

📣 Tip: If every project and timeline is different, be sure to check out our Waitlist Workshop to learn the standard project timelines for various service offerings.

By including this term in your contract, if (and more often when) a project has delays because of something outside of your control, you have a way to ensure you are compensated for the additional time spent on the project.  

💡 Want the rest of my must-have clauses (and the exact language to use)?

Inside The DTS Files, I share my NINE must-have contract terms, WHY they are so important, and real-world examples of how to use them to prevent scope creep, handle late payments, and protect your time.

Get instant access here →

This is a common struggle I hear from interior designers ALL THE TIME. They wonder how they can create a process when every project and every client is so unique.

I get it!

The work we do with our interior design clients is highly individualized based on their challenges and needs. What works for a solo interior design business owner might not apply to a designer with a team of fifteen. And a team of fifteen has very different needs and challenges than a team of one does. 

So, how do you streamline your interior design process when every project is different?

I break it all down in this article.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Hate Sales Calls? Here’s How to Make Them Easier (and More Effective)

If sales calls make you nervous, drain your energy, or end up being “pick your brain” sessions with tire kickers, you’re not alone. But what if I told you that sales calls don’t have to be hard—and you don’t need to spend hours prepping for them?

With over 14 years of experience doing sales calls in the luxury service industry, I’ve developed a simple, no-fuss approach that eliminates the stress, screens out bad leads before the call even happens, and turns every conversation into an easy, natural way to connect with potential clients.

In this post, I’m breaking down exactly how to simplify your sales process so you can:

• Cut sales calls down to 15-20 minutes (without missing a thing)

• Pre-screen prospects so you only talk to ideal clients

• Send pricing & process details ahead of time so clients come prepared

• Hand off inquiries to a team member so you’re never stuck in price negotiations

Stop over-preparing, stop dreading the process, and start closing more sales with confidence. Access the full article inside The DTS Files.

Thinking about taking time off from your interior design business but worried about leaving clients hanging—or worse, losing future business? Whether it’s a summer slowdown, a holiday break, or a long-overdue reset, stepping away without disrupting your business takes careful planning.

In this article, I’m sharing how to structure your schedule, set client expectations, and use strategic processes to create a seamless experience before, during, and after your time off. Learn how to manage inquiries, maintain client relationships, and actually enjoy your break—without the stress of coming back to a mess.

Want to make time off feel effortless and profitable? Read the full post inside when you join The DTS Files.

The Best Software for Interior Designers Who Want a Seamless, Luxury Client Experience

Your clients expect white-glove service, seamless communication, and an effortless experience from start to finish.But if your back-end systems are messy, your client experience will feel anything but luxury.

After working with top interior designers to streamline their businesses, I’ve compiled a list of must-have software that will help you automate, organize, and elevate every client touchpoint—so you can provide a polished, high-end experience (without working 24/7).

• 💻 The best project management tool to keep designs, timelines, and tasks in check

• 📝 The CRM that makes proposals, contracts, and payments effortless

• 📹 The simple tool that adds a high-touch, personalized feel to every client interaction (literally WOULD NOT, COULD NOT do business without it)

• 📅 The scheduling software that eliminates endless email back-and-forth

…and several hidden gems that will free up your time while making your clients feel pampered, informed, and well taken care of.

Join The DTS Files to read the full article.

Is an Online Course Really What You Need? Read This Before You Buy.

Every year, I see interior designers set ambitious goals—finally getting organized, streamlining systems, rolling out a new service, hiring help, or getting consistent with marketing.

And yet, so many designers invest in courses that end up collecting dust in their inbox, untouched and underutilized. Why? Because a course alone won’t solve your biggest challenges if you don’t have time to implement what you’re learning.

Before you invest in another course, let’s talk about:

• The hidden costs of taking a course that most designers overlook

• How to determine if a course, group program, or 1:1 support is right for you

• Why some courses fail (and how to choose one that actually works for you)

If you’re ready to stop wasting time and money on courses you’ll never finish and invest in a solution that actually moves your business forward, join The DTS Files to read my advice.