Landing a large interior design project comes with many benefits, the most obvious of which is a corresponding large fee! A large project may also provide marketing opportunities (new, fabulous project photos for your website, getting published, referral opportunities from higher-end clients, working with reputable builders or seasoned architects, etc.). Many designers feel a large project is also the best opportunity to really flex their creative muscle by having the chance to execute innovative ideas at a grand scale and generally from start to finish.

But large projects can also feel risky. You’ll likely need to turn away other work, you may have an extended timeline that’s difficult to pinpoint, there may be significant unknowns, you may need to rely more heavily on your team, and you may need to pivot many times as you work through all the phases. And then there is that anxiety that comes along with biting off something that feels daunting: Yikes, how will I EVER get this done!?!?!?!?

I know a large project for some may not be a large project for others, so here are a few definitions:

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

If you’re like every other interior design business owner out there, you have likely established an income goal for the year. Maybe it’s BIG. Maybe it’s a stretch. Or maybe it’s safe, achievable, something you know you’ll be able to hit because prior year data indicates you will. 

Whatever that number is doesn't really matter. What matters is whether you have the right projects and activities mapped out to achieve those numbers.

If you’re an interior designer trying to break down your financial goals into actionable steps, I’m going to show you how you can reverse engineer those goal numbers to come up with a solid marketing plan for your year. 

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

In 2023, my team and I wrote 89 blog posts for interior designers (this one makes it 90), doubling our total from last year! There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our insights and helping designers improve their business operations and client experience. Today, I’m sharing the top ten blog posts for interior designers from this year, plus the blog posts I enjoyed writing the most.

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

So, without further ado, here are the TOP 10 BLOG POSTS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS from 2023.

Many designers we talk to say the interior design process can feel very “up in the air” or “loose,” and that’s why they never know when they can actually start new projects - so they just say yes and start them all right away. 

Not a good plan!

While interior designers clearly know the “design” part of the process, the timing of onboarding a new client and actually starting the project can be confusing. So today, we’re sharing a few tips for figuring out when you can begin new interior design projects and how to schedule them so you’re not burning the candle at both ends.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota,

I’d love to know more about setting up a design library for my boss. As a former librarian of books, I know my way around a library. However, I am not familiar with design libraries and best practices for them. I would love practical information on doing this.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Are you thinking about opening a retail furniture showroom to expand your interior design business?

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Heather Draper of The Heather Co. to talk about her experience adding a retail showroom to her interior design business.

In case you missed our conversation, you can grab the replay here.

We covered a lot, but here’s an overview:

Dear Dakota,

Can you tell me whether the processes are the same for commercial and hospitality projects as for residential ones? What do I need to do if I want to expand into these project types?

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

It’s all about creating a design process that’s efficient, sensible, and enjoyable - and the most climactic moment of all is when your client sees their design presentation for the first time. You want to provide the highest quality design presentation possible so your client can clearly see and understand the vision you have for their space, and you also want to minimize the number of hours you or your team sit at a computer creating it! So, the choice of software for interior design presentations is key in streamlining this part of each project and ensuring a whole-hearted “WE LOVE IT! APPROVED!” from your clients. With so many software programs available to interior designers, it’s important to choose the right one based on the types of presentation drawings you typically produce and your comfort level with each platform.

In this blog post, we’ll highlight the best software for interior design presentations and share the project type each is most ideal for.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.