Of all the tools that interior designers have in their toolkits, none is as impactful and effective as color. Not only does color provide the mood and liveliness in spaces, it can also be used to alter our visual perception. Particular tints and shades of colors used in combination can create the perception of more (or less) space than actually exists, produce an increased sense of openness, highlight and draw attention to one wall over the others, or, conversely, create the sense of a more constricted, cozy, or comforting space.

This blog and this blog covered some basics of color theory. Here, we will take a look at how color can be used to alter the perceived size of a space.

This sales tax blog series was written by Dakota Design Company and evaluated by CVW Accounting, 2/24/25.

Sales tax is a complex topic, and one that prompts many questions from interior design business owners. This post is part one of our Sales Tax Blog Series.

First, if you are purchasing to-the-trade-only products, and selling them to your clients, you already will have a sales tax permit (that allows you to make purchases without paying sales tax). You should understand how to invoice your clients for the appropriate amount of sales tax on transactions and how and when to remit the sales tax you collect to your state Department of Revenue for state and local sales tax. For any designer who needs a refresher on these sales tax basics, please read this post that covers all this need-to-know information. 

The Dear Dakota blog series where I provide complimentary consulting and advice to interior designers is a members-only feature. If you’d like the ability to submit your questions and get the chance to have me answer them on the blog, please become a member of The DTS Files.

If you’re already a member and you’d like to submit a question, log into your account and access the form inside this blog.

If every project feels like a custom job and your workflow is all over the place, you’re making business way harder than it needs to be and I have a GUESS as to what’s happening.

The secret to scaling isn’t doing more—it’s doing less, but in a smarter, more strategic way.

Ready to stop reinventing the wheel with every new project? This is EXACTLY where I would start if we worked together 1:1.

When presenting your design fees to a potential interior design client, do you send the proposal first and the contract later? Or do you send everything at once so they have all the details before signing?

Some interior designers separate these steps. Some do them at the same time. Some send a contract out later, like mid project (🙀). Others don’t use a contract at all (🙈).

Obviously—the last two? NOT good strategies.

If you want a process that protects your business, builds trust, and keeps projects running smoothly, the proposal and contract go hand-in-hand.

PS: I’m not an attorney and this is not legal advice. This is based on my experience working 1:1 with over 100 interior design businesses.

Keep reading for my advice on when to send these two documents.

You’ve finally made it to the end of a project, the furniture is installed, everything is in place… and yet, something feels unfinished. The excitement you expected from your client? Yes, they love it, but there’s still something left to be desired.

And, maybe they don’t fully realize it, but you do. Because YOU know the power of styling.

When styling and accessorizing aren’t part of your interior design process, the project never truly feels complete. Read more to learn why.

In our blog post, Color Theory Part 1: Color Language and Color Attributes, we explored some basic color theory. Here, we will delve into how colors interact with one another and talk more about how interior designers make color selections effectively.

There is a lot to say about how colors interact together. And this is at the heart of how interior designers put together color palettes and schemes. That is where the artistry happens. And the interaction of multiple colors together can be extraordinarily visually impactful, eliciting strong human emotions and reactions.

Keep reading for the second lesson from Dr. Gloria on color theory and how it impacts your design process and client onboarding.