[00:00:07] Speaker B: Hi, welcome back to the Interior Collective podcast where we are diving deep into the business of interior design. I'm your host, Anastasia Casey, and today we're exploring one of the most critical aspects of a successful design project. Client Touch Points. From the initial consultation to the final styling, how do you structure your process to keep clients informed, engaged, and most importantly, confident in your vision?
To help us break it all down, I'm joined by the incredibly talented Susanna Holmberg. With over 13 years of experience, Susannah has built a design practice rooted in both fine art and interior design, crafting spaces that are highly customized, deeply intentional, and timelessly beautiful. Her work has been featured in Arc Digest, Elle Decor, Domino, and more, and today she's here to share her insights on sequencing a design into clear phases, what those client touch points should look like, and what to cover in each. After 10 years of running my own studio, client Touch points continue to be something. Something we work on refining, implementing and increasing in order to improve our overall client experience. If you've ever struggled with keeping interior design clients aligned, setting expectations, or simply creating a seamless design process, this episode is for you. Let's get started.
[00:01:15] Speaker C: We are so excited to invite you to dive deeper into the Interior Collective podcast. Episodes now on Patreon unlock access to in depth analysis, helpful downloads and worksheets created with each podcast episode. Subscribers gain behind the scenes access to additional resources like examples and screenshots of guest spreadsheets, construction documents, and so much more. Your subscription also gets you immediate access to our private community of interior designers and our team of industry experts ready to answer your questions. Subscribe
[email protected] the Interior Collective or linked in the Show Notes Join the Interior Collective Patreon community and let's continue this conversation.
[00:01:56] Speaker B: If you've been listening to the Interior Collective for a while, you probably have heard all kinds of software recommendations and maybe even tried a few. But if your system still feels kind of all over the place, I totally get it. That's exactly why I wanted to share. Materio that's M A T E R I O. It's an all in one platform built just for interior designers from concept to install and everything in between. You can try it for free at getmaterio.com and Interior Collective listeners get 50% off their first month.
Hello Susanna, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you on because this is a major, major, major episode.
[00:02:34] Speaker A: Oh well, thank you so much for having me. I'm just thrilled to be here and thrilled to meet you and thank you for having me.
[00:02:41] Speaker B: It is absolutely my pleasure. Today we are talking about all of the different phases of your design process. And as you know, because I sent the questions over ahead of time, I am asking everything I possibly can. So bear with me. Answer as much as you're willing to, and I will just keep on digging until we get all the questions answered we possibly can. But to really set the stage, I would love to start out with. Just tell me about your studio. Tell me about your team. How long have you been doing this? For those of you who are not already following, you need to make sure to do so now.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: We are. I mean, we've been around for five years, actually, this month, which is exciting.
And we have seven people on our team now. Not everybody's full time, but we have. I'm across all jobs, and then we've got two designers who each work on about six jobs, seven jobs at a time.
And then. Yeah, so I'm still very involved across all, you know, and then we've got designers who support. You know, they each take half the number of jobs that we cover at any time. And then we have a designer who supports from the bottom and is also. He's across all jobs as well. And then we have a purchaser. We have a studio mama. You know, somebody who just, like, handles all this studio stuff. And. And then we have an amazing intern who's just started. I think that's everybody, but, yeah, it's a great, great team.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: That sounds like a really nice, efficient, but controllable size. Like, you know everybody really well. It feels like.
That feels great. Can you expand on. You mentioned that you have a designer who supports from the bottom. What does. What do you mean by that?
[00:04:27] Speaker A: It's basically somebody who is across all jobs and offers support on anything that, you know, the designers or I don't have time to handle. So that can cover anything from drafting to sourcing to presentation cleanup to, you know, it just runs the gamut, you know, the person in that role, it's such a key, such an important role, you know? Yeah, because they're across everything.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: Yeah, they're like the polisher. They're getting. They're getting the stuff across the finish line, honestly.
[00:05:02] Speaker A: Yeah, totally. That's a good way to put it.
[00:05:04] Speaker B: So your team's at, like, about ish 15 projects at a time, Is that right?
[00:05:09] Speaker A: I would say we're, you know, anywhere from 12 to 14. I really feel like 16, six per designer is a very happy number. More than that, I feel like everybody's overworked. Mistakes happen, you know, so I like that 6 number, but, you know, we can handle it. If, like, a dream job comes across the gates, then we're gonna. We have the team to take it on.
[00:05:32] Speaker B: Can you tell me what your dream job looks like? What is that project?
[00:05:36] Speaker A: Oh, I'm putting it into the universe. It's a boutique hotel.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: Love that.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: Amazing. Yeah, yeah, totally. No, I.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Do you have a location in mind?
[00:05:45] Speaker A: Yeah, let's say Mallorca.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: Yes. I love this. We're manifesting this for you.
[00:05:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:51] Speaker B: Okay. So I'd love to talk about your background a little bit. You have a really rich background in both fine arts and designs. How has that shaped your approach to interior design and specifically working with clients as a designer?
[00:06:04] Speaker A: Yeah, so, I mean, it's such.
I was thinking about that. It's such a big part of what we do, and I think across a couple of layers of what we do, I think the first is encouraging clients that using us as designers is less about recreating what they've seen, what they've seen on Pinterest, what they, their neighbors have, and very much more about tapping into something creative that we're doing together, you know, so really letting it be this collaboration that we're doing together that is unique. Unique and artful, and not just what I want, what they have.
And so I think, like, bringing them in on this journey, for lack of a better word or creative endeavor, is. Is something that I think my artistic background lends to, but also thinking about interiors as an installation, you know, I mean, I do think of them as art pieces on a big, usable 360 degree scale.
[00:07:09] Speaker B: You know, I love that. Can you tell us specifically what your art background was?
[00:07:14] Speaker A: Yeah, so I got my master's in fine arts at MICA in Baltimore, so. Yeah. Yeah. So I went in painting and came out making sculpture and doing some video stuff, and it was fun.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Oh, so cool. I went to art school too, so I have a love for that.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: Oh, you did? Where'd you go?
[00:07:31] Speaker B: I was in San Francisco and I went for advertising and graphic design. But I had really cool friends like you who were doing really cool art stuff.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: Well, I was always jealous of the practical people.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: So your firm really emphasizes a strong process. And when we were first talking about doing this episode together, like, that's what came up in conversation. Can you walk us through what that looks like from the first client interaction to project completion? Like, what are you.
What is it about your process that you feel like is very strong?
[00:08:03] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I think it's kind of like what we talked about, which is those client touch points and just making sure that process is front and center for the clients from start to finish, and that communication is strong and clear and next past steps and next steps are strong and clear. It's kind of like we talked about, like, the creative comes very easy to me, and so I've spent a lot of time making sure that our processes and some the like systems are just fortified and super clear for clients moving forward. So, yeah, from start to finish, something.
[00:08:40] Speaker B: That kind of ties those two things together. I really liked how you put. You don't want your clients thinking about work that they've seen. You want them focusing on creating something creative with you and that your designs are totally custom and deeply intentional.
How do you communicate that level of detail to clients from the start? And I'm talking about before someone even onboards.
I. I hear you talk about your projects, and I feel like there's people listening who are like, well, I would love a client who was like, yes, let's do something really creative. What language? Or like, how are you presenting this before someone even onboards to really get that relationship going.
[00:09:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I think we're lucky enough that that's who we're attracting at this point. I think we are attracting clientele who come to us because they want something custom and unique. So it's not really something that we have to pitch to them.
And, you know, when we go through our very. All of our meetings during the pre design and concept phase, we're showing images of wall treatments and sofas and everything that are clearly not retail.
And so I think they're getting really well versed in that. And so we probably just lightly say, you know, yeah, we could make something like that, or we could have our guys build this or, you know, something along those lines that we're touching. We're touching on that probably from day one.
[00:10:05] Speaker B: Are you literally not sourcing anything from vendors? Is everything literally custom?
[00:10:11] Speaker A: No, no, no, no.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: We.
[00:10:12] Speaker A: We are. We have retail in our projects for sure.
[00:10:16] Speaker B: Okay, awesome.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[00:10:18] Speaker B: Do you have. If you had to gauge, would you say what ratio is custom versus vendor sourced?
[00:10:24] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know.
[00:10:26] Speaker B: I mean, we're.
[00:10:26] Speaker A: We do a lot of custom in terms of kind of finishes, you know, things attached to the walls. Furniture wise, I want to say we're probably only 30% custom or, you know, and then pseudo custom.
[00:10:40] Speaker B: Yeah, right. Which would be like getting a chair and then having it reupholstered type of thing.
[00:10:44] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah, yeah.
[00:10:46] Speaker B: Perfect. Maybe 40, but yeah, somewhere in there that's perfect. Okay. I'd love to start breaking down your design process by phases. And I'd love to hear in your words, how many phases in your brain and with your team do you break your process into? Yeah.
[00:11:01] Speaker A: So we start with a pre design phase, which is then followed by a concept phase, followed by design, development phase, construction, install, and then post design phase.
[00:11:16] Speaker B: I love that you just listed a post design phase and we're going to get into that.
[00:11:23] Speaker A: It could be more robust.
[00:11:24] Speaker B: Yeah, because I feel like everybody stops at install. And as we're talking about a client relationship and those client touch points, I think that what happens after install is just as important. So we will get into that. I am going to adapt my questions a little bit to outline the processes that are the phases that you just outlined. But let's go ahead and start with our.
Your ideal first client meeting and what that covers. How are you setting up expectations for the project from the first outset? Like, if someone wants to work with you, how are they getting in contact with you? What happens from there?
[00:12:00] Speaker A: Yeah, so they reach out through our website and fill up the project inquiry form.
And we assess at that point whether they're a good fit for us or whether they're a better fit for the expert. And if they are a good fit for. For our full design scope, then we immediately send them what we call our how we work packet, which I've heard other designers call their investment guide. But it's pretty much just us sending them information that spells out who we are, how we work. It includes, you know, some examples of press, it includes client testimonials, it includes a timeline of kind of what to expect, estimated design fees, and just sort of like, this is what you can expect.
And if they like what they see, then we. I do an intake conversation on the phone. It's. And it's. I don't meet people on site before they sign anymore. And it's not like a money thing for me. It's just a time thing. And it just doesn't seem like it matters to people. So we hop on the phone and they talk about their project and I talk about my team and our systems. And I ask them, like, what designers do you like? What.
How would you describe your aesthetic? Like, it's like a first date. We're both seeing if it's a good fit, you know, and, you know, then if we end up signing a contract, I'll go to the house, but it just feels like a waste of everybody's. Time. I think after a phone call, we have a really good sense of whether we're going to work together.
[00:13:33] Speaker B: Well, that is so interesting, especially because you shared that you guys are five years to. To the month, which, doing some quick math is like a Covid baby business.
[00:13:45] Speaker A: Like you launched a total Covid baby accidentally.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: Yeah. And so I think that that's so interesting that from the inception of your business, I mean, everything was digital at that point. So the fact that you've carried that through when things are obviously no longer locked down and have found where your process can be more simplified and more more efficient, that initial call, I think it's really fascinating and I'm sure a lot of people are like, oh man, I'm never going to consultant person again until someone signed a contract.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah. No, I just.
It seems to be working.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: How long would you say that that initial call is?
[00:14:21] Speaker A: Usually it's like half an hour.
Like, it's not.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: You get someone to sign after 30 minutes. Now I'm telling.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: This sounds crazy. Yeah, because I feel like they're, I mean, they follow, you know, they come to us on Instagram, they go to our website. They have already seen the how we work packet with, I don't know, we have like 12 client testimonials in there.
They know that we know what we're doing. I think that's already feels very clear to them. And then they hop on and. And if I ever felt like I was not landing clients from that phone call, I would a hundred percent tweak it. I feel like it used to be that I would go and I would try to like, you know, impress them, being like, oh, and then we should do this and we should do this and we should do that. And I just luckily feel. And that was exhausting and I, I don't know, I just feel like it's not necessarily needed anymore.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: I love that. I love that for you so much. Okay, when starting a project, so someone has signed and now you're getting into like the discovery phase. How are you gathering and synthesizing client preferences while still maintaining your creative direction? Like, do you guys have a questionnaire form, do have a list of questions, you sit down in person and go over what does that discovery and information gathering look like for you?
[00:15:43] Speaker A: Yeah, totally. So right after our, you know, they've signed with us and we send out a. An email that like encourages or asks them to, to meet with me again, where I go through our welcome packet. And that's another thing that spells out like our process.
And as part of that, we mentioned that we use Dubsado to. For, you know, our questionnaire. And we send that out immediately after that welcome packet meeting. And that's where I also spell out the phases of the project that we just went through. So kind of letting them know, like, right now we're in pre design, we're about to get into schematic, all that. And part of that is to, you know, ask, evaluate all your stuff through that questionnaire. So that comes to them through Dubsado.
[00:16:30] Speaker B: Got it. At this welcome packet meeting or on the consultation call, like that initial phone call, have you talked budget with them at all? And to what extent have you talked budget?
[00:16:42] Speaker A: Yeah, so budget gets. We ask to capture budget estimates immediately when they send their project inquiry. And then on that initial half an hour phone call, we talk budget. So that's where I'm sort of like. And that's also how we kind of discover whether somebody's probably a better fit for expert or for us. And then in the initial call. Yeah, they're absolutely letting us know what they're doing. You know, budget is. And I'm giving them an estimate on. We do hourly, but I do estimate the hours just by kind of a square footage number.
[00:17:14] Speaker B: Got it. And when you're talking budget, especially in those preliminary initial conversations, are you. Are you sitting with them and saying, okay, our fees are this. But the type of work you're looking to achieve, you're looking at construction being probably starting in X range, and then furnishings, you're looking at this range. I think a lot of designers get caught up on like, how am I talking budget with someone? Like, I'm not a contractor, I don't know what that's going to bid. Even if you have a few projects under your belt, sometimes it's a big sway. And as you're kind of leveling up your own designs, those designs cost more as you get to try more things, et cetera. So how much budget are you really talking as far as, like, to get to finish this design, to see this in real life? This is how much this is going to cost.
[00:18:01] Speaker A: Yeah. So I really, you know, we have a lot of new construction clients, and these are people who have done design before, so they know what they're getting in for.
So people are pretty well versed in how much things are going to cost.
So I don't necessarily like, sit down and put numbers together that are construction plus design fee plus furniture, all in for them, because I don't know architecture fees. I don't necessarily know the GC's markup, who they're going to go with, and stuff like that. So I never attempt to do that. But I can throw square footage numbers for construction. I can throw square footage numbers for new construction versus renovations, and then certainly help them understand the phases of budgeting, which we spend a lot of time talking about, which is, you know, we no longer work with GCs who will not price everything that we expect. You know, GCS for, like, yeah, just work off an allowance. You're good. Like, what happens is they don't put in line items for certain elements. And so it's a really inaccurate budget, and everybody ends up kind of frustrated. And it's usually our. Our choices that get nixed at the end. So the conversation with clients around budget is more like, let me know your budget. We will work with the GC to get you there as much as humanly possible. And then there will be a point where you have a concrete number, you know, unless they find, you know, like, we recently had clients who found, like, rodents had eaten a lot of the electrical wire behind their walls. Like, there's stuff like that that you cannot anticipate that happens. But giving clients a peace of mind that we will develop a budget that they can really pretty much count on moving forward.
[00:19:48] Speaker B: So that is so interesting. We're going to have to do a whole nother episode on just, like, how you come up with that number.
[00:19:55] Speaker A: And lots of spreadsheets.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: So you sent that questionnaire over in Dubsado, and then your team reviews it, your designers review it. What does it look like internally? Once that. Once that homework's come in, do you guys have an initial kickoff meeting, just your team, or is your first meeting with the client already? What does that process look like?
[00:20:15] Speaker A: We actually usually go over their questionnaire on our own, so we do all of our presentations in keynote. We used to do indesign, but that's way clunky. So, yeah, everything's in keynote and that. And we actually just dump their answers on page one because they're. It's so nice to have them there that we can then. And then we, you know, our support designer, Stanley, he'll take those and disperse them throughout the keynote. So anything that they say regarding bathrooms, he'll throw in the bathroom section so that when you're designing, you're like, wait, did they want heated floors? I can't remember. And then you're like, yes, they did. So it's so nice. They're just there at your fingertips.
[00:20:51] Speaker B: That's really smart.
[00:20:53] Speaker A: Yeah, it's really nice.
[00:20:55] Speaker B: I love that. Okay, so you guys do that internally. I love that. I hate asking someone to fill out a questionnaire and then asking them to get on a call to tell me about the questionnaire. So I do think that that is a level of service that sometimes it can feel like, oh, it feels nice that we're going to get on a call to go over this. But for me, I'm like, no, you already made me answer all that stuff. Why do I have to do it again?
[00:21:17] Speaker A: 100%. I think clients don't like it. And I'm always like, you guys open a bottle of wine, you sit and do this and have so much fun together. And I think clients, they always like, seem like they had a date night. They're excited about the questions and like, because we have questions that, like, what was your favorite hotel ever? Like, best designed hotel you ever went to? All that stuff. So I think it's fun. But yeah, they don't really need to do that again with me. I agree with you.
[00:21:40] Speaker B: Are you asking for visual representations of things that they like? I know you mentioned you're like, I don't really care about the stuff that you like. Pinterest, that sort of thing. And so I'm wondering, like, are you even asking to see a Pinterest?
[00:21:53] Speaker A: Yeah, and I do care about what they, what they see on Pinterest, but then we are like encouraging them to take what they like and morph it into something that's unique and theirs.
So, yeah, we definitely, on that first intake call, I'll ask them to send stuff over that they have. And again, that's a really good way to track if we're the right fit. Like both of us. You know, sometimes people send stuff over and I'm like, there are so many people who do this better than I do. Like, reach out to them. You know, it's a three year relationship, right? So, like, I want you to get the best of the best in that category. And, you know, and then if we do end up working together, we ask them again in that Dubsado questionnaire to link their Pinterest page and any inspiration images. So, and people send whatever. Like, recently we had a client who sent like a vest that she loves, you know, and that's our color palette.
[00:22:48] Speaker B: I love that. How is this communication happening? So you send something via Dubsado, which technically is an email that goes to their inbox with a button to this questionnaire for after someone has onboarded. How. How is communication typically Happening? Is it your lead designer on the project that's communicating? Is there someone else on the team? It's like project managing that does all the client communication. Are you sending emails?
[00:23:11] Speaker A: I'm still sending emails. I'm still very, very involved from A to Z. And at this phase of kind of pre design into concept, they're still really talking to me. It's kind of as we transition into design and especially into construction, that they're talking to the other designers more than they are to me.
[00:23:29] Speaker B: So.
[00:23:30] Speaker A: But during that welcome packet, that's when we also let them know that we use Studio designer for invoicing, that we use Basecamp for communication. So they're not always soaked about Basecamp. It's pro. Do you know it?
[00:23:43] Speaker B: I do know it. I don't use it, but I. I understand the concept. Yeah. It would be comparable to like an asana or a trello.
[00:23:49] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. I mean, we use Asana for lists and whatnot, and we don't use it for client communication because we haven't found that it does the same thing. But I don't. I'm sort of on the fence about Basecamp, but we use it because we do love that, that projects are, you know, in organized by project and that emails are then organized by topic. And then you're not searching your inbox for like, oh, my God, I know. They sent me that. A picture of that chair. Like, it's. It's much easier to find an organized conversation. So we try to keep all conversations there, if possible.
[00:24:24] Speaker B: Okay. I feel like people are going to have questions about this. Can you talk us through Basecamp, how you have it set up and what you mean by, like, communication happens within Basecamp, like, from a client's perspective, are they logging into some sort of app? Are they. They just getting emails in their inbox and then it goes to this app? Like, what does this look like?
[00:24:41] Speaker A: Yeah. So after the welcome packet, we say we're going to keep communication in Basecamp. And so right after this meeting, we invite them to Basecamp. So basically, on our end we have, you know, our homepage has all of our clients, and within each client, you then invite the clients. What's really nice about Basecamp is you can turn on whether a message is visible to a client or not.
So we can have an internal conversation that the client's not privy to, or we turn on client access. And they are. And so they are logging in. I actually don't exactly know what it looks like on their end, but their experience is such that once they're logged in, if we send an email through Basecamp, they just hit reply and to that email and it is entered within the Basecamp sphere. And then later down the road, you can go back and look at past conversations and see that files are saved. And it's just kind of a more graphic way of organizing, you know, than just sort of having a folder on the side of your email per client or whatever.
[00:25:45] Speaker B: Yeah, so it's not just like a messaging platform. You're able to upload your PDFs, your present or you said your. Your keynotes. And I'm curious as to why or how, why you're sending a questionnaire via Dubsado. Is that all you're using Dubsado for?
[00:26:05] Speaker A: No, and it's a good question. We keep wanting Dubsado to replace something else. We keep wanting it to replace Basecamp, but you can't have multiple emails corresponding with clients via Dubsado. We've actually reached out and been like, guys, add this feature. Because so far, Dubsado for US has replaced Typeform, the questionnaire, in DocuSign. And so financially, it makes sense. It's actually cheaper than the two of those together, so it's been great. I actually learned about it from you, so. But for me, it's not enough.
We haven't used it to replace. We use Studio. There's no way we're giving that up for indoors or anything like that.
[00:26:42] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it definitely doesn't do with Studios, but I'm interested and I want to look into Basecamp as to why you're using Dubsado and Basecamp. So. So interesting. Thank you for sharing.
[00:26:51] Speaker A: The second Dubsado adds multiple emails. We will swap over.
[00:26:55] Speaker B: Yeah, 100%. Becca, Jake, we're talking to you. Those are the founders.
[00:27:00] Speaker A: Okay, nice.
[00:27:01] Speaker B: So. So let's keep talking about that initial consultation design development phase. How long are you in this phase of a project?
[00:27:11] Speaker A: So pre design phase is a week, and then we go into that concept phase. And that concept phase is. It really depends, quite honestly, on, like, the timeline I'm given by the contractor or the client, you know, so in a perfect world, that meet and greet phase is four. Sorry. The concept phase is four to six weeks, but sometimes I have more time than that, so I'll stretch it out and sometimes it's truncated and I'll. We'll move quick. So we really. You know how it works. You're feathering in multiple clients and you're feathering in multiple timelines. So we really just kind of Fit things to what's needed.
Bottom line, no one's ever waiting for us. That's like our cardinal rule.
[00:27:55] Speaker B: I was just going to say. So what are you communicating to a client as far as, like, when they can expect to see something?
[00:28:02] Speaker A: Yeah. So generally when we. After that basecamp invite, our next touch point is our meet and greet. And so our meet and greet, you know, right at that, you know, right after we've had our welcome packet meeting, we send out a meet and greet invite, and that's probably two weeks later. And so that is where we take any images that they have sent over.
And so at that point, they kind of know something's in the works and they're about to show up. And then after, you know, so it's kind of at each phase, to answer your question, each step that we let them know how much time is gonna unfold until the next.
We very rarely, I think, because we walk people through it, we very rarely have anybody ask, reach out and be like, hey, what's next? You know, I think they're all pretty squared away on what's coming up next. But that meet and greet phase is where we review a ton of images with them in person, if they're local and if they're out of state clients. And we do that over zoom and then review a ton of samples. And that's been so clutch for us to get a really good sense of their aesthetic before diving into any design. So it's been a really important step for us.
[00:29:12] Speaker B: As you have been listening to this podcast, you have heard a wide range of software recommendations, tools for sourcing, invoicing, time tracking, and beyond. But if you've tried piecing them all together, you've likely ended up with a system that can feel disjointed. And you are not alone. The truth is, it is not you. What you needed just didn't exist until now. Meet Materio M A T E R I O. A powerful operating system built specifically for interior design firms. From the first mood board to the final installation, Materio brings every phase of your project into one streamlined, intuitive platform. Procurement, client billing, task management, etc. It's all connected, and it actually makes sense. Design smarter, stress less. Try it for free at getmaterio.com Interior Collective listeners receive 50% off their first month.
[00:30:02] Speaker C: It only takes one red flag client to remind us how important an ironclad contract can be as an interior designer. And that's why we've teamed up with attorney Alice Zawacki, who specializes in working with creatives to develop a couple comprehensive easy to use service agreement specifically for in person full service interior design projects. Our Interior Design Surface Agreement covers every detail you might need from scope of work and payment terms to client conduct and intellectual property. It even includes guidance for working with third party contractors, managing procurement, handling damages and more. With this contract, you can ensure that both you and your clients are clear of expectations, costs and responsibilities, and helping you avoid misunderstandings and protecting your work.
Once you purchase, you receive a fully editable document in both Google Docs and Microsoft Word with clear highlighted prompts to customize each section to fit your particular project or business model. And for those of you offering virtual design services, we also have a virtual design Service agreement to keep you protected in a similar way specific to those distance design projects.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: As a quick note, while these contracts.
[00:31:14] Speaker C: Were developed with legal guidance, they're intended as framework and are best reviewed by a lawyer in your state. You can find the link to purchase in the show notes or visit IDcode Studio directly. And don't forget, you can Always use code PODCAST15 for 15% off site wide.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: How long is that meet and greet meeting typically?
[00:31:34] Speaker A: It depends if it's in person, but I would say it's usually an hour, hour and a half. Like it's a deep dive. You know, we have taken their esthetic and put together a present either organized by area or by aesthetic. So sometimes it'll be like airy and organic or moody and organic or it'll be kitchens, bathrooms, you know, just to get their feedback on all sorts of images and then we pull tons of samples and same thing. So it's a pretty deep dive.
[00:32:03] Speaker B: Are those, are you presenting those in keynote as well? Like is it a presentation they can look at or are you like here's a sample board. This is the vibe of this board.
[00:32:13] Speaker A: It's a presentation. So we have a big screen in our office. We look at it with them on the office or reshare screen on a zoom and do it that way and then we pull em over to the samples and say point to what you hate. Like it's as important for us to know what you hate as what you love. Pull out anything you know. We introduce controversial things, try to bring in things that you know, people have strong opinions about boucle or plaid or you know, whatever.
So we try to introduce those too to just get a read.
[00:32:41] Speaker B: If it is a distant client, would you have mailed them samples or would you just be showing them samples on the zoom call?
[00:32:47] Speaker A: We mail samples usually for next next touch Point meeting, Our check in meeting generally not for the meet and greet. If they want us to, we will, but it's a little cumbersome because we kind of need them to design.
So then we have to order doubles.
[00:33:02] Speaker B: And it's a whole thing going back to basecamp. Is there like a project timeline in basecamp that you guys are updating or it's more just like. We'll tell you what the next next touch point is.
[00:33:11] Speaker A: We have a flowchart. We use all of these. You know, Asana has, you know, like a Gantt sheet and basecamp does. And then it just feels like like double and triple data entry.
So we just have a weekly meeting every Monday where we kind of copy and paste whatever part of the flowchart we're in. Like, if one project is in construction, we copy and paste that section of the flowchart into our week at a glance so that we kind of know what's coming up next and plan that way.
But no, we have tried, but it is so much data entry to just keep it all going. So we don't do that.
[00:33:48] Speaker B: I probably wouldn't either. It sounds like a lot. So at this point, you guys have found, like, this is kind of like the vibe check meeting, essentially. It's like, which direction are we going? Walk us through what the next phase and next steps are.
[00:34:02] Speaker A: Yeah, so the next step is our check in meeting, and we still call that our. That's still in the concept phase. So after the meet and greet, where they've told us what images they like, we pull those onto one page, and that's like our bible moving forward that we call it our spine. And it is where we put all of the images together and it creates a really singular, really cool aesthetic. Like, we have a project right now where she's. They're. They live half the year in Australia, and she loves Australian design. You know, the curves and the tile and the organic shapes. And he. They're building in southern Utah and he wants just like a western ranch. And so kind of had to bring those together to create an aesthetic. And sometimes I put it together and I'm like, oh, I still don't quite have the voice for the project yet. I'll send it out to them and be like, this is where the spine is sitting right now. What do you guys think? And then they'll say. He was like, you know, in that example, he was like, I want more ranch.
So we kind of tweaked it and now it's this really cool aesthetic. So every client. And that's kind of speaking to that creative process we were talking about before. Now the client is on board with this really unique like mashup of aesthetics that they get to sort of walk forward with. Moving forward. So once we make that spine, that's a big step for us. Then we move into our check in meeting, which is furniture and finishes. And it's basically we're redesign enough for them to get a real sense of where we're going without going too far in case it's not quite right.
[00:35:33] Speaker B: Got it. In that check in meeting, would you say that that's like a month later, two weeks later?
[00:35:41] Speaker A: Yeah, I would say again, totally depends on the timeline. Like when we're in new construction, like we have a lot of time.
So like I will deal with a project that's moving quick and then kind of let these guys know that like when it's time we're going to reach out for your check in and they know we're not going to like, forget. So it's like on a fast moving project it can be three weeks. On a new construction it can be like six. So it really depends.
[00:36:09] Speaker B: You've mentioned new construction projects a lot. How. What percentage of your projects would you say is new construction over renovations?
[00:36:16] Speaker A: That's a hard question because then I have to remember what projects we have. I would say we're probably right now a third, a quarter to a third new construction.
[00:36:26] Speaker B: With, with this concepting phase you with and your great example of the Australian ranch type vibe in South Utah. How. How do you handle your communication with a client when the two parties, decision makers are not jiving or you potentially aren't feeling like there is a way to mash these styles. When you're like, we are not finding a common ground. How do you navigate that?
[00:36:54] Speaker A: Well, I will say I've only had one client where it really kind of got in the way of things.
Generally these processes are sort of, you know, I worked for another firm for seven years before this. Like I've just. These processes came out of wanting to make sure that that wasn't an issue. Because every, every project is generally a couple, I want to say 90% and generally they have different taste. So a lot of these process have been put in place exactly to solve that question. You know, the creation of the spine is that there are points sometimes where feedback is kind of like, I hate it, I like it. And then we're supposed to do something with that. I will sometimes say like, and in such a jokey way, like, we're friends at this point, like, well, you guys have to like arm wrest something. Like, I, I like both or whatever. You know, you guys decide so. Or, you know, in client intake, if I get a sense that we've got a really strong personality, like sometimes it's not a good fit for us, you know.
[00:37:58] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. How are you when you're presenting the check in meeting? It's another. It's a keynote board. And that check in meeting you said is a single page. You said at this point there would be more physical examples, like physical samples as well, and if they were a distance client, you would mail them at this, right?
[00:38:16] Speaker A: Yes, most of the time we will. And that check in meeting is. Yeah, it's. It's much more than a page. Like, we will have fully fleshed out and rendered a space like a kitchen or something. Furniture plans throughout. We actually take the time to price furniture at this point because this is where we tell their tolerance for pricing. And then also, I mean, after this, we abandoned furniture and actually just focus on finishes.
So this is really important for them to see that big picture that this, you know, we have a job right now. Or the walls are, you know, everything.
The finishes are sort of traditional and rich and every ceiling and walls are all, you know, spoken for. But then there's kind of a looseness and a freeness and a quirkiness and a, you know, some couple trendy elements to some of the furnishings. And so it's really important at this point to show furniture so they understand the holistic design. But it's also great for us to understand pricing, you know, whether they'll freak out over a certain price couch or not.
[00:39:19] Speaker B: Susanna, I would love. Could you list specifically like, what deliverables are in this check in meeting packet? I think it's just really helpful to understand, like, am I showing floor plans? Am I showing elevations at this point? Are the elevations what's being left out? Like, what is at this check in?
[00:39:36] Speaker A: Yeah.
So my team would probably die for me to answer because they're always like, I want a specific, you know, and it's really mercurial, like annoyingly so. But I do them a favor by writing out what's in each check in before we do it. But the reason it's mercurial is because each project, I feel like, has a different thing that's really important. Like, you might have a house that's like cantilevered over the lot and the kitchen is surrounded in glass. And like, you have got to design that space first. Another one it's like the outdoor spaces. So we really like flesh out meaning elevations with finishes applied in Photoshop, with furniture plans, floor plans, like fully flesh out a whole area.
But we do try to touch on furniture plans throughout the entire space additionally. And then we do try to do mock ups or mood boards of at least one bedroom, at least one bathro, maybe touch on outdoor spaces if it's important.
So the, a really good check is like design enough until you're like, oh my God, I, I don't want to go any further. I don't even know if this is right. Like you kind of just hit this natural point where you need feedback. But those couple of areas that are fleshed out are fully flushed out. Elevations, floor plans, all of it.
[00:40:57] Speaker B: Interesting. I feel like the most appropriate follow up question to that is what are things you're definitely not presenting at this? Like what is a step in your process that you're. We are not there yet. We are not presenting X, Y, Z.
[00:41:11] Speaker A: It is, it is any area that we doesn't make sense for us to think through without having gotten the client's check off on what we are presenting. Does that make sense?
[00:41:24] Speaker B: Yes, definitely.
[00:41:25] Speaker A: Like why design a basement fireplace if you don't even know if they are liking the aesthetic upstairs?
[00:41:32] Speaker B: Got it.
[00:41:32] Speaker A: That makes sense.
[00:41:33] Speaker B: So it's real specific things and like you probably aren't doing your lighting plans yet necessarily. Got it. Okay, perfect. How are you balancing practicality with artistry when laying out the design vision for a client? You have such an artistic background. How are you, especially at this check in phase, presenting like this is how your kitchen's going to function because that's important, but this is how beautiful it's going to be.
[00:42:03] Speaker A: I mean that's just like the dance, right, for all of us is just the dance between practicality and, and beauty. I will say my biggest fear is picturing clients in their home and they are like, they know it's pretty, but they're like, I cannot, I hate that when this drawer opens, I can't open this door. Like that's my biggest fear. So practicality is really important to us.
So. But I would say that in this phase we are presenting the beautiful first. We really do probably leave with that to try to hook them. This is also where we present anything controversial, you know, like, like we think you should have an open cooking fireplace in the kitchen. And you know, then they're like, oh, sweet. And then you're like, okay, great. Now where do we put the beverage fridge? Like, we gotta figure this out now. So we probably do lead with the fun and the beautiful in this check in just because that's the dream, you know. And then we'll follow up and clean up and make sure everything works and.
[00:43:06] Speaker B: Is comfortable before we move on to the next phase at this part. Are you guys offering any sort of. You said you have your weekly team meeting and that is just internal. That's not with the client, correct?
[00:43:18] Speaker A: That's right, yeah.
[00:43:19] Speaker B: Are you like putting notes from that meeting into basecamp for them to see? Like, is there any client communication between these touch points or is it like, hey, let's schedule a meeting. This is our next touchpoint. And they don't hear from you in between until you're ready to present?
[00:43:33] Speaker A: Yeah, no, they don't hear a ton from us at this point, especially because they've just had the meet and greet. We've sent the spine and then the check in meeting. So they've been getting a lot of us up till now.
So yeah, there's not a ton. I mean, we do reach out all and I, I try to make an effort to text and or email through basecamp. Just little questions, you know, like, do you guys. Does this furniture plan just like, I like to keep in touch with people if it feels like it's been too long, but nothing official.
[00:44:00] Speaker B: Talk us through what happens next after we've had the check in meeting and we've gotten to review and approve the spine.
[00:44:07] Speaker A: Yeah, totally. So then check in. We have such a good sense of what they're after at that point. And then we just move on to the full presentation. And that's like everything down to doorstops, you know, just full deal. But we put furniture aside, we like dog ear it and come back to it later.
[00:44:24] Speaker B: Interesting. I was just having a call with Heidi Callier, who's on this season as well, and she presents everything, everything at once. The whole house furnished and everything. And one of the things that was brought to my attention was like for instance, in your check in meeting, if you're showing furniture, but you're putting furniture aside until later. Cause you get through all of the interior finishes and all of the hard surfaces or soft surfaces in some cases.
What happens when the sofa that you had pulled for that check in meeting is no longer available or something has happened by the time you get to furniture. Is there a lot of nuance and difference between what was in that check in meeting initial presentation, or do you go back to what you pulled for that check in meeting? And it's pretty true to that and now just fully flushed out.
[00:45:12] Speaker A: So we do. This is where our amazing purchaser is working hard for us is anything we've shown in the check in. I will say, like, if you guys like any of these furniture pieces that are vintage, let's go like, let's move forward with them. And again, we've already drawn furniture plans for all spaces at this point. So we know if there's a built in sofa, we know like so all of that is already said and done. So we are very confident that if they were to move forward with any of the vintage that we've shown, it works, it fits, all is golden. So we do a very early vintage proposal very often for clients when they've fallen in love with anything we've shown them.
The reason we hold off on furniture is just for timelines, you know, from the gc, it's hard to hard. It's hard for us to pull it all off at once. But also we don't. Clients don't want to pay for storage for that long.
[00:46:06] Speaker B: Yeah, especially on those new builds.
[00:46:08] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. And you know, square footage is high in Utah.
[00:46:13] Speaker B: So when you're doing your official design presentation, and again, there's not a set timeline on yours because it depends on what you're, what you're being presented with, your constructs, if you will.
What, what is your internal process with your team? What are you expecting from them? What is your review process with them in order to get to that benchmark that you're presenting to clients?
[00:46:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: So it.
[00:46:39] Speaker A: Every designer has different skills, but to get to the full presentation, we are generally the role would be that I'm designing kind of key areas, kitchen, primary suite, living room, and tasking, sourcing throughout, tasking furniture plans throughout and then asking the team to design secondary areas.
So during those Monday, you know, week at a glance meetings, we have breakouts where we just talk through every project and we actually just design and, and collaborate on the design together, which is newer and we are all really liking it. Saves us a ton of time too to just kind of brainstorm together these spaces.
[00:47:30] Speaker B: Do you have like a process in place for.
You mentioned that some projects, like obviously you're starting with the kitchen in this project or obviously we have to start with the living room and the outdoor space because they're like the heart of the home. Do you have a process as to, okay, I'm gonna have this done and then designers, you need to have this source within 10 days or like what does that look like and how are you managing Your team to make sure that that is moving forward?
[00:47:59] Speaker A: Yeah, we use Asana and so we do, you know, every task has a deadline and we internally know and we do work in office. Like we are one of those rare, rare teams that that still does. I mean, just 10 to 3 and we get to work from home on Thursdays, but we are in office. So what we like about that is that we're very much available for questions. But yeah, we are tasking with deadlines. And so if we know that a check in is, you know, three weeks out, we're sort of saying let's make sure to get everything, you know, let's get these floor plans done by X.
[00:48:36] Speaker B: And how is your team presenting to you? Is that getting uploaded to Basecamp for you to notate on? Are they just emailing it over? What does your internal communication look like?
[00:48:47] Speaker A: We have slack, so it's. It's generally that or we task in Asana just so they would task me and say, hey, mock up on page 108. Can you, you know, let me know what you think? We have a very complicated star system in keynote too where everybody has a color.
So if I need a certain, you know, if I need a lease, she's green. So I'll put a green star on a page and say, you know, page 108, I need you to let me know. Pricing is all blue stars. So anytime need Ashton, our purchaser to price and we're putting those blue stars through.
[00:49:17] Speaker B: So I have heard a lot of softwares from you. You guys are using a lot of tools.
[00:49:23] Speaker A: My bookkeeper would agree.
[00:49:25] Speaker B: Talk me through why you're using Asana and Basecamp. Again, if you mentioned that Basecamp can have things that are shown to clients and also not.
What is the benefit of using Asana for your internal communication?
[00:49:41] Speaker A: Asana we like because it's really more a to do list. Basecamp, like I'd mentioned, I feel like it's like I am on the fence about its efficacity, except that it really is nice. But Asana doesn't have, you know, capability and Asana is just what we use to task and it's our to do list. We would be lost without it.
[00:50:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay. Thank you for explaining that. I like, I have so much homework to do. After talking to you, I'm like, I need to go look up so much stuff.
[00:50:10] Speaker A: I wish Basecamp also just they don't have deadlines on tasks and it's just each one is like missing one little thing. It's so annoying.
[00:50:18] Speaker B: It seems like they're so close. Like.
[00:50:19] Speaker A: I know.
[00:50:20] Speaker B: Just listen to Susanna. You should just do software consulting on top of everything else you do. Okay, let's talk about this phase. So your construction schematic, is that where we're at?
[00:50:31] Speaker A: We are, yeah. So we just gave our presentation and then we show it to them, they give us revisions and then how do you handle.
[00:50:39] Speaker B: How do you handle revisions? Are you. Because you said you charge hourly. Are revisions training just then? Charged hourly? As many revisions as they want. Got it.
[00:50:47] Speaker A: Yeah, totally. We have in our contract, like, because I do estimate a design fee for them, it's very rare that a client asks for that to be like capped in a contract. But I still do say, like, this estimated design fee includes two revisions, two rounds. I very rarely stick to it though. That's why I like hourly. So then we, so then we just put all of the finishes into our contractor spreadsheet and then the GC bids that out and then we get get going on the budget and the value engineering if needed. And then that's when we kind of start purchasing. And we have a purchasing email that we send out that explains the purchasing process, what to expect. That's where we give a heads up about shipping and shipping costs and all the complexities surrounding purchasing.
[00:51:32] Speaker B: Yeah, with purchasing, how are you handling your receiving warehouse? You mentioned like you hold off on furniture so that client doesn't have to pay for storage for that long. You're.
Are you facilitating the receiving warehouse, introducing them to the client and the client holds a contract with them or are you white gloving it between?
[00:51:51] Speaker A: We handle it all for them.
[00:51:53] Speaker B: Yeah, got it. Okay, great. So you'll get a bill from the receiving warehouse and you pay the bill and then you bill back the client. Okay, perfect. Thank you for explaining that. Okay, so now we're in construction phase. Talk to me about how what your guys's process is for. Like, like frequency of checking in. How often are you guys on site? What does that look like as procurement's happening for furnishings, et cetera?
[00:52:15] Speaker A: Totally.
So we have three on site more towards the end than at the beginning. Some clients like a weekly meeting. It sucks up hours. So I tend to recommend a bi weekly meeting between us, the GC architect, if they want to be there, and the client. So clients are facetiming in or in person, but definitely every two weeks. I'm really uncomfortable doing less than that.
And then as we get towards the end of the project, that's happening much more frequently. So. But not necessarily with a client attending, but we do stick to that every week or every two week throughout the entire construction process.
[00:52:52] Speaker B: What does client communication look like at this phase? When you're doing your site visits, how much information are you disclosing to them versus how much are you keeping internal about what specifically?
Just like you had mentioned at the top of the show that you like to share what steps are coming up and what steps have just been completed. So when you're doing your site visits, like, how much are you sharing? Like, we were doing our electrical walkthrough, we were doing checking in on this tile installation, or is it just like we were on site? Everything looks good. This was one issue. This has been resolved, et cetera.
[00:53:28] Speaker A: Yeah, well, we really do tend. So I really like at this point to pass off the ownership of the timeline at this point to the contractor.
It's not up to me. And so I don't want, you know, any responsibility surrounding it. So there is a lot of this communication that is really led by the GC's team at this point.
And that's very intentional on my end. Like, why would I pretend I have any power over how quickly things unfold at this point? I just don't. So we are there to answer questions. We are there to let them know what we're doing on our end. But these are very much led by the GC's team and we really like to work with GCs who do that for us, that they show up with the agenda for that meeting because they need to tell me when they need, you know, X decision made. At this point, I don't know anymore. You know, they're running the ship and that's my preference. So, yes, we are in constant communication with them, but the sort of. The feedback in next steps is very much delivered by the.
A contractor in their team.
[00:54:36] Speaker B: If you have a contractor who's not as communicative, does your team ever step into that or are you sticking with.
We're not in control of that. Like, that's your contractor's situation.
[00:54:49] Speaker A: Yeah, no, we always facilitate to make sure that it is going as well as it can. And we have been doing it long enough here that there are certain people we just really prefer to work with. And we've been working together long enough that we all know the systems. And so I know that I can count on them and they know that they can count on us every once in a while. We're working with somebody recommended by the client and we do end up in sort of situations that are less savory for everybody. And yes, we definitely have to up our systems to accommodate for sure. You know, it's much more imperative that we're giving minutes at the end of a meeting and that we're steering the ship, but not my preference.
[00:55:30] Speaker B: Okay, great. Let's talk install real quick because then I want to talk about that, that, that final phase that you mentioned post install.
[00:55:36] Speaker A: I feel like I overspoke because it needs some work, but we do suck.
[00:55:41] Speaker B: What does, what does final install client education look like for you? Like how are you explaining to them? Like, when can they actually be in their house if they have to be out of their house before they get to come into their house? What does that look like? Is this, was this all part of your what to expect document or is there like a what to expect version at this point in the the project?
[00:56:02] Speaker A: Yeah, there's a, there's generally a what to expect version at each of these stages that I might not have touched on, but there is definitely one at install. And so it's an email that we send out that says we really clients love to be out of the house in order to get that like full reveal moment, you know, what's your WI fi password, what's your garage door code, all that stuff in case we don't have it.
And you know, and let them know that this is like a big invasive situation. So we sort of not so lightly touch on that we like them to be out of the house during. Every once in a while a client wants to be there and it's their house and we get it.
I have never paid for a hotel for a client, but I, I do, I have thought about it because when clients are there, they're not really enjoying themselves either. They want to be like in their home, but they can't. And everyone one's, it's just, I don't know, I don't love it.
So I have been sort of thinking about making it like this fun thing like that we put them up in a hotel or whatever.
[00:57:03] Speaker B: Okay, great. So that's install. How many people from your team are at install and how long are you loting? Is it usually like a week? Do you guys just need a couple of days?
[00:57:12] Speaker A: Yeah, it's usually like we just did a full new construction project down in Moab and it was four.
Was it four of us? And we did it in three days.
[00:57:22] Speaker B: Great. Awesome. Yeah, I saw you nodding and I was like, is there more to that? No. Okay, let's talk post project then. What are you providing your clients? There's a Lot of. I've just heard other people talk about, like, oh, I don't like to give the warranty information. We hold the warranty information, or it's because the builder bought it, bought the floors.
What are you handing over to the client at the end of a project?
[00:57:44] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:57:45] Speaker A: So we. It had been on my list forever, and I actually got your guys. Goodbye packet template.
[00:57:52] Speaker B: Thanks, girl.
[00:57:52] Speaker A: Yeah, thank you. I feel like it is kind of proprietary. Like, I don't have a great sense of what other designers were doing, and it was something that I wanted to do. So we finally did that. It's. And sometimes it comes out after we've gotten, like, proofs back from the photographer and stuff. So it's just this pretty package. It is hard. We don't go through every furniture piece and give, like, all the information on that. But we do care for fabrics. We do care for tiles, especially if it's like a limestone reminding them that, like, it needs to be resealed and all that stuff.
So it's just kind of enough to make them feel like they. Oh, we give the paint schedule too, which I think is really nice. So they can patch paint as they need to and whatnot, and just enough to kind of. It's closure more than anything. You know, they know they can call us and we'll be like, oh, yeah, we'll look that up. We're not like, like, wiping our hands of them, and we give them a client gift that we really take some time to think about. You know, it's usually a book and a candle, but we spend some time with the book and just. Just a way to. To thank them for working with us. Yeah.
[00:59:00] Speaker B: Is there. Do you have anything in your process as far as, like, asking for testimonials or asking for client reviews? I know you mentioned that you have tons and tons of them that you include in that initial.
Not your welcome package, but your initial investment guide of sorts. How are you collecting that from them and when do you feel is like, the sweet spot? That it's like, okay, this is the moment to ask for a testimonial.
[00:59:24] Speaker A: Yeah, totally.
[00:59:25] Speaker B: So we do.
[00:59:26] Speaker A: We do ask for testimonials, and we usually do it just. I really wait till things have, like, all the trickle has started to die down. You know, all that stuff that, like, I don't know, a painting was late, and then you still need to get an art hanger up there to hang it. Like, there's. There can be a couple months after install where we're still up on site and Helping clients out. I believe very strongly in seeing it through again. I just, it puts a bad taste in everybody's mouth if they feel like a job isn't finished.
So we will usually ask after all of that has died down.
[01:00:05] Speaker B: Okay, awesome. And how are you collecting those? Are those. Do you send over a link to like a Google review? Is it. Just email us back with your thoughts.
[01:00:13] Speaker A: Just email us back. Yeah, I don't have a special software for that.
[01:00:16] Speaker B: Okay. And our final thoughts. This was so helpful. Thank you for disclosing so much information.
But if you could give clients one piece of advice before starting a whole home renovation or new build, just one piece of advice, like, buckle up, this is about to get major.
What is that?
[01:00:37] Speaker A: I mean, I feel like it's the advice we give before every wedding and every newborn, which is just like, don't forget to look around and have fun and be in it. Because it's not, you know, they're overwhelming. I think that also another piece of advice I would say is like, move out, don't live there. But like, don't forget to enjoy it, you know, because you, you'll look back and be like, oh, what was the big deal? That wasn't that bad.
[01:01:05] Speaker B: I think that's such brilliant advice and not something that everybody always considers when it comes to designing their home. You think about before you get married or before you have a newborn, but not necessarily for just as pivotal of an era of someone's life. So thank you. That's. That's a great idea. I'd love to know. I always end the show with a little teaser or something that's coming up. What is next for you and your firm?
What exciting projects or evolutions do you have in your process that you're exploring?
[01:01:35] Speaker A: Yeah. So I feel like we really do have a lot of fun stuff coming up. Really fun projects. Right now we are sort of on the threshold of potentially doing some product, which is really fun, but one that's really exciting is we have gotten connected with a refugee from Afghanistan who lives here in Salt Lake and she has connections to an all women factory in Kabul. And so we're going to work with her to make some rugs and design some rugs and have them fabricated there.
[01:02:04] Speaker B: Oh, that is so cool.
[01:02:06] Speaker A: I know, I'm excited.
[01:02:08] Speaker B: That's amazing. What a, what an amazing project.
Thank you so much. Susanna, thank you for your time, thank you for your transparency and thank you for coming on the show to explain your process. It's incredible to see what you've built in five years at your firm and super grateful for you sharing all that you've learned.
[01:02:26] Speaker A: Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
[01:02:30] Speaker B: We will talk soon.
[01:02:31] Speaker A: Okay, take care.
[01:02:33] Speaker C: For more in depth analysis of this interview including exclusive downloads, examples and more. Don't forget to subscribe to the Interior Collective on Patreon. We are building an amazing private community of interior designers and industry experts open to candid conversations and answering questions. Join us on Patreon in the show Notes notes
[email protected] the Interior Collective thank you so so much for tuning into this episode. Producing this show has truly been the honor of my career and I cannot believe I get to have these conversations.
A big huge thank you to our production team at Idyco Studio and Quinn Made and the biggest thank you to you our listeners. Your sweet notes, DMs and reviews mean so much to us as we work to keep our show free and always accessible.
Until next time, I'm Anastasia Casey and this is the Interior Collective, a podcast for the business of beautiful living.
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