Damn Good Interior Designer

A million-dollar project sounds impressive. But how much of that money is actually making its way into the designer's pocket?

Cheryl takes on the industry's obsession with bigger budgets, higher design fees, and luxury projects, and the assumption that moving upmarket is the answer to making more money. A bigger project can mean a bigger payday, but it can also tie up your business for years, eat into your profits, and keep you from taking on other opportunities. And some of the most profitable projects might be the ones you're overlooking. Before you go chasing bigger projects...

Thirty years in the design business will teach you a few things. Especially when you realize some of what you believed early on was dead wrong.

Cheryl sits down with renowned interior designer Tom Stringer to talk about the lessons learned from building a successful firm over three decades. Why talent alone isn't enough, when to loosen your grip on the business, and why some of the most talented designers are the hardest to work with. They also dig into the industry's obsession with personal brands, why the client should always come first, and some conventional business...

Some designers have vendors who will bend over backward to help them. Others can't seem to get anyone to return their calls. And there may be a very good reason for that!

Cheryl sits down with Jamie Young, founder of Jamie Young Company, to get the OTHER side of the designer-vendor relationship. In this episode they discuss damaged goods, shipping headaches, unrealistic expectations, and why Cheryl has a few things to say about designers who take their vendor complaints straight to social media.

Jamie shares what happens behind the scenes when designers place orders, what...

Burnout in a design business can have very little to do with the number of hours you work. Cheryl digs into what happens when every decision, client issue, contractor problem and team question eventually finds its way back to the owner. You can delegate tasks, hire employees and reduce your project load and still be the person carrying all of the judgment and responsibility.

In this episode, Cheryl looks at how designers make themselves indispensable without realizing it, why being needed can feel a lot like being successful, and what happens when you build a business that...

Your client already has a general contractor, so why do they need you?

Cheryl digs into one of the biggest misconceptions about a designer’s role in a renovation and why waiting until it’s time to choose finishes is already too late. From layouts and electrical plans to the hundreds of decisions that affect everything that comes next, the real value of a designer starts long before the pretty stuff. If you’re still selling your value through selections, it may be time to rethink what you’re actually selling.

Have a question--click here to ask u...

Should your designers earn a commission, bonus, or a share of the profit?

In this Asked & Answered episode, Cheryl breaks down how to build an incentive plan that rewards the behavior you actually want inside your firm. She explains why bonuses should be based on profit instead of total sales, how participation should affect the percentage, and why a simple system helps team members think more like owners. Because revenue may look impressive, but profit is what stays in the bank.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Loved this episode? Click here...

Cheryl has spent 25 years building systems around the way her design firm actually works. So what happens when AI suddenly gives her the ability to build the software around those systems, too?

In this episode, Cheryl shares what happened when one irritating business problem turned into building her own app through “vibe coding,” what she’s learned along the way, and why knowing your processes matters more than knowing how to code. AI can help you build almost anything, but it will also happily automate a bad process.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

L...

When clients ask questions or make requests that rub you the wrong way, it doesn’t always mean they’re trying to take advantage of you. Sometimes, they simply don’t understand what designers actually do. In this Designer Drama episode, Cheryl explains why designers need to get better at communicating their value instead of constantly protecting it and why your value can’t rest on gatekeeping sources.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Loved this episode? Click here to leave a 5⭐ review

RESOURCE LINKS:

Damn Good Workshops - Website

View...

Little did we know our Pricing and Salary Survey results were going to give us great nuggets of information that we could share for many future podcasts to come! One of the biggest challenges we found designers face is defining their product. Too often, “full-service design” means something different to every designer—and that inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to set confident fees, manage scope, or show clients the real value of design work. The secret lies in creating clear deliverables with a written scope of work, and structured meeting agendas that are always advancing the project. If you are no...

One of our top episodes of Season 3!

The confusion you accidentally create long before the proposal ever hits your clients inbox is the real reason clients hesitate. Your price is not the problem. You can unintentionally create confusion through discovery calls, the way you talk about freight, receiving, vendors, timelines, your value, etc. This causes your clients to be constantly collecting clues about whether saying yes to you feels SAFE or SCARY. Learn how your language, tone, and timing shape the emotional architecture your clients make decisions in, and why being clear is your most powerful sales...

Price is one of the first questions designers hear, but it is often the wrong conversation to lead with. Cheryl explains why posting big budget numbers and focusing on square-foot pricing can create the wrong expectations, intimidate potential clients, and reduce design to a transaction. Instead, she shares a better way to communicate value. By helping clients understand the thinking, process, and decisions behind the investment, they can then make informed choices with confidence.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Loved this episode? Click here to leave a 5⭐ review

RESOURCE LINKS:

...

Retail is one of the most misunderstood business models in the design industry.

In this episode, Cheryl sits down with designer Ryan Williams of Artisan Design Studio to talk about the realities of adding retail to a design firm. From inventory investments and vendor relationships to client trust and showroom strategy, they discuss what retail actually costs, what it can do for your business, and why a storefront should support your design firm not distract from it.

They also share lessons learned, mistakes made, and what designers should consider before signing a lease. If you've...

Visibility matters, but posting yourself in your bath robe is not the same thing as building authority and for designers this can backfire fast.

Because design is not an impulse buy. Clients are not hiring you for constant access to your every thought, errand, emotion, and car-confessional. They want you to lead expensive decisions, protect their investment, and bring a level of taste, judgment, and discernment they do not have on their own.

Cheryl makes the case for more thoughtful marketing that reinforces expertise instead of making designers look frantic, interchangeable, or too accessible to...

Cabinetry may be one of the biggest money opportunities hiding in plain sight for interior designers, but it is not for the faint of heart.

In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Brooke Eversoll of Bee Studios Design to talk about what really happens when a design firm decided to take the leap and look at cabinetry as a serious revenue stream, design responsibility, and business decision. Brooke brings over two decades of kitchen and bath experience, along with the kind of technical precision and creative point of view that proves cabinetry is not just boxes, doors...

Our Asked and Answered segments have done so well we also noticed a common theme scrolling through social media that needed its own segment - introducing 'Designer Drama: Is it the client or is it us?'! These episodes will take on topics that seem to be hot buttons for designers. Want to learn Cheryl's take? Listen in!

In this episode Cheryl takes on the growing trend of designers putting every client behavior, boundary, and communication issue into their contracts. She breaks down why legal protection and client leadership are not the same thing, and why a...

AI can generate ideas in seconds. That’s not the threat.

In this episode, Cheryl gets straight to it—designers are no longer being hired for ideas but for their judgment. This means knowing what works, what doesn’t, and what’s going to cost the client later. Because in the world of AI clients don’t need help imagining anymore. Someone needs to help make the right decisions.

Designers need to lean in and not push back on AI or you will sound irrelevant. Ideas are everywhere. Judgment is not and you can own the decisi...

Listen to our TOP episode of Season 3!

Kitchen and bath design must be treated — and priced — as the high-level specialty it is. These are not "just another room" — instead, they are some of the most complex, high-stakes, and profitable part of your business if you treat it that way. Too many designers undervalue their skills, we discuss how flat fees protect both your expertise and your bottom line, and why being the expert in the room changes everything. From navigating subs and code changes to troubleshooting “transitions up the wazoo,” we are sharing our real stories from the trench...

When construction bids come back higher than expected, it can stop a project in its tracks and shake a client’s confidence fast. Cheryl and Liz discuss exactly how to handle that moment without losing the project's momentum and the client’s trust.

They walk through how to review bids against the scope, where designers should step in (and where they should not), and how to guide clients through smart decisions instead of emotional reactions. You’ll learn how to reframe the conversation, prioritize what actually matters in the design, and use strategies like phasing and scope adjust...

Designers think their pricing problem is the number, but the real issue is how that number is positioned.

In this episode, Cheryl breaks down why client pushback isn’t about being too expensive but introducing pricing before the value is fully understood. When designers lead with fees, tie their work to time, or fail to clearly communicate the depth of decisions, coordination, and problem-solving involved, clients default to their own (and very often incorrect) assumptions.

We want you to think about reframing pricing as a positioning issue and not a simple math problem. Cheryl walks th...

Industry events are not vacations, designers can utilize these trips to create relationships with vendors. In this episode, Cheryl speaks LIVE from KBIS and sits down with special guest, Veronika Miller, to break down how designers can use events like KBIS and High Point as business accelerators instead of exhausting field trips. Taking time out of busy schedules to attend these events go beyond walking showrooms and collecting samples. It is about positioning, visibility, strategic networking, and understanding how proximity to manufacturers, media, and fellow designers directly impacts revenue.

They discuss how to prepare before you go...

If you sell product, you should be asking.

In this episode, Cheryl and Liz discuss how to build vendor relationships that actually improve your margin with better pricing, extra percentages, showroom discounts, and free samples by strategy. They share how to pre-sell projects, position your showroom as leverage, communicate upcoming sales, and negotiate from clarity instead of hope. Because reps are motivated by volume — and if you’re moving product, you have influence. This is about operating like a business owner.

If you are ordering it anyway, ask.

If you are promoting it, ask...

Hiring is one of the most expensive lessons a design firm will ever lear and it’s rarely because the person was “bad.” In this episode, Cheryl and Liz unpack the real reason team hires go sideways: confusing likability with fit, and potential with performance. This is real deal what is happening in our firm now and were owning up to our mistakes as we have been up to our eyeballs in the hiring process. Cheryl walks through the hard truth most firm owners avoid where sometimes the issue isn’t the person, it’s the role. And when you try to...

Window treatments are often treated as a finishing touch, but that mindset is what keeps them from being profitable. In this Asked & Answered episode, Liz is going solo this week and walks you through the key decisions that actually drive successful window treatment design--from measurement and fabrication to functionality and timing.

This episode covers why planning earlier matters, how small details prevent big mistakes, and how window treatments can become a reliable part of a designer’s overall process, AND profit, instead of a recurring problem.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

RE...

Refining your design IQ with furniture means understanding how details like orientation, cushion construction, and intended use impact the final outcome. Cheryl and Liz break down the real-world furniture mistakes designers make when they misunderstand the details. From left-arm and right-arm facing to glossing over cushion construction, seat depth, and intended use, they help hone in on the small decisions that can create big problems.

This episode is a reminder that expertise lives in the details. Knowing vendor terminology, understanding how furniture functions in real life, and anticipating how a client will actually use a piece is...

Your workspace is not neutral. It either supports your growth or quietly works against it. In this episode, Cheryl and Liz talk about the emotional, creative, and business implications of where designers work, how staying where you are too long can limit momentum, and how creating intentional space changes how you show up for yourself, your clients, and your business.

The episode covers how physical space impacts creativity and emotional bandwidth and why intentionally investing in your workspace supports long-term success and growth.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Clients don’t know what they need until you show them—and when you don’t engage that conversation, you leave both value and profit behind. Designers often miss additional profit opportunities inside projects where they are already doing the work. From door hardware and window treatments to art and beyond, designers are already making the decisions, solving the problems, and guiding the outcome, yet stop short of selling those services.

Additional profit centers aren’t about trying to get more money out of a client. They are a natural extension of full-service design and a strategic way to s...

Most project problems don’t start on the job site. They start much earlier, when assumptions are made, roles aren’t defined, and everyone thinks someone else is handling it. In this episode, Cheryl and Liz talk through why setting the stage before working with a contractor is one of the most important leadership moves a designer can make. You are not micromanaging or crossing lines, but instead establishing expectations and defining the individual responsibilities so the designer, the contractor, and the client are all working toward the same outcome. Clients don’t know how this process works unless you sh...

It is always a treat when you hire people you genuinely like until you realize you now have to train them while juggling active projects, client demands, and the never-ending to-do list already sitting on your desk. Cheryl and Liz give you a look at what is going on at In Detail right now and what onboarding really looks like inside a busy studio. Some days your processes may feel like it has to re-evolve by the hour, or hot-potato tasks reveal who’s thinking and who’s parroting, and then other days you have to determine the fine line...

The confusion you accidentally create long before the proposal ever hits your clients inbox is the real reason clients hesitate. Your price is not the problem. You can unintentionally create confusion through discovery calls, the way you talk about freight, receiving, vendors, timelines, your value, etc. This causes your clients to be constantly collecting clues about whether saying yes to you feels SAFE or SCARY. Learn how your language, tone, and timing shape the emotional architecture your clients make decisions in, and why being clear is your most powerful sales tool.

Have a question--click here...

Every designer has run into this situation before—the panic of too many projects, too little time, and clients who “need it done now.” Your timelines aren’t the enemy; but poor planning is. When you managed your schedule with purpose instead of panic it means you are understanding your own process. This means before you promise anyone else a date, you know how to communicate timing in a way that builds trust instead of tension.

This episode will help you rethink what it means to be “busy,” and see how managing your capacity actually protects your profit and l...

Just because you can take on another project doesn’t mean you should. In this episode, Cheryl and Liz unpack what it really takes to manage your firm’s capacity—not just your time, but your energy, your team, and your profitability. There must be a level of discipline to say no, even if they are a great lead because saying yes to every project is not always helping your business. Consider this episode your permission slip from Cheryl to stop trying to do it all—and to create a new paradigm in our industry. We believe you have to forge...

One of the the biggest challenges designers face with managing client expectations is how to stop overpromising and start being intentional with your process. After a recent coaching call with one of our designers, Liz had the idea to create this podcast based on why intentionality is more than just “showing up with a good attitude”. Instead, you should be setting clear expectations, mapping out project steps, and slowing down enough to plan properly. By exploring how intentional processes, like job site visits or weekly updates, will improve your communication with clients and streamlines collaboration with subs--this ultimately protects your...

Liz is going solo again and giving you her expertise into the art of handling new lead calls with intention and strategy. Liz handles our discovery calls at In Detail and we do a great job at converting our prospective clients because it is not about rattling off your services or rushing into pricing—it’s about active listening. By asking the right questions, paying attention to tone and word choice, and guiding the conversation toward clarity, designers can uncover what a client really needs. We give practical tips (NOT SCRIPTS) for structuring calls, following up effectively, and positioning your...

Little did we know our Pricing and Salary Survey results were going to give us great nuggets of information that we could share for many future podcasts to come! One of the biggest challenges we found designers face is defining their product. Too often, “full-service design” means something different to every designer—and that inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to set confident fees, manage scope, or show clients the real value of design work. The secret lies in creating clear deliverables with a written scope of work, and structured meeting agendas that are always advancing the project. If you are no...

Kitchen and bath design must be treated — and priced — as the high-level specialty it is. These are not "just another room" — instead, they are some of the most complex, high-stakes, and profitable part of your business if you treat it that way. Too many designers undervalue their skills, we discuss how flat fees protect both your expertise and your bottom line, and why being the expert in the room changes everything. From navigating subs and code changes to troubleshooting “transitions up the wazoo,” we are sharing our real stories from the trenches that prove kitchen and bath design demands higher fee...

In this Ask and Answered episode, we break down the real reasons flat fees can transform your business—and why hourly billing might be keeping you small. The mindset shift designers need to make is to stop thinking like a technician and start pricing like a CEO. Flat fees protect your time, boost your authority, and create a better experience for your clients. This isn’t about guessing—it’s about building a smarter, scalable business model that reflects the transformation you deliver. If you're tired of trading hours for dollars, this episode is your call to change the game.

How can you be team player without giving up your own rights? Working with contractors can be a tricky relationship when they want you to stay in your lane--BUT it doesn't have to be. Creating a team approach with positioning in your marketing, the copy that you use, the verbiage that you talk about, and how you talk about it with other people, all of that is so important. We discuss how important positioning to the client about it being win-win-win and how to sell this to the client and they actually need both components of this is because...

We have another asked and answered topic this week! We are talking about reframing what many designers see as “wasted” discovery calls. Just because a lead isn’t a fit for full service doesn’t mean it’s a dead end. Consider this as a chance to position your firm as a resource, build brand equity, and generate revenue—especially when you offer varied tiers of service. Start looking for smart strategies to redirect leads, educate potential clients, and how to stay visible—even when they say no. This episode is a must-listen for designers who want to create income stabili...

Public relations isn’t just about getting published—it’s about what you do after the feature goes live. We thrilled to welcome our special guest who we have been working with for over a year. Alex Abramian, founder of The PR Collaborative, talks with us about the evolving landscape of PR for interior designers. With years of experience as a writer and editor for major national publications, Alex shares real-world insights into what editors are looking for right now and how designers at any stage of business can get press without big budgets or agency retainers.

A non...

Another Asked & Answered segment today and our very own Liz going solo! One of the biggest balancing acts designers face is pairing creativity with structure. Your vision is what SELLS the client, but your process is what DELIVERS on that promise. Clients remember the feeling, not the portal or the lists or the emails—but having strong systems behind the scenes is what ensures a smooth, mistake-free experience. Your process and creativity don’t compete—they collaborate to create organization and provide a better client experience. We believe processes should are the invisible scaffolding, while the vision is the star o...