Why The Business of Interiors Exists
The Business of Interiors began as a desire to leave the industry better than I found it. It wasn’t a pivot, a product I wanted to sell en masse, or a clever extension of my studio. It began with an observation, and a degree of exasperation at how I had found the community, or lack thereof. After years of running a successful interior design business, building a team, delivering complex projects, and perhaps being seen as someone who had it “figured out”, I became increasingly aware of how little designers spoke to one another. Not openly, not honestly, and certainly not without caution. There was a huge sense of unspoken mistrust amongst design studios, albeit with a few minor exceptions.
There was a scarcity mindset running through the industry. A sense that information was something to guard, almost as if it were intellectual property. I never particularly understood this mindset, because surely if we lean on one another, the ratio of clients doesn’t suddenly go down. What could happen, though, is that studios become better, serve clients better, and become more profitable. I never really saw how this openness threatened my work, or that of others.
It seemed that asking questions exposed weakness which, let me assure you, all studios at all levels have things they are still figuring out. Perhaps it is reassuring to know that your general approach is in sync with studios of a similar calibre. Is it really inconceivable to believe that sharing and learning from one another might actually make the entire industry better?
It is also worth saying at this point that I am referring to the black holes in conversation that exist outside of our professional bodies. This is not about CPDs or knowing how to be a good designer. This is about knowing how to run a good business, and those two skills are distinctly different, yet inextricably dependent on one another. What struck me most was how isolating that felt, particularly for studio founders already carrying the weight of risk and responsibility. Employees. Clients. Cash flow. Reputation. At times, these felt like a tag team on my sanity and resolve.
I am also a part time resident of the United States, with a deep love for Californian big skies and the energy of its people. I spend a great deal of time there, and this experience sharpened the contrast even further. I attended a retreat hosted by my dear friend Rick Campos, and I noticed a far more open and generous narrative amongst the designers who attended. I left that experience feeling that the void in similar opportunities here was too big a gulf to bridge, yet the nagging feeling stayed with me. I wholeheartedly believed the industry must be full of people who felt as I did. So I decided to try to make a change.
The Business of Interiors exists to offer community, conversation and mentorship, providing clarity for designers who are already operating professional studios. This is not for hobbyists, and not for those looking for shortcuts. This is not a space for downloadable templates or signing up to be sold “secrets to success”. I don’t sell formulas or gimmicks. I don’t promise hacks, because I am not removed from the work, and I know that a thoroughly professional design practice is not a Canva template, as good as they are. It is far more multifaceted than that. And because I still operate a design practice, I still make decisions with real consequences attached to them. I still feel the pressure of running a studio in real time, whilst balancing family life and navigating health challenges. That current credibility matters to me, because this space was never intended to sit outside the industry, commenting from a distance. It exists within it.
Asking for help, seeking perspective, or wanting to understand whether your approach aligns with others is not a sign of inexperience. It is a sign of professionalism. I am also a strong proponent of understanding where you are exposed to risk. Commercial awareness is critical. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, the lens through which I view life shifted. I became acutely aware of what is essential and what is noise, and how living under sustained stress and pressure takes its toll. It became clear what supports you, and what quietly drains you. It made it impossible to ignore how easily people can be left coping alone, existing in a vacuum of pressure and risk that few understand, while everyone appears successful from the outside. Good marketing can do that.
The Business Of Interiors exists to hold the conversations that are often missing. I don’t want you burnt out. I want to help you define structure built on years of experience, develop standards that keep you safe, maintain high calibre work, and protect both you and your clients. Your clients are investing in you, so it is time you invested in yourself too. This industry can be unnecessarily opaque. Not any more. I am calling it out, and I am here for you.
If you’re here, it’s likely because you love this industry, but you don’t want it to cost you everything. Nor should it.
Join the conversation.
