After nearly three decades in the interior design field, I have a confession to make. It’s one that might raise an eyebrow or two in the design world and even shock some of my clients. Are you ready for it?  

 

I prefer running an interior design business over designing itself! 

 

There. I said it. And while I might not have admitted this five years ago, it’s been true for a while now. Surprising? Maybe. But I’ve never felt more creatively fulfilled than I do when planning the next phase of my interior design business.

 

Falling in Love with the Business of Design

My path to interior design didn’t begin with daydreaming about glossy magazine interiors or a childhood obsession with rearranging my bedroom. No. I was an English major set on entering the lucrative business of poetry. I was oblivious to the other students at my college drafting elevations or arranging mood boards, because I was too busy reading Shakespeare and Milton. 

 

After graduation, I decided to leave Texas and move to NYC without much of a plan. I eventually found myself in the glamorous (but more so grueling) halls of Christie’s auction house. That’s where I discovered my love for beautiful objects, from jewelry to art to antique furniture. I was still very much figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, but I was getting warmer. While I loved the beauty of it all, I craved something with more structure, complexity, and depth. 

 

It wasn’t until I took a job as an office manager at a small architecture and interiors firm in New York that it clicked. In my first few weeks on the job, I attended my first design event at Manhattan’s famed D&D Building. I was surrounded by well-dressed professionals passionately debating fabric durability and shipping costs. I was hooked and never looked back. 

 

I fell for the interior design industry not through design, but through the operations. I loved all the moving parts, client onboarding, budgeting, freight logistics, and lead times. And don’t even get me started on a good supply chain discussion. To me, these conversations are just as interesting (if not more) than reviewing paint colors and fabric swatches. However, I’m sure that other designers view project management as a necessary evil, a means to express their creative freedom. Not me. 

 

Interior design is the perfect blend of beauty and practicality. And running an interior design business is like orchestrating the ultimate creative composition.

 

Running a Business is an Art in Itself 

People tend to think of creativity only in relation to different art mediums. It’s “creative” to coordinate colors, sketch a floor plan, or hang a gallery wall. However, structuring a company, mentoring a team, refining processes, and solving problems are all forms of creativity as well. Even the space and budget constraints that many designers abhor present creative opportunities rather than boundaries to me. I secretly love them. 

 

When I realized that business was my true love and design was only the catalyst, I gave myself full permission to dive into my business mindset. I attend conferences, hire business coaches, invest in team training, and binge creative business podcasts like most people binge Netflix shows. 

 

Why I Stay in My Interior Design Lane

It might seem dull to some and surprising to others, but business is my true passion. Do others dream of logistics? Are other designers waking up fueled by the idea of streamlining their processes? Maybe not. I’m sure most designers would love to have someone else manage all the “business” so they could fully dive into their creative passion. Me, not so much. 

 

I’m not just interested in growing my interior design firm. I’m endlessly fascinated by how other businesses work, too. Often, I find myself daydreaming about starting another business in a completely different field. If I could, I’d buy a snow cone stand or a porta-potty rental company just to experience how it all runs. Yes, I’m serious. Business is beautiful to me. It’s layered, it’s emotional, it’s alive.

 

Although I’d love to test-drive other industries, I know that deep expertise is crucial. My team, my clients, and this firm deserve my full attention. And after 30 years of running an interior design business, I’ve come to realize the creative challenge I crave is right here. Scaling our systems. Supporting our team. Designing how we work, not just what we make. What fun! 

 

From Principal Designer to Business Mentor

At this stage in my career, my expertise in running a business is becoming increasingly valuable, surpassing my expertise in design. And I have just as much to share with other business owners and designers as I do with my design clients. As I grow into this new chapter, I’m speaking at schools, mentoring up-and-coming designers, and expanding my role as a design business advisor and advocate. I am very excited for what’s to come. 

 

So if you’re a fellow designer secretly more obsessed with workflow than wallpaper samples, let me welcome you. You’re in good company here. Because at the end of the day, running an interior design business isn’t just a job. 

 

It’s a creative calling.