Feeling overwhelmed by the endless tasks of running an interior design business? You’re not alone. Many designers start with a passion for creativity but quickly find themselves bogged down by admin work, client management, and project logistics. The key to moving past this chaos? Streamlined processes.
Processes are the backbone of any successful business. They transform scattered tasks into a seamless workflow, allowing you to focus on what you do best—designing beautiful spaces. Without clear systems, inefficiencies creep in, leading to missed deadlines, miscommunications, and potentially lost profit. A well-defined process ensures that every project runs smoothly, reducing stress and improving client satisfaction.
Efficiency and profitability go hand in hand. A structured workflow means less wasted time, fewer costly mistakes, and a more professional experience for clients. When every step of your design process is mapped out, from client onboarding to final installation, you gain control over your time and resources.
Consider this: A well-organised client intake system ensures you gather all necessary information upfront, preventing back-and-forth emails that consume valuable time. Similarly, a detailed procurement checklist minimises ordering errors and costly returns. By implementing these systems, you enhance your workflow, increase productivity, and ultimately boost your bottom line.
1. Client Onboarding – A structured approach to welcoming new clients ensures clarity on expectations, budgets, and timelines from the start- you should consider including documents such a Welcome Pack, Project Proposal, Pricing document- everything that you can easily send to the client- that way your client will feel you are running a business and treat you as a professional you want to be. 2. Project Management – Using tools like Trello or Asana can help track project progress, assign tasks, and set deadlines. There are many more out there, but you can start with a free one, such as Trello. 3. Sourcing and Procurement – Standardised ordering and vendor communication methods prevent costly errors and delays. Start with excel and if you want to use software, invest in Estimac. 4. Design Presentation Workflow – Establishing templates for presentation boards, saves time and maintains brand consistency. 5. Financial Management – Clear invoicing and payment tracking systems help maintain cash flow and avoid payment delays. Invest in Quickbooks or equivalent software that you can connect to your bank and credit cards.
Success in interior design requires more than just great design skills. To build a thriving business, you need to master all the core pillars: marketing, branding, and sales.
Marketing is about visibility and connection. To attract your ideal clients, you need a clear strategy that combines social media, content marketing, and networking. Consistency is key—regular blog posts, Instagram updates, and email newsletters keep you on your audience’s radar. A strong online presence builds credibility and trust, making it easier to convert inquiries into projects.
Branding is more than just a logo and colour palette—it’s the essence of your business. A strong brand communicates your unique style, values, and the experience you provide. Whether it’s through a signature design approach, personalised client interactions, or a cohesive online presence, your brand should clearly differentiate you from competitors and create a lasting impression.
Many designers struggle with sales because they see it as pushy or uncomfortable. However, selling is simply about communicating your value effectively. A solid sales process ensures potential clients understand how your services can transform their space and why investing in professional design is worth it. Clear pricing, compelling proposals, and a well-structured consultation process make closing deals smoother and more confident.
Creating efficient processes doesn’t mean adding complexity; in fact, it simplifies your business. By developing checklists, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and automation tools, you ensure consistency and reliability in every project.
For example, automating client follow-ups through a CRM system saves time while improving client engagement. Using pre-made templates for contracts and proposals eliminates repetitive work and enhances professionalism. These small but impactful changes lead to greater efficiency and a more scalable business model.
With over a decade of firsthand experience navigating the challenges of running a business, Katie Malik, from Katie Malik Design Studio, has developed a structured, systemised approach designed specifically to help interior designers build sustainable and successful businesses. This inspired Katie to create an online course that covers every essential aspect of running a design business—from marketing and branding to financial management and client processes. If you're ready to establish a thriving business with confidence and clarity, visit www.interiordesigndeconstructed.co.uk to explore the course details and take the next step in your journey.
About Katie Malik Studio Ltd.
Established in 2014, we are a multi award-winning Cambridge based interior design studio. We work globally, specialising in luxurious private residential interiors. We create exceptional designs, taking a holistic approach to the way spaces will be used and enjoyed. Through detailed visual package, attention to the smallest details paired with the professionalism & toughness to handle large projects from start to finish, we turn an otherwise overwhelming process into an exciting and deeply satisfying experience.
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Who doesn’t love a converted barn set in the middle of the country fields where you can see a herd of deer run across the back garden?
Katie Malik's clients purchased this stunning property back in 2016 and struggled to set the right vibe for their open plan living area and mezzanine level room. Our clients aspired to create a harmonious open plan that had better storage, more custom-made furniture that was crafted to fit the space and the style. They wanted to live in a home that spoke quiet luxury and had strong preferences for warm greys with strong navy blues, accents of orange and copper hues. We’ve integrated all these colours in joinery, furniture and soft furnishings. Audio integration was another very important component as our client is an audio expert. In order to achieve the best integration we worked together with Chardome Bespoke Furniture to create a perfect joinery layout for these very special speakers.
The clients played a pivotal role in setting the direction for this design. They wanted to turn the mezzanine into a music room, which proposed a challenge considering it’s an open plan. It’s hard to believe this space used to work mainly as storage for books, vinyl records and artwork, a it is now a perfectly curated music lounge, where our clients enjoy listening to their beautiful collection of music. To help with the noise we picked a wall covering with acoustic properties from Arte Walls. This wall covering has a beautiful relief with a chenille fabric finish that gives it a three-dimensional effect.
To create a contemporary feel in originally a very non-contemporary space, we needed to incorporate many clean lines, and as you can see, this is how the joinery has been crafted. The main sitting area joinery features our clients’ bespoke speakers that you can also have custom made to fit your space the sound that comes out of them is absolutely brilliant - you can find all technical details on the Unity Audio website.
Since we had to incorporate a lot of audio equipment to create that perfectly balanced audio experience, we felt leaving the top part of the joinery open to display beautiful objects (among the speakers) was the right direction to go. We think the effect is absolutely stunning.
The dining area cabinets are one of my favourite pieces – they have stunning colours inside, a mix of Shale and Montana Agate from Benjamin Moore that tie in with the colour scheme and have a perfect mix of open and closed storage - all of it hidden behind the sliding doors that are a great space saver, ideal for the dining area. Watch the video of the cabinet internals on our Youtube channel.
On the mezzanine level, we have opted for more blended in joinery that houses our clients’ vinyl record collections. The cabinets were crafted to envelop the existing beams, and although none of the walls in the barn is straight, the bespoke joinery looks as if they have always been there. Another piece of bespoke joinery crafted for the space was the area under the stairs – one cupboard is for coats, and another one for shoes - since this area is located so close to the main entrance it was an obvious choice.
Glass balustrade has helped us also add a touch of contemporary appeal to the space – the glass clean lines and transparency really help bounce the light and help view the space as much larger. We recovered the steps in a thick, boucle like carpet to soften the sharp lines of the glass.
This space wouldn’t be same without a completely new lighting plan. I never stop emphasising the integral role of lighting in creating a cohesive design. Even if you design the most beautiful joinery and create the most perfect space layout, if you underestimate the role of lighting, all of that hard work will go to waste.
The previous lighting layout was insufficient, and this was the main trigger for our clients to reach out to interior designers to redesign the space so it catered for that aspect of design. Together with Studio EG, we worked to create a perfect lighting scheme- we have added over 30 mini spotlights to light the space and highlight stunning beams that were kept from the original barn. We also placed linear LEDs on the top of a few beams. We found a perfect lighting feature above the dining room from Visual Comfort, and added both linear LEDs and spotlights in the joinery. I’m very proud of our stunning tubes joinery feature that incorporates mini spotlights from Phos. It also incorporates a non-bespoke shelf from Nordic Home- and this proves how a good design can beautifully marry both bespoke and non-bespoke items.
The finish of these tubes matched to the legs of the custom-made sofa made by Linea Luxe - the L shape of the sofa was a clear choice for the space as it helps to zone the sitting part of the open space plan. Our clients were a bit wary of too many strong patterns, so we only introduced them in small quantities in the bespoke cushions and wallpapers – if you look closely, the patterns are very subtly similar and vary in sizes – that’s the secret to keep the scheme well-balanced. In addition, you do need plains and textures, but the space here already offered plenty of textured beams, so we mainly focused on adding plains and patterns.
The project started in September 2023 and was completed just in time for Christmas the same year. Although the space looked absolutely magical with a large Christmas Tree, I feel it still does, even without it.
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