EP 468 | Beyond Beautiful: Why Interior Design Now Carries Responsibility with Megan Reilly

EP 468 | Beyond Beautiful: Why Interior Design Now Carries Responsibility with Megan Reilly

From Business of Design® Podcast | Grow a Profitable Interior Design Business with Kimberley Seldon by Kimberley Seldon

February 17, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

This episode explores the evolving role of interior designers beyond aesthetics, focusing on responsibility and sustainability in design.

Design doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It responds to real life — and sometimes, real loss. In this thoughtful conversation, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Megan Reilly, co-founder of WestEdge Design Fair, to explore how the role of interior designers is evolving beyond aesthetics and into responsibility. They discuss how design shows up during disruption and rebuilding, why resilience and smarter material choices are becoming non-negotiable, and how industry platforms like WestEdge are adapting to support designers who want to do meaningful, relevant work without sacrificing business sustainability. This is not about burnout, martyrdom, or working for free — it’s about clarity, education, and community. If you’ve been feeling the pull toward more impact but aren’t sure how to balance that with running a healthy business, this episode offers a grounded, honest perspective on what it means to be a designer right now — and how to step into a bigger role with intention. What you’ll learn in this episode: - Why design has consequences far beyond aesthetics - How designers can contribute meaningfully during rebuilding and recovery - What resilience, sustainability, and smarter material…

People in this episode

Host: Kimberley Seldon

Guest: Megan Reilly

Topics covered

  • interior design
  • responsibility
  • sustainability
  • community
  • resilience
  • material choices

Keywords

  • interior design
  • responsibility
  • sustainability
  • resilience
  • material choices
  • community
  • design impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WestEdge Design Fair

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