The Interior Collective

Season 9 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Materio. Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I'm your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I am sitting down with Claire Staszak, founder and principal of Centered by Design, a full-service residential interior design studio based in Chicago specializing in the design and restoration of historic homes. Claire came from journalism and marketing before she came to interiors, and that background has shaped everything about how she has built her firm, including how she thinks about showhouses. Most designers treat a showhouse as a client opportunity, but Claire treats it as a brand investment with a measurable return. She has done both local and national showhouses and built a team that helps make it all happen. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Domino, Luxe, and the Chicago Tribune. She has a studio and showroom in East Lakeview, a second design annex on the North Shore, a wallpaper collection with Isidore Leroy, and a debut book slated for Fall 2027. Today we are getting into the real costs of a showhouse, the brand partnerships that make them financially viable, what local versus national showhouses actually produce for a studio, and what every designer should be thinking about before they say yes to the next one.

Season 9 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Materio. Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Interior Collective. I'm your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I'm sitting down with Trish Lynn, founder and principal designer of Colette Interiors, a full-service residential studio based in Chatham, New Jersey. I want to ask you something before we get into this episode. When you picture your next hire, what do you picture? Someone fresh out of a design program? Someone who's already worked at another firm? Someone whose portfolio you can scroll through? What if the best person for the job has never held a design title in their life? Trish Lynn has built a six-person studio in one of the most competitive residential markets in the country — and she did it by hiring people with backgrounds in editorial, teaching, nursing, and finance alongside her design team. Before she launched Colette Interiors, she spent years in the corporate world, which meant she came to team-building with something most designers have to figure out entirely on their own: a real framework for what makes a person the right fit, and the confidence to look for it outside the obvious places. In this episode, we're unpacking all of it. What those non-traditional backgrounds actually contribute to a design studio. How Trish hires for the qualities that don't show up in a portfolio. How she onboards someone into a creative process when they're coming from a completely different industry. And how she leads in a way that makes strong people want to stay. If you've ever felt like you're hiring from a very small pool — or like every hire you've made has been a version of yourself — this conversation is going to open something up for you.

Season 9 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Materio. Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I’m joined by someone whose story I think is going to resonate deeply with so many of you who are building businesses outside of the obvious design epicenters. Emily Tucker is the founder of Emily Tucker Design, a full-service residential studio headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with projects across the country. With a degree in Architecture and Planning from the University of Colorado Boulder and nearly a decade spent training under Kelly Wearstler, Steven Gambrel, and Ruthie Summers in Los Angeles and New York, Emily returned to Colorado in 2015 with a clear vision and a serious pedigree. She has since built one of the most respected design studios in her region, working on large-scale custom residential projects and earning a spot on Luxe’s Gold List — and just this year, she was named a Luxe ‘NEXT’ Designer for 2026. What makes Emily such a compelling voice for this community is her willingness to talk about the business of design with real honesty. Today we’re diving into what it actually looks like to build a thriving firm in a smaller market, navigating the realities of non-linear growth and unpredictable pipelines, and why the economics of a great project start long before any furniture is selected. We’re talking client alignment, budget stewardship, the right team, and what it means to do this work sustainably. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow beyond the market you’re in, or how to weather the slow seasons without losing your footing, this conversation is for you.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist. Today on The Interior Collective, I'm sitting down with Reed Humphrey, co-founder of Alder & Tweed, one of the largest residential interior design firms in the country, and the founder of Dezign Assist, the platform helping interior designers grow their team at a fraction of the cost. Reed built Alder & Tweed alongside his sister Heather, carved out a niche in luxury second-home and vacation destination design, and scaled the firm to a team that now relies on more than 20 remote junior designers to support projects across the country. That staffing model didn't come from a business book. It came from hitting a very real wall inside his own firm, recognizing that the way most design studios hire was making growth unnecessarily expensive and unnecessarily painful, and deciding to solve it differently. What he built became Dezign Assist. And today we're going to get into all of it: the problem it was designed to solve, who these designers actually are, how to integrate remote support into a studio without losing your standards or your client experience, and what it really means to build a team that lets you get back to the work only you can do. If you've ever talked yourself out of hiring because you couldn't justify the cost, this episode is going to reframe that conversation entirely.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi. Today’s episode is one I know so many of you have been curious about, because we’re diving into what it actually looks like to step beyond client work and into product development. I’m joined by Callie, founder of SUPPLY Showroom-a boutique fabric and wallpaper showroom-which is the hub of Austin’s design community, and whose reach extends well beyond Texas. It’s truly one of those spaces that’s worth the trip, whether you’re local or flying in. They’ve also been a longtime partner of Design Camp, generously hosting our campers each year for a welcome breakfast and private tour, and we’ll be back with them again this August. You can learn more at design-camp.co. Callie has a front row seat to what makes a textile or wallpaper collection successful, and just as importantly, where designers tend to get it wrong. We’re talking through the real investment required to launch a line, how to think about memos and distribution, what showrooms actually do behind the scenes, and how to approach this as a long-term business decision, not just a passion project. If you’ve ever considered launching your own textile or wallpaper collection, this episode is going to give you a much clearer picture of what it takes to do it well.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist. Today on The Interior Collective, we’re talking about something that every designer eventually faces in their career: the moment when growth requires a leap of faith. Building a successful interior design studio isn’t just about talent or great projects. It’s about mindset. It’s about trusting yourself enough to make big decisions before you feel completely ready. And it’s about recognizing that the strongest businesses are rarely built alone. In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Chiprut of Danielle Rose Design Co. a designer who has embraced that growth mentality in a meaningful way. We’re talking about what it really looks like to bet on yourself, how to navigate the risks that come with scaling a creative business, and why building a strong support system outside of your internal team can be one of the most powerful decisions you make. From photographers and PR partners to the broader network of collaborators who help bring a designer’s work to life, we’re exploring how those relationships shape not only the visibility of a studio, but its long-term trajectory.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist. Today’s guest is Nicole Salceda, founder of Eye for Pretty. Nicole built a highly visible brand at the intersection of interior design, retail, and digital influence. But what makes her story especially compelling is not just how she grew quickly, but how she chose to scale back with intention. In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when growth outpaces alignment, how to downsize without feeling like you’ve failed, and what it really means to be an “influencer designer” in today’s market. We also get into her team structure, partnerships with builders, brick and mortar retail, and how custom spec builds have reshaped her revenue model. If you’ve ever questioned whether bigger automatically means better, this conversation is for you.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist. Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today we are diving into a topic that every single interior designer has to master if they want a profitable, sustainable business and that is creating proposals, pricing projects, and confidently selling the bid. Because here’s the truth. You can be the most talented designer in the room, but if you cannot build an accurate quote, present it with clarity, and hold your ground when pricing pushback comes up, your business will feel reactive instead of strategic. And this is not just about choosing hourly versus flat rate. This is about understanding your numbers. Gathering real data from your past projects. Accounting for your team’s time. Structuring a proposal that protects your profit. And then having the confidence to walk a client through that number without shrinking when they raise an eyebrow. So I invited back someone who I trust deeply on this topic, Lindsey Borchard, Principal of Lindsey Brooke Design and my co-founder of Design Camp. Lindsey has been incredibly transparent about how her pricing has evolved, what she has learned through trial and error, and how she has built systems in her studio to create accurate, timely, and profitable quotes. Today we are getting very tactical. We are talking about how to calculate flat fees behind the scenes, how to blend hourly and flat rate models, how to turn around proposals efficiently, and how to handle negotiations without discounting yourself into resentment. If you have ever hesitated before hitting send on a proposal, if you have ever wondered whether your number was too high or too low, or if you have ever reduced your fee just to secure the project, consider this episode a mini-masterclass from what you can expect at Design Camp.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio. Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I’m sitting down with Kylie K. Bass, founder of KKB Interiors. Before launching her interior design studio, Kylie built her career in advertising, working inside an industry that’s deeply rooted in strategy, messaging, timelines, and performance. In today’s episode, we’re unpacking how those skills translated into the structure, pricing, and client experience of her design practice. We talk about the surprising ways advertising thinking shows up in everything from proposals to project pacing, how designers can borrow proven frameworks from other industries without overcomplicating their business, and why clarity, not creativity, is often the thing that unlocks growth. As always, we’ll also get into the nuts and bolts. Team structure, pricing models, and how Kylie thinks about running a studio that’s both creatively fulfilling and commercially sound.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio. Today on The Interior Collective, I’m honored to be sitting down with Parris of Parris McKenna Design, a Toronto-based interior design firm that has experienced what I would call true star power acceleration. Not only is Parris the principal of one of House & Home’s 100 top designers, she’s a close, personal friend and dear advisor. In just a few short years, Parris has grown her studio from a new business to a multi-office operation serving both Toronto and Muskoka, with a large and expanding team to support it. And what fascinates me most is not just the growth, but the infrastructure behind it. We’re diving into her 0 to 60 trajectory. How she built momentum quickly, what operational decisions supported that scale, how she structured her team, and how YouTube became a serious marketing engine for her business. If you are in a season of growth, or hoping to be, this episode is going to give you a real look at what scaling actually requires.

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio. Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I’m sitting down with Jess Weeth, founder of Weeth Home. Jess has built a studio known not just for beautiful, thoughtful work, but for long-term client relationships that extend well beyond a single project. And that’s exactly what we’re unpacking today. Instead of focusing on one finished space, we’re talking about how designers can intentionally build their businesses to support repeat clients, multi-phase projects, and long-term trust. In this episode, we’re diving into what it actually takes to move from one-off engagements to ongoing relationships. How you structure your services, how you communicate early on, and how your process either invites clients back or quietly pushes them away. We’ll talk about operational decisions, pricing confidence, boundaries, and the systems that make longevity possible, not just creatively, but sustainably from a business perspective. Jess will also walk us through how Weeth Home is structured today, how her team operates, how they charge for their work, and what’s changed as the studio has matured. If you’re thinking about how to grow your business without constantly chasing new leads, this conversation is for you.

Season 7 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Materio.An operating system built specifically for design projects—from start to finish. That’s what Materio is.From concept to handoff, client billing to procurement—it’s one connected workflow. Try it for free.It’s intuitive. It’s fast. The Interior Collective listeners get 50% off their first month. Just head to getmaterio.com to claim the offer. Subscribe now at patreon.com/theinteriorcollective Welcome to The Interior Collective! Today, we’re thrilled to sit down with Sarah Solis, founder and principal designer of Sarah Solis Design Studio. Sarah has made a name for herself in the design world by embracing a refined, minimalist approach that still feels incredibly warm and full of depth. As many interiors today are leaning towards bold colors and layered patterns, Sarah has perfected a nuanced style rooted in quiet layers. She combines her backgrounds in fine art, architecture, and fashion to create spaces that are thoughtfully curated and timeless. In this episode, we’ll dive into Sarah’s unique design philosophy—what she calls “the subtle art of restraint”—and explore how she creates livable, elegant spaces that feel both layered and minimal. Sarah will walk us through her design process, from selecting textures and materials to achieving that delicate balance between simplicity and richness. We’ll also discuss the structure of her design studio, the talented team members who bring her vision to life, and how she approaches pricing her services. And finally, Sarah will give us an inside look at her latest venture, Galerie Solis, a curated collection of original furniture, textiles, antiques, and art that embodies her signature approach to design. This is a conversation about intentionality, craftsmanship, and the art of storytelling through design—I encourage you to take note and begin the practice of refinement in design.

Season 7 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Materio.This episode is brought to you in partnership with Loloi.An operating system built specifically for design projects—from start to finish. That’s what Materio is.From concept to handoff, client billing to procurement—it’s one connected workflow. Try it for free.It’s intuitive. It’s fast. The Interior Collective listeners get 50% off their first month. Just head to getmaterio.com to claim the offer. Subscribe now at patreon.com/theinteriorcollective Scaling a design firm isn’t just about taking on more projects—it’s about stepping into the role of CEO, redefining your creative direction, and building a business that can grow with you. Because the truth is, if you own your own studio, you are an entrepreneur, even if you first identify yourself as a designer. On today’s episode of The Interior Collective, I’m joined by Hilary Matt, founder and principal of Hilary Matt Interiors, a New York–based residential design studio with projects spanning the country. Known for her fearless mix of post-modern edge and Scandinavian minimalism, Hilary creates layered, highly personal spaces rooted in comfort, function, and material depth. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, The New York Times, and House Beautiful, and she’s been recognized as a member of AD’s Designer Directory, House Beautiful’s Next Wave class, and Better Homes & Gardens’ Color Stars for 2024. In this conversation, Hilary shares how her firm evolved from a one-woman show into a nationally recognized business—and the pivotal moment that caused her to reevaluate everything from team structure to brand identity. We’re unpacking the growing pains of leadership, the shifts in her creative voice, and the intentional ways she’s expanding her firm’s reach beyond traditional client services. This is an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to grow as both a designer and an entrepreneur.