DesignDash Magazine Fall 2025

Volume № 4

travel | lifestyle | design | entrepreneurship | arts | culture | inspiration

Fall 2025

MAGAZINE &TEMPEL RENOVATES 19TH-CENTURY MALLORCAN VILLA + HOW HOSPITALITY INSPIRES RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

BUDGETING FOR NEXT YEAR’S TEAM WHAT DOES 2026 LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR FIRM?

WHAT WE SPOTTED AT HPMKT FALL 2025

OCTOBER AT HIGH POINT MARKET

DESIGN A BUSINESS YOU LOVE

FROM DESIGNDASH Fall is my favorite time of the year. After all the busy months of keeping our heads down, we carve out time to laugh, connect, and close out the year together. With our costume contest, a Thanksgiving potluck, and our annual holiday party, we more than make up for all those late nights and back-to-back client meetings. This is the time our firm celebrates everything we've worked so hard for.

Laura and I kicked off the season at Design Chicago, one of our favorite markets. Partly because, well, it’s Chicago (never a bad time), and partly because the designers we meet there are some of the most thoughtful and talented business owners in the industry.

It was a great preview to High Point, which we always attend at least twice a year. Fall is a great time for North Carolina. The leaves transform into crimson and sunrisecolored jewels, and the showrooms feel cozier.

Comfort is the theme for the season, and that also means planning ahead. Because for me, there's nothing more comforting than easing into a new year with budgets aligned, goals set, and a clear vision for what's next.

That’s why our DesignDash Community will be gathering in December for our annual Vision Planning Session, a tradition that sets the tone for the year to come. If you have big dreams and could use a little support bringing them to life, we’d love to have you join us.

In this issue, we’re closing out the year with two beautiful project reveals from Camilla van den Tempel and community member Christine Cook. Showcasing our members’ work is one of the greatest joys of DesignDash.

By celebrating the incredible talents of the creatives in this industry, I'm reminded that we all thrive when we share and acknowledge the great work of our peers.

Here’s to a celebration!

season

of

comfort,

creativity,

THANK YOU FOR READING,

Melissa Grove DESIGNDASH CO-FOUNDER

FOUNDERS LAURA UMANSKY & MELISSA GROVE CELEBRATE THE SEASON

and

IN THIS ISSUE

SEEN AT OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET

RENOVATED MALLORCAN TOWNHOUSE BY &TEMPEL

1.

4.

STAGING SEASONALLY FOR EVERGREEN CONTENT

BUDGETING FOR NEXT YEAR’S TEAM IN Q4 2025

7.

CHRISTINE COOK’S EP INTERIOR RENO

THE EFFECTS OF AI ON DESIGN FIRM ROLES

2.

5.

8.

HOW HOMES AND HOTELS CAN INSPIRE EACH OTHER

HOW THE STRONGEST DESIGN BRANDS SURVIVE

3.

6.

9.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: WINTER ISSUE 2025

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. S E E

YO U

I N

A P R I L

2 0 2 6 !

WE’RE BACK!

AS SEEN AT OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET TRENDS, TIMELESS DESIGN, AND MORE SPOTTED ON SITE

High Point Market this October felt at once familiar and refreshed. While some of the conversation centered on tariffs and economic uncertainty, the mood across showrooms was surprisingly optimistic.

Designers weren’t retreating but refining. In that spirit, this Market favored heritage over hype and craftsmanship over vague concept. Traditional design reemerged as a defining theme but not in a nostalgic, overwrought way.

We saw that turn toward traditionalism re-imagined with luxe textures and sculptural silhouettes that never felt dated or “done”. From Adriana Hoyos to Hickory Chair, our team was struck by the unapologetic femininity of this season’s furnishings, lighting, and décor. Where more masculine, sharply tailored forms have dominated previous markets, this season was awash in nature-inspired color palettes, floral motifs, and delicate detailing.

Design

OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET TRENDS

DesignDash Magazine

Between the references to design decades past and inspiring panels by industry leaders, our team felt that this Market celebrated endurance, of designers and the profession itself. As Melissa Grove, COO of Laura U Design Collective and Co-Founder of DesignDash noted:

Most designers were sourcing, connecting, and planning for growth in 2026. There was a lot of optimism in the air this Market, which isn’t what I was expecting.

HICKORY CHAIR AT HPMKT

BOTH FUN AND FANCY FLORAL MOTIFS Florals were everywhere this season, although not in a singular style. The tone certainly shifted from room to room, sometimes playful, sometimes very formal. That renewed range made this trend notable. According to Melissa, Hickory Chair stood out in particular for its florals, which could be found on upholstery and more.

HICKORY CHAIR SHOWROOM AT HIGH POINT MARKET OCTOBER 2025

Both Melissa and Laura Umansky noted how often chinoiserie appeared across Market. You could see it in screen panels, case goods with painted fronts, and carefully patterned upholstery. At Hickory Chair, we noted traditional garden scenes, climbing branches, birds and blooms. But other showrooms pushed florals in much different directions. At Vanguard, an Art Nouveau-esque dandelion motif appeared on upholstered benches and armchairs. The pattern was a bit unexpected, almost graphic. It gave a playfulness to otherwise tailored rooms and proved that a floral theme does not always have to be "sweet".

Universal Furniture’s collaboration with Crypton Textile and Eichholtz's showroom both referenced European tapestries. At Universal, floral upholstery was muted, with a tapestry look in soft, almost sepia tones. These pieces felt comfortable and familiar, as if they might have been in the family for years.

Designer Britany Simon highlighted tapestry upholstery in her own recaps, also referencing the "gorgeously feminine" curves and motifs throughout the Market.

On Instagram, Style Spotter (and DesignDash podcast guest) Victoria Holly added a neutral floral wallpaper to her Fall New Product Picks. Describing Tempaper Co.'s Poppies Peel and Stick Wallpaper, Holly writes that "the soft, low-contrast tones make it feel delicate and pretty, offering the freshness of a floral pattern without overwhelming a room."

VANGUARD SHOWROOM AT HIGH POINT MARKET

In that sense, “fun and fancy” is less a contrast and more a pairing. The best floral pieces this Market boasted both qualities at once. They entertained the eye, referenced historical prints, and still felt ready for long-term use in real rooms today.

RICH HERITAGE FINISHES AND DARK WOODS This season, traditional craftsmanship made a full return, and showrooms embraced it wholeheartedly.

Darker woods like espresso, walnut, and mahogany appeared in nearly every showroom, which was a sharp departure from the pale, bleached tones that have dominated recent years.

“Everything is cyclical,” said Melissa. “I love seeing curves, scalloped design, and rich, darker woods. There was definitely a call back to traditional design, which could be indicative of our current social climate, but it's done very well—lots of Ralph Laureninspired looks.”

At Baker, their signature burgundy finish became shorthand for the mood of this season: moody, elegant, and self-assured. House Beautiful’s editors noted similar cues in their Market coverage, describing “colorful twists on tradition".

HICKORY CHAIR, AT HPMKT

Across Century, Hickory Chair, and Rowe, these darker tones grounded collections that otherwise leaned romantic or feminine. The contrast between soft silhouettes and substantial finishes ensured these polite, poised furnishings also had gravitas. If earlier markets celebrated ease, lightness, and minimalism, this one prioritized permanence. Many of the pieces we viewed would feel inherited and meaningful even when they were brand new.

CURVES, SCALLOPS, AND FEMININE SILHOUETTES Everywhere we turned, we saw softened edges.

Scalloped headboards, rounded chair backs, skirted tables... shapes that once felt overtly romantic appeared newly relevant. Like the florals mentioned earlier in this article, the overall effect wasn’t overly feminine; it felt intentional and refined. Laura Umansky noted:

Scalloped edges were everywhere— headboards, tables, skirts on chairs. They feel sweet but up to date.

BAKER AT HPMKT OCTOBER 2025

Her observation fit what we saw across the board: designers leaning into form as ornament, but with restraint. A curved arm or a pleated detail added personality without feeling like set dressing.

At Vanguard, scalloped aprons framed otherwise clean-lined case goods, while Hickory Chair showcased arched silhouettes upholstered in rich jewel tones. Over at Verellen, soft geometry met moody palettes (blush pinks, merlot, camel) to create rooms that felt both composed and personal.

Feminine but not fragile.

“Curves are part of that broader return to comfort,” Melissa said. “Designers want spaces that feel inviting and expressive, but still polished.”

PHOTO CREDIT: RHONNIKA CLIFTON

Design

That word — polished — seemed to define many of these spaces.

OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET TRENDS

DesignDash Magazine

Softer forms didn’t dilute sophistication, though comfort is often misunderstood that way. The Market proved that femininity, when executed well, has as much authority as structure or scale.

The resurgence of curves also connected naturally to craftsmanship. At Bentwood, hand-stitched skirts, and tailored upholstery spoke to the touch of the maker as much as the eye of the designer. Everywhere we looked, the human hand shaped silhouettes.

JEWEL AND EARTH-TONE PALETTES WITH DEPTH

VANGUARD SHOWROOM AT HIGH POINT MARKET

Color palettes were a bit more seasonal than expected.

Burgundy, rust, navy, and deep green set the tone at most of the showrooms we visited, shifting away from the endless calm of gray and beige. “Burgundy, rust, ochre, deep evergreen,” said Melissa. “But I also saw a lot of vibrant orange, which is new for Market.”

Some designers noted a return to 1970s color palettes; avocado made a surprising showing. Laura identified another range of tones: “Light blue, deep wine, and warm champagne,” she said. Those combinations made appearances at Vanguard, where the showrooms felt moody and romantic, even a bit cinematic in their lighting. If earlier markets leaned into the cool neutrality of minimalist and transitional design, this one turned toward richness and depth.

At Rowe, fabrics in rust and evergreen felt timeless.

Four Hands leaned into amber and oxblood, while Regina Andrew layered ochre against walnut. Still, the color palettes were somewhat restrained. Color was "the main character," so to speak. It wasn't a mere costume.

HANDCRAFTED TEXTURES AND WOVEN DETAILS Texture was more substantial this Market. Melissa noted “mohair, velvet, lots of leather, and ebony wood". You could sense a renewed appreciation for tactility in how metals catch the light, how wood grain traverses a tabletop, and how soft finishes completely change the atmosphere of a room.

BAKER, AT HPMKT

Jamie Young & Co. captured that spirit well. “We had an amazing personal tour with her,” Laura said of designer Jamie Young. “She told us stories of the artisans she collaborates with and the inspiration behind her products.” That kind of intimacy between designer and maker echoed across showrooms. This season, craftsmanship truly felt less like marketing and more like conversation and connection.

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OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET TRENDS

DesignDash Magazine

Cane and rattan still made an appearance but they weren't everywhere. The appeal this Market wasn’t novelty but honesty, reality, longevity. At Currey & Co., woven pendants added dynamism, asymmetry, and irregularity to formal rooms. Hickory Chair leaned on mohair and velvet. We loved that these weren’t showroom-only pieces.

AN ALABASTER REVIVAL Between the heavy woods and richly saturated color, we found alabaster. Not every standout material this Market was about warmth or weight. For Rhonnika Clifton, alabaster was the surprise story of the season. It wasn’t new, but it felt newly appreciated and certainly newly interpreted. As Rhonnika said:

THE DESIGNDASH COMMUNITY AT JAMIE YOUNG

Regina Andrew incorporated alabaster too, but this showroom paired with brushed brass, while Currey & Co. let it stand alone.

Alabaster popped up in lighting, accessories, and sculptural details. It proves that natural materials and subtle texture still have staying power.

At Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting, alabaster was the material. Lamps, sconces, and pendants all caught the light in soft, diffused tones. The material had presence without obvious effort. Luminous, weightless, you could almost feel the temperature difference between it and the warmer metals surrounding it.

Rhonnika mentioned that her first few days at Market were quieter than usual, but that visit to Fine Art changed her outlook. “It sparked a deeper conversation for me about artistry and the creatives who are the real MVPs of this industry,” she said.

That shift mirrored what alabaster brought: subtlety yet honesty and commitment to true craftsmanship.

FUNCTION MEETS FORM Even with all the focus on heritage and craftsmanship, utilitarianism had its own moment. Innovation incorporated in lighting and furnishings this season was quiet, practical, and more about improving experience than chasing the coattails of a screaming technological revolution.

We noticed it most in motion furniture, convertible daybeds, integrated lighting, and other adaptable pieces that support the way designers actually work and clients actually live.

Four Hands, for instance, expanded its hospitality collection, showing pieces that could move seamlessly between residential and commercial settings. Lee Industries explored scale and shape with oversized ottomans and deep sofas.

Design

OCTOBER 2025 HIGH POINT MARKET TRENDS

DesignDash Magazine

And performance fabrics, especially from Kravet and Crypton, showed how durability and luxury can walk hand in hand. These weren’t “tech” pieces in the futuristic sense. They were practical, beautiful, and carefully made.

Across the seminars and showrooms, the emphasis on smarter business paralleled what we saw in design.

Laura noted that “designers are interested in how to run successful firms, beyond the creative.” That same pragmatism applied to the furniture itself; beautiful, yes, but built for real life. This marriage of function and form wasn’t new, exactly. But this Market treated it as refinement rather than reinvention. Designers seemed to understand that evolution doesn’t always mean invention. Sometimes it just means enhancing what already works.

CLOSING REFLECTIONS Melissa called this Market “celebratory.”

Laura chose “innovative.”

Rhonnika described it as a space to “honor those who value artistry, design, and craftsmanship.”

Together, those three impressions summarize the tone of Fall 2025. It wasn’t a radical season, but it certainly was a reassuring one. We set trends, refine them, and place them in the course of history, whether that's invention or interpretation.

PHOTO CREDIT: RHONNIKA CLIFTON

Thank you to Melissa Grove, Laura Umansky, and Rhonnika Clifton for sharing their perspectives on this season’s High Point Market.

Design

STYLING SPACES SEASONALLY

DesignDash Magazine

STYLING SPACES SEASONALLY FOR EVERGREEN PORTFOLIO CONTENT + “OF THE MOMENT” MARKETING

As with every year, this season’s High Point Market was drenched in the colors of fall: orange, navy, merlot, ochre, sienna, beige, black, charcoal… Those moody, organic colors and saturated jewel tones filled nearly every showroom. Reflecting on the difference between fall and spring markets encouraged us to consider how designers stage spaces during portfolio-focused photoshoots so those images can be used both yearround and seasonally.

Perhaps a vignette of a club chair upholstered in a dark floral pattern? The motif is perfect for spring, but the moody color palette works beautifully in fall as well.

Simply adjust the drapery behind the chair, and you’ve maximized its marketing potential. Beyond that, how do designers style spaces for photoshoots so they have a plethora of seasonal content for Instagram and evergreen photos worthy of their online portfolio? Let’s discuss.

STYLE SPACES WITH “SWAP-ABILITY” IN MIND In practice, most finished interiors don’t need dramatic restyling between seasons. Small, deliberate adjustments are often enough. The substitution of one textile, vessel, or book can shift a scene from bright and summery to subdued and moody without undermining the composition. Shooting a few of these variations during the same session creates options for later use and eliminates the need for reshoots. The key here is to identify which accents have the most visual influence and to treat them as movable parts rather than fixed décor.

The value of “swap-ability” lies in efficiency rather than novelty. Most of the time, the architectural and furnishing decisions have already fixed the character of a space.

What remains flexible are the smaller layers— throws, trays, objects, or even the order of books on a surface.

Changing or repositioning these elements empowers the same image to serve multiple purposes. A single photograph might later be cropped, captioned, or contextualized in different ways depending on seasonal needs or marketing direction. You don’t necessarily need to disguise repetition; just recognize that wellcomposed interiors can be interpreted multiple ways. After all, they are enjoyed and “repurposed” year-round by their inhabitants.

BRING A VARIETY OF BOTANICALS AND FLORALS Floral and botanical elements are still the most efficient way to signal a change in season. The presence of greenery, the looseness of an arrangement, or even the decision to use bare branches can communicate the intended time of year.

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STYLING SPACES SEASONALLY

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In spring and summer, natural asymmetry and lighter tones feel fresh. In fall and winter, more structured compositions and darker hues bring weight. A designer can carry a few different arrangements to the shoot and rotate them through the same scene to produce subtle but meaningful distinctions.

This method is both simple and practical. The same vase might hold citrus branches one month and magnolia leaves the next, yet the overall tone of the image feels distinct. Editors and clients alike tend to respond to those small seasonal indicators because they read naturally. It’s not about staging obvious themes but about reflecting the quiet shifts that happen in real interiors—the ones most people experience but rarely name.

THE ADRIANA HOYOS SHOWROOM AT HPMKT

These are not manipulations but observations of how light interacts with fabric and how that interaction suggests atmosphere. Photographs that account for these conditions feel more authentic and adaptable across seasonal contexts.

Drapery also affects scale and intimacy. When open, it expands the visual field and allows the exterior to participate in the image, which feels appropriate for spring or summer. When drawn closer, it narrows focus and enhances privacy, which naturally aligns with fall and winter. These slight shifts communicate seasonality without replacing anything. The design remains intact; only its framing changes.

USE DRAPERY TO ALTER SEASONAL PERCEPTION The position of a curtain can alter perception as much as color or texture. In warmer months, allowing light to filter through visible sheer panels introduces openness, brightness, and movement.

The same room photographed later with its panels partially drawn feels quieter, more enclosed.

PLAY WITH CROPS AND COMPOSITIONS Composition influences interpretation. A wide frame presents the logic of the space, while a close crop draws attention to material and texture. The same corner can communicate different moods depending on proximity.

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” ― Albert Camus

A tighter image often reads as more intimate and therefore more aligned with cooler months, while a wider view can feel expansive, almost vernal. Shooting multiple angles of each vignette ensures flexibility later, when imagery may be needed for differing narrative or marketing purposes.

Revisiting older images can yield similar results. A simple re-crop or change in orientation can uncover new uses for previously published work. This flexibility matters for long-term portfolios where repetition can dull impact. A well-photographed space holds multiple readings; what changes is the emphasis. Thinking about composition as an evolving resource helps build a visual archive that matures with the studio’s practice.

See how the wide-shot photo directly to the right of this text block appears bright and summery, but the detail photo of black and white accents has a wintery appearance?

It’s the same space but feels so different!

B U I L D A P R O P C A P S U L E F O R SH O O T S WITHOUT STYLISTS Stylists maintain a set of reliable pieces that photograph well regardless of context, but designers can, too. These objects become part of a broader visual vocabulary. Keeping a small inventory of these elements allows for consistent refinement across shoots. They need not dominate the frame; their purpose is to provide continuity, to bridge one project to the next, and to subtly articulate the designer’s hand.

A prop capsule also prevents overreliance on trend-driven styling. A consistent collection of objects structures the visual language of your brand. Over time, familiar pieces become recognizable, not repetitive, and their reappearance across projects suggests authorship.

Hence, both evergreen and seasonally appropriate content!

“The seasonal urge is strong in poets.” — Helen Bevington We wonder, why not designers, as well?

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STYLING SPACES SEASONALLY

INFUSE SPACES WITH THE INHERENT SEASONALITY OF NATURAL LIGHT Light has an inherent seasonality. Its angle, intensity, and temperature all shift throughout the year, often more significantly than color trends or materials.

Planning shoot times around these variations can eliminate the need for extensive post-production.

When approached with awareness, natural light alone can suggest both time and tone.

Attention to light also conveys a sense of place. A sunlit kitchen in late afternoon feels distinctly different from the same space captured in morning clarity. These choices reinforce the narrative of a home that exists in real time. For designers working on projects across regions, documenting light conditions reveals geography; the difference between Southern and Northeastern light, for example, can be striking. The ability to read and use that variance often separates polished imagery from work that feels situational and lived-in.

AN ASPEN INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHED DURING WINTER

THAT SAME ASPEN INTERIOR WITH A MORE SUMMERY ATMOSPHERE

EDIT FOR SEASONAL EMOTION Of course, post-production gives you yet another layer of control. Adjusting warmth, contrast, or exposure can align an image with a specific mood or marketing period. Warmer edits with higher brightness work well for spring or early summer campaigns; slightly cooler, lower-contrast versions lend themselves to a more wintery content. The difference may be minimal, but the psychological effect is tangible.

As shown in the two shots of a living room in this Houston home, the changes can be small but impactful. As you might imagine, this stage benefits from restraint. The most effective edits maintain a believable connection to how the room might appear under natural conditions. A consistent editing approach also strengthens the credibility of a designer’s portfolio. Viewers can sense when a photograph has been overly managed; subtle adjustments preserve trust. Editing, when handled thoughtfully, extends the usefulness of imagery without distorting its truth.

MAINTAIN BRAND CONSISTENCY Styling flexibility should not compromise visual identity.

Consistency across lighting, tone, and composition establishes recognizability and authority. Designers known for restraint, for instance, can maintain that quality even as they experiment with seasonal shifts.

The viewer should perceive evolution, not departure.

Maintaining this balance creates longevity; the portfolio feels current without appearing reactive.

This steadiness communicates professional maturity. Editors and clients value a clear visual point of view, one that evolves naturally but remains grounded in principle. A coherent portfolio tells a story about control (control of palette, of light, of tone) and that control builds confidence.

When seasonal adjustments occur within that framework, they enhance the work rather than distract from it.

P L A N A Y E A R ’S W O R T H O F C O NT E N T FROM ONE SHOOT Photographing a completed project gives you the opportunity to build a full calendar of imagery. A thoughtful shot list can accommodate both evergreen portfolio pieces and smaller seasonal vignettes. Capturing these variations at once allows a designer to release work gradually throughout the year, keeping social feeds and press outreach active. You can also more easily respect the client’s home and reduce the disruption that additional staging sessions might cause.

In practice, this might mean capturing each angle in several versions: daylight and evening, neutral and warm styling, open and contained compositions.

LUDC DESIGN DIRECTOR SHANNON SMITH

“She enjoys rain for its wetness, winter for its cold, summer for its heat. It is easy for her, she opens her heart and accepts everything.” — Morgan Llywelyn

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STYLING SPACES SEASONALLY

DesignDash Magazine

Later, those differences become invaluable when you need new material without new photography.

The process also encourages critical observation.

Seeing a space through multiple lenses helps clarify its strongest moments and reinforces what aspects of your design philosophy translate best in imagery.

D O N ’T F O R G E T T H E O U T D O O R S Exterior views can extend a project’s narrative.

When included in a photoshoot, they give seasonal markers that can later be emphasized or subdued. In spring and summer, open doors, reflections of greenery, or light passing through sheers suggest vitality. In fall and winter, closer framing, overcast light, or the faint glow of interior lamps evoke containment and warmth. These cues require no major restyling, only attention to timing and atmosphere.

Outdoor shots also have a documentary role to play. They connect interiors to their environment and provide visual context for the project as a whole. Even partial views help audiences understand how the space functions across time.

These details remind viewers that design is not static. It exists in shifting light and weather and season, and that temporal quality gives images a sense of realism that endures beyond trend or marketing cycle.

THE ADRIANA HOYOS SHOWROOM AT HPMKT

Seasonal staging is less about orchestrating change and more about seeing potential. When designers plan with those subtleties in mind, they’re able to draw more from the space than it initially offers.

What’s interesting is that nothing truly changes. The furnishings stay where they are. The palette remains intact. Yet through styling, framing, and editing, a single moment can stretch from your portfolio to your holiday cards to your summer reels.

It can feel like spring or fall depending on how it’s seen. That ability, to extend the relevance of an image without falsifying it, speaks to an understanding of design as a living practice rather than a static one.

A well-composed photograph doesn’t freeze a room in time. It understands how the space will evolve over time.

HOW HOMES AND HOTELS CAN INSPIRE EACH OTHER IN INTERIOR DESIGN FEATURING PARK LANE COPENHAGEN & SÓLLER

Unsurprisingly, hospitality design has become a consistent reference point in residential interiors.

Clients often bring travel photos to early meetings (a resort lounge, a marble bath, a shaded terrace) in the hopes of capturing an atmosphere or aesthetic: how they felt when they were there should be reflected in how they (and their guests) feel at home.

If they bring in a bar photo as inspiration, they might wish to evoke the moodiness, history, or polish of these intimate spaces. If they include a photo of a spa or resort pool, the goal is probably serenity as much as it is materiality. Interestingly, the overlap between hospitality and residential work encompasses both style and practicality.

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HOW HOMES & HOTELS INSPIRE EACH OTHER

DesignDash Magazine

Melissa Grove, Partner at Laura U Design Collective, notes how often these references appear in inspiration folders and on mood boards, from homeowners and designers alike. Do clients ever bring in hotel or resort photos as inspiration?

Absolutely. We pull those images into our concept presentations to create a mood for the project. Then we center on what the client enjoys about the destination; perhaps that’s the color palette, maybe it’s the materials, or it could be the architecture.

We let the client’s emotional connection to that space guide where we go and then rely on our expertise to make that happen.

PARK LANE COPENHAGEN BY &TEMPEL

WHERE HOSPITALITY TRANSLATES MOST EASILY TO HOMES Some parts of the home align naturally with hospitality design. Bars are at the top of the list, followed by lounge spaces, guest bedrooms, pool houses, and primary baths. Differing slightly from kitchens and living rooms, these spaces are as much about atmosphere as they are about purpose. They benefit from the clarity and circulation of hotel planning: clear sightlines, flexible lighting, and thoughtful transitions.

A LIVING ROOM BY LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE

Of course, borrowing from hospitality never means exact replication. A home bar might echo the masculinity, materiality, and mood of a classic lounge through hushed lighting, unctuous leather upholstery, and a glass-walled wine cave. A pool house can adopt the ease of a resort retreat with oceanic color palettes, performance fabrics, and pocket sliders. A guest suite might select the minimalist decor and hidden storage of a hotel room, in which everything has a place but nothing impinges on the visitor’s experience of pure relaxation.

“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.” ― James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room

According to Cristina Villalón in Lodging Magazine, “A room that feels personal, layered, and intentional is what elevates a guest’s stay beyond the ordinary.”

That’s exactly why these rooms are ideal candidates for borrowing from hospitality. Designers can soak up and apply that same atmosphere without tipping into kitschy imitation.

HOW HOSPITALITY IDEAS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO RESIDENTIAL DESIGNS

PARK LANE COPENHAGEN BY &TEMPEL

Once those hotel or resort photos are shared, the conversation shifts toward what can realistically translate from hospitality to residential design. Of course, not everything does in a literal way. A soaring lobby ceiling or a dramatic marble staircase doesn’t make sense in most homes. However, the way people move through those spaces often does and the qualities (luxurious materials, grandeur and presence, a striking focal point, etc.), could be implemented at home.

A design team will often consider feeling and flow first.

They assess how people enter, what they see, where the light falls, how they will proceed to the next space, etc. Hotels are planned with precision to ensure that every transition has a purpose and guests are directed throughout the structure as designers wish.

Residential spaces can borrow that structure without feeling too staged as long as designers remember the context. A front entry might echo the orientation of a hotel lobby. A living area might quietly borrow the way a lounge guides movement toward a view or gathers guests in zones through careful seating arrangements.

In hotels, designers often use light and sightlines to shape how people move through the building. But those ideas (entry orientation, circulation, a clear focal point) can be pulled into a house without feeling overdesigned.

A HOME BAR BY LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE

For example, the townhouse in Sóller works in a similar way, just more intimate. Natural light shapes how each room is experienced throughout the day, pulling you from shaded interiors toward the terrace.

We’ve talked a lot about how atmosphere and experience matter more than directly copying an aesthetic when referencing hospitality design in residential interiors. That’s exactly what Camilla and her team capture at Sóller with the main entry. You step off a busy street into a hideaway of sorts: resort-style outdoor spaces, grand yet intimate interiors, and more. Everything is tucked away from the world like a hotel meant for guests rather than passersby. It’s almost magical in that way.

SÓLLER, BY &TEMPEL

Hospitality projects pay close attention to how people enter, what they notice first, and how they transition from one space to the next. This is the exact type of spatial planning that makes sense in residential work, even when the scale is completely different.

ANNOUNCING ONE’S ARRIVAL

When guests enter a hotel, they are meant to feel something.

Anticipation. Calm. Excitement. Separation from the outside world. That feeling can be replicated at home through entry sequence, materiality, and proportion. You don’t need a revolving door or a chandelier to achieve it. A corner of wallpaper visible through the hall, a sightline toward a magically illuminated garden, or a dramatic entryway can evoke similar feelings.

Arrival cues shape emotional experience before a single amenity is used.

—Indiana Lee for Hospitality Net That holds true in residential settings too. A house that tells you where to look and where to go puts you and your guests at ease; it separates you from the worries of the outside world.

At Sóller, stepping through the main door means leaving the noise of the “real world” behind. The granite walls absorb sound. The ceiling drops slightly to frame a stunning view. The terrace waits at the back, elevated above all else. It’s measured, but it doesn’t feel contrived. That balance is what makes hospitality influence powerful when translated to residential work.

HOTELS BORROWING FROM HOMES This relationship isn’t one-directional. Hotels have increasingly looked to residential interiors to increase intimacy, even when their intention is refinement and escape rather than promising a literal “home away from home,” which has felt a bit too “extended stay for business” in the past.

SÓLLER, BY &TEMPEL

In luxury settings, grand lobbies once defined by echoing stone are now layered with textiles, color, and furniture that invite guests to linger in these shared spaces. To find this influence one must look no further than icons of European hospitality like Kempinski and Paradores: luxury and elevated leisure are retained but heritage and home aren’t secondary.

Everything from seating arrangements to lighting programs are making their way into American hotels, now.

“Character” is the keyword here.

According to Cristina Villalón in Lodging Magazine, “Lighting fixtures previously only used in homes— like floor-to-table lamps—are beginning to crop up in hotels.” She adds that more hospitality designers are embracing the intimacy and uniqueness of residential palettes, even in spaces meant to accommodate hundreds.

This “cultural exchange” between homes and hotels has also affected how residential designers approach furnishings. Homeowners have become more comfortable blending casual textures (even performance fabrics) with formal detailing. Drawing from European estate-style design, a living room can reflect the refinement of a five-star property but still feel familiar and comfortable.

CASE STUDY: PARK LANE COPENHAGEN

At Park Lane, Camilla preserved plasterwork and chandeliers but layered in smoked oak, brass, and deep tonal palettes. It’s luxurious but doesn’t feel extreme or out of place for a historic hotel. Those selections mirror what many residential designers do when they preserve original millwork or floors, treating them as assets instead of obstacles.

PARK LANE COPENHAGEN BY &TEMPEL

HOSPITALITY AND THE HOME: PAIRING OPPOSITES WITHOUT PASTICHE Borrowing from each other should never mean a mash-up. In that spirit, we turn back to Park Lane Copenhagen. This &TEMPEL project carefully pairs opposites: masculine lines against softer silhouettes, historic context against contemporary detailing, dramatic materials against hushed, romantic lighting.

That dichotomy is entirely deliberate and it’s a secret to longevity in interior design.

The same strategy can make a home feel layered without relying on trend or leaning into excess ornamentation. Designers can hold on to period features and still layer contemporary pieces without making them blend together in some awkward, forced way.

PARK LANE COPENHAGEN BY &TEMPEL

Design

Park Lane also demonstrates how material continuity solves flow problems more effectively than open plans alone.

HOW HOMES & HOTELS INSPIRE EACH OTHER

DesignDash Magazine

Van den Tempel had to unify two buildings from different periods. She didn’t rely on major structural interventions to do it. She used tone, patina, and finish as connective tissue. That same principle applies in houses with awkward additions or extensions. A carefully repeated palette or finish can carry people through space without flattening character.

BOTH MUST PRIORITIZE EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS AESTHETIC The most successful crossovers between hotel and home don’t rely on surface imitation. They rely on structure and feeling. A house that borrows from hospitality doesn’t need velvet banquettes or brass luggage racks. It needs thoughtful lighting, proportionate scale, and impactful moments of arrival.

A LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE PRIMARY BEDROOM

A hotel that borrows from home doesn’t need the armchair straight out of someone’s living room. It needs warmth, tactility, and an acknowledgment that people won’t just be “popping in” to either interior. They will inhabit them, for however long.

When hospitality designers talk about “guest journey,” they often mean something quite technical: how people move, where they pause, where they’re drawn. Residential designers can use that language without adopting an overly commercial polish ill-suited to homes. A guest in a house moves differently than a guest in a hotel, but the intent is the same: make it feel natural, make it feel easy, make it feel welcoming.

DESIGNING FOR EMOTIONAL RECALL

It’s easy to silo these references as aesthetic exercises. But beneath the materials and floorplans, there’s much more. When someone shows you a photo of the Aman in Tokyo or the Carlyle in New York, they’re not asking for a replica. They’re asking you to embed pieces of memory in a space they inhabit daily.

Practiced designers pay attention to those clues. They translate atmosphere into spatial hierarchy, flow, lighting, and texture. And they do it carefully enough that it doesn’t feel borrowed at all. It just feels right. But we can’t talk about emotion in design without referencing van den Tempel’s Park Lane Copenhagen once more, particularly her view on memory.

IN CLOSING This article has focused heavily on creating spaces that feel natural and emblematic rather than carbon copies of existing interiors. The focus is far less on hotels and homes mimicking each other and much more about the quiet conversation that’s been going on between them for decades.

Hotels have long borrowed the intimacy of homes to make strangers feel, well, at home. Homes have borrowed the precision of hotels to make daily life feel considered. Spaces that embody both capture our hearts and minds forever.

“Hopefully, they will remember a feeling rather than a specific design element,” — Camilla van den Tempel, in her Design Dash interview

LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE SINCE 2007, LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE HAS CURATED AND REFINED WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE HOW YOU LIVE. A MULTI-DISIPLINARY, FULL-SERVICE INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM. WITH EXCEPTIONAL CARE, WE CURATE SPACES THAT CELEBRATE HOW YOU LOVE TO LIVE. OUR HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE, AWARD-WINNING TEAM WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS FOR A DISTINCTIVE DESIGN, INSPIRED BY WHAT YOU FIND MOST IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL . BASED OUT OF OUR STUDIO IN HOUSTON, LUDC SERVES CLIENTS IN TEXAS, ASPEN, AND BEYOND.

(LEFT) RIVER OAKS MODERN PROJECT, LUDC (RIGHT) RIVER OAKS MODERN PROJECT, LUDC This is a DesignDash-approved ad.

DESIGN FEATURE

RENOVATED MALLORCAN TOWNHOUSE BY &TEMPEL A 19TH CENTURY VILLA EVOLVES UNDER EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN DIRECTION

In Sóller, a subtly grand Mallorcan townhouse opens to light like a sundial. Architect and designer Camilla van den Tempel, founder of &TEMPEL, reshaped the home so the sun edits its interiors, washing plaster walls, grazing carved ceilings, and slipping across restored hydraulic tiles. A redesigned skylight, newly scaled terrace doors, and a roof access that reconnects rooms to the sky keep interiors luminous without heat or glare. It feels calm, considered, and very lived in; in van den Tempel’s hands, its history remains intact, but its heart is jolted back to life.

Her restoration is exacting where it matters (original ornament, tile “carpets,” old carpentry) and unapologetically new where it should be (bathrooms, kitchen, miles of updated infrastructure).

&TEMPEL’s ethos is restraint with purpose. Van den Tempel speaks fluently about proportion and the comfort of honest materials, but she is just as interested in how a door sounds when it closes or how shade blankets an outdoor lounge.

In this conversation, we talk about working with sun as a design tool, protecting the character of a Mallorcan townhouse while opening it to contemporary life, and why the best interiors feel inevitable rather than invented. We also discuss the studio’s process: the patient drawing, the long mockups, the collaboration with local makers who keep the work grounded in place. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Camilla and revel at her incredible work.

Design Feature

&TEMPEL

DesignDash Magazine

IN C O N V E R S A T IO N W IT H & T E M PE L DesignDash: Mallorca has its own climate, light, and traditions. How did the island itself shape your design decisions for this project?

Camilla van den Tempel: Mallorca represents many layers of architecture, from sleek contemporary villas to deeply historic towns, and it was no coincidence that I chose a townhouse in Sóller. The character of the house itself guided the design. I wanted it to feel deeply rooted in its place, so I worked with local Spanish marble and a soft, sun-washed color palette to evoke the atmosphere of a Mediterranean summer. The island’s light, climate, and traditions were not just references but active forces shaping every decision, grounding the project in its context while keeping it timeless.

“I wanted the architecture to feel shaped by the sun… creating interiors that feel luminous but comfortable year-round.”

— Camilla van den Tempel, &TEMPEL

DesignDash: Light is such a defining element here, from the skylight over the stairwell to the way the sun stretches over the patterned tile floors. How did natural light influence the way you approached the interiors?

Camilla van den Tempel: Natural light was the starting point for every decision. I wanted the architecture to feel shaped by the sun, shifting subtly throughout the day and animating the interiors.

Careful consideration was needed in Mallorca’s climate: in summer, it was crucial to keep the sun out while still drawing maximum light in. We redesigned the skylight with a new structure that captures more daylight and introduced large terrace doors that open the house to the exterior without overheating it, creating interiors that feel luminous but comfortable year-round.

DesignDash: The rooftop terrace feels both restrained and dramatic. What changed there?

Camilla van den Tempel: The views are spectacular, so I kept the architecture restrained, using natural materials and soft forms to frame the landscape without competing with it. We enlarged the rooftop access to create a stronger connection to the sky and introduced an entirely new skylight structure that adds a more dramatic presence.

Large pots with olive trees bring life and contrast against the sand-colored tones, while a generous built-in sofa with soft cushions introduces a sense of comfort and ease. Up here, history is almost speaking to you—with the ancient church wall rising on one side and the panoramic sweep of the Tramuntana unfolding on the other, the terrace becomes a dialogue between past and present.

Design Feature

&TEMPEL

DesignDash Magazine

Design Feature

&TEMPEL

DesignDash Magazine

DesignDash: The pool lined in Indian green marble is a bold move for a traditional Mallorcan townhouse.

What inspired that selection?

Camilla van den Tempel: I wanted the pool to feel like a jewel. The deep green marble anchors the garden and brings a sense of depth and richness that contrasts beautifully with the softness of the plaster and stone. It connects old and new by being both timeless and striking.

DesignDash: At the far end of the garden, the casita has its own cellar, kitchen, and living area. Why give it the independence of a stand-alone home?

Camilla van den Tempel: The casita acts as a retreat—a quieter world within the property. Giving it its own rhythm and amenities makes the whole ensemble feel more like a small estate than a single house.

“There’s a profound moment as you step in from the lively streets of Sóller… the noise of the town dissolves into silence.”

— Camilla van den Tempel, &TEMPEL

DesignDash: Many of the rooms mix opposites: dark wood and iron with pale plaster and curved furniture. Do you see those contrasts as part of your design signature?

Camilla van den Tempel: I’m always drawn to contrast because it creates dialogue between weight and lightness, history and modernity. The original house featured many different tones of wood, and I wanted to distill that into something more intentional.

For me, dark wood brings a sense of timelessness and quiet exclusivity. The dark wood balances beautifully with the inherent lightness of Mediterranean architecture, where walls remain bright and airy. Those contrasts arose naturally here, rooted in the character of the building. My desire was to refine and elevate the building’s original language.

DesignDash: The variety of textures gives the house a very tactile quality one might not expect given the crisp interior walls. How important was that layering of texture?

Camilla van den Tempel: Texture is essential. This is what makes a minimalist space feel human. The interplay of plaster, wood, stone, and soft fabrics grounds the architecture and makes it inviting. It was about creating depth without excess, so the house feels both refined and warm.

DesignDash: The furnishings are either curved or linear, without much in between. Do you see furniture as an extension of the interior architecture?

Camilla van den Tempel: Absolutely. For me, furniture isn’t decoration—it’s an extension of the architecture.

The forms echo the lines and rhythms of the space, reinforcing its geometry and flow. They’re integral to how the rooms feel and function.

DesignDash: The townhouse has striking wall paneling and ceiling ornamentation. Were these details original, or did you introduce them during the renovation?

Camilla van den Tempel: We were fortunate to inherit original paneling and ceiling ornamentation, which

gave the house so much of its soul.

Some of these details had been damaged over time, so we created new plaster forms based on the originals to restore what was lost. In other areas, we introduced new elements that echoed the existing language so seamlessly they feel as though they’ve always belonged.

DesignDash: The tiled floors are remarkable. Did those original patterns help set the tone for your palette in the rest of the house?

Camilla van den Tempel: Absolutely.

The original hydraulic tiles are such an integral part of Mallorca’s architectural heritage, and a hallmark of refined townhouses in Palma and Sóller from the island’s prosperous period between 1880 and 1930.

Their intricate patterns, often designed as “carpets” within rooms, once signified craftsmanship and status, and many of those stories are still visible in the patina today.

I wanted that legacy to guide the project. The geometry and colors of the tiles became a foundation for the entire palette, influencing everything from the plaster tones to the textures and materials layered throughout the house.

DesignDash: In the bathrooms, stone basins and arched mirrors feel simple but sculptural. How do you keep everyday spaces like these timeless rather than trend-driven?

Camilla van den Tempel: I focus on form and materiality rather than fashion. Stone, plaster, and pure geometry don’t age but gain character. By keeping the language restrained and honest, those spaces become timeless and feel at home in a historic building.

DesignDash: The photos feel sequential and cinematic. How did you think about flow between private and social spaces?

Camilla van den Tempel: Flow is everything. I wanted movement through the house to feel like a quiet journey—moving from shaded, intimate spaces into open, luminous ones.

The sequence mirrors how life unfolds in the house, revealing layers gradually rather than all at once.

DesignDash: Throughout the project there’s a balance between what you’ve restored and what you’ve added. How did you decide where to draw that line?

Camilla van den Tempel: It’s an intuitive process guided by respect. Elements like the old carpentry, ironwork, ornamentation, and hydraulic floors represent extraordinary craftsmanship and carry the soul of the house —those were carefully preserved.

At the same time, the entire infrastructure, from plumbing to more than seven kilometers of new electrical cabling, had to be replaced to meet modern standards. All bathrooms were completely rebuilt, and a new kitchen was installed to support contemporary living. For me, it’s about creating harmony between old and new—allowing the house’s story to continue while making it relevant and functional for today.

Design Feature

&TEMPEL

DesignDash Magazine

DesignDash: Looking back, is there a detail or decision at Palazzo Bartomeu that feels especially personal to you—or to your clients?

Camilla van den Tempel: There are many details I cherish. However, I often return to the experience of transition as one of the most powerful. The original main door, which is monumental and beautifully crafted, carries the weight of time and immediately sets the tone for what lies within. There’s a profound moment as you step in from the lively streets of Sóller. The heavy door closes behind you, the ancient granite walls embrace you, and the noise of the town dissolves into silence. That passage from public to private, from movement to stillness, captures what I find most meaningful about architecture—its quiet ability to shape how we inhabit space and, in turn, how that space shapes our state of mind.

DesignDash: And finally, how does this house fit within the broader context of your work at &TEMPEL? Camilla van den Tempel: The house reflects the simplicity I’m always searching for—nothing unnecessary, nothing to distract you. It’s about sensitivity to context, clarity of form, and a dialogue between past and present. For me, Palazzo Bartomeu is a deeply personal project that distills how I see architecture: as a craft rooted in history, but always reaching quietly toward the future.

Thank you to Camilla van den Tempel, Alberte Mikkelsen, Jochen Arndt for Fantastic Frank, and their team at &TEMPEL.

BEST OF INTERIOR DESIGN 2025

WE WANT TO PUBLISH YOU! AS PART OF OUR “WOMEN, IN THEIR OWN WORDS” INTERVIEW SERIES, DESIGNDASH INVITES WOMEN IN DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE FINE ARTS TO ANSWER 12 REFLECTION QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR WORK AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION—SOME ARE LIGHT AND FUN, WHILE OTHERS DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. THESE INTERVIEWS (PLUS PROJECT PHOTOS AND ANY LINKS YOU’D LIKE INCLUDED) ARE FEATURED ON OUR WEBSITE AND SHARED WITH OUR 15K NEWSLETTER AUDIENCE OF CREATIVES. TO BE CONSIDERED, REACH OUT TO OUR EDITOR AT EDITOR@DESIGNDASH.COM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING YOUR STORY WITH OUR COMMUNITY!

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PLANNING 2026 HIRES IN Q4 2025

A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERIOR DESIGN FIRMS DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR TO DESIGN THE FIRM YOU NEED

Q4 is the window when most studio owners can see the year clearly enough to plan the next one. We take a close look at next year in the fall of the previous year.

“We budget in October for the following year,” says Melissa Grove, partner at DesignDash. “When I’m looking at revenue and profit, I also evaluate what we might spend on team growth.”

By this time, you have real revenue, not projections.

You know which projects wrapped, which slipped away, which are on track, which fell off the wagon, and which will carry into spring. That’s why staffing conversations belong here in Q4.

Numbers first. Roles second. That order is key. Join DesignDash co-founder and Laura U Design Collective COO Melissa Grove as she outlines how to approach 2026 hires in the final quarter of 2025.

Team

PLANNING 2026 HIRES IN Q4 2025

DesignDash Magazine

MAKE Q4 YOUR STAFFING SEASON Start with the actual work you do. Of course, this is different for everyone. But build a current project ledger that lists scope, key milestones, and estimated hours by phase. Connect that to a capacity view for every seat on your team. This doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does need to be accurate.

Look at what your designers, project managers, and operations folks can actually deliver week by week. If demand sits above capacity well into the first half of 2026, you are not smoothing out an unexpected spike; you are under-resourced.

On the creative side, hours rise and fall with presentations, drawing sets, procurement packages, and installs. Operations is a bit steadier, though nothing is ever static. Shipping delays, vendor resets, and tighter client timelines can pull on that lane more than you expect. When you map the two together, you can identify the patterns in your firm. Some will reassure you. Some will not. It's all useful.

THE ADRIANA HOYOS SHOWROOM AT HPMKT

LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE STAFF WORKING IN THE STUDIO

Offers can be timed. Start dates can be staged. You can protect cash flow and quality at the same time, which is the point.

READ YOUR PIPELINE LIKE AN OPERATOR

DON’T PUSH DECISIONS TO JANUARY

Hiring in Q1 is possible. It’s just harder.

Onboarding runs into installs. Training pulls senior staff off active projects. The pace invites shortcuts you would rather avoid.

“Sometimes, you have to hire someone you didn’t budget for because ideal work is coming in,” Melissa says.

It happens, and saying yes to great work matters. A Q4 plan does not remove that flexibility. It gives you a framework so quick decisions still align with the business you are trying to run.

New projects are the real signal. Revenue is the echo.

Multi-room renovations, full-service furnishings, new builds, and hospitality briefs add documentation and coordination that a small team can only absorb for so long. Client mix plays a role too. Fewer clients with larger budgets change how you handle communication, approvals, and procurement risk.

“Projects first,” Melissa notes. “We’ll place a new client on a waitlist or decline the work so we don’t overload our designers. If a project is really compelling—both creatively and financially—we’ll look at hiring.”

“Sometimes, you have to hire someone you didn’t budget for because ideal work is coming in.”

— Melissa Grove

That “look” needs discipline. One wonderful project rarely justifies a permanent seat by itself. When you add a role, you also accept the responsibility of keeping that seat productive after the reveal. Owners who acknowledge that reality make better hires.

SEPARATE MUST-ADD FROM NICE-TO-HAVE

A must-add role protects schedule, quality, and billing.

Without it, deadlines slip or invoices lag. A nice-to-have role lifts the standard or speeds delivery. Valuable, but it should be tied to clear revenue triggers and treated as a stretch until the numbers support it.

THE LUDC STUDIO

In our workshops we call this exercise Your Next Best Hire: identify the single seat that frees the most senior hours or removes the most operational risk, then prove it on paper.

If a procurement lead would return twenty design hours a week to your principal and cut reorders, the math will show it. If a junior designer would absorb drafting and finish schedules so a project manager can run two more jobs cleanly, the model will show that too. Owners often “know” the answer; the spreadsheet turns that instinct into a plan.

HIRE FOR VALUES, TRAIN FOR SKILL

Small teams feel every addition. Culture is not a poster; it is what shows up in a site meeting and a Tuesday stand-up. Hire for core values and teach process and software.

“Always hire for core values,” Melissa says.

She also points to the practical side of judgment.

After the portfolio review, sit in a short working session. Watch how a candidate listens, pushes, and collaborates.

THE DOVETAIL SHOWROOM AT HPMKT

The way someone responds to incomplete information will tell you more than a scripted answer ever could. You can sharpen CAD skills. Ownership and curiosity are harder to install.

KEEP ONE SOURCE OF TRUTH

Capacity debates go sideways when everyone brings a different spreadsheet. Keep one living resourcing view owned by your design directors and updated weekly. Pair it with a simple budget that shows revenue, cost of goods, operating expenses, and payroll as a share of revenue.

Review both monthly. Q4 sets the plan; the follow-through is what keeps you off the roller coaster in March. You may not love the ritual at first. Over time, it starts to feel essential.

“I include a benefits allocation of roughly 20% on top of salary, plus software costs.” ― Melissa Grove

PRICE THE WHOLE SEAT

Budget the full cost of a hire. That includes salary, benefits, software, insurance, hardware, and onboarding.

Add the hours senior staff will spend training, and be honest about ramp time. A new project manager will not carry a full load in week two. A new designer will need reviews to hit your standard. Underestimate support and the “cheaper” hire quickly turns expensive.

BUILD TWO PATHS AND PROTECT YOUR OPTIONS

Write one plan for confirmed work. Include raises and promotions you know you owe, because retention is part of the budget. Write a second plan for growth.

Add one or two stretch roles you will greenlight only when revenue milestones hit. Review those checkpoints quarterly. Options have value. Promises you cannot keep do not.

PEOPLE OR TOOLS

Some gaps are better solved with software. If a platform can remove repetitive drafting, documentation, or tracking at a lower cost than a seat and can be adopted without slowing the team, test it.

Run a short pilot with one project and a named owner. Measure time saved and error rates.

If you cannot see a measurable gain inside eight weeks, end the test and move on. If the constraint is judgment, creative direction, or client trust, hire a person. That work needs to be fleshed out in actual conversations, not dashboards.

Procurement and logistics often gain the most from systems because consistency and tracking protect margin. Concept and client care still rely on people who can read a room, defend a scheme, and land a decision when the clock is not on your side.

TWIN TABLES IN A LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE PROJECT DO NOT DELAY YOUR FIRST OPERATIONS OR PROCUREMENT HIRE

If designers are chasing POs, lead times, freight claims, and warehouse schedules, you waited a bit too long.

Move the work. An operations or procurement lead standardizes vendor communication, protects timelines, and closes loops you might not notice until install day.

The payoff will make itself evident when you have fewer reorders, cleaner punch lists, and principals who are back in design instead of email.

Many studios find this is the role that pays for itself first.

It is not glamorous, but it is the seat that keeps projects calm and clients confident. If you feel nervous about the commitment, start with a contract-to-hire period and a clear scorecard for the first ninety days.

Team

PLANNING 2026 HIRES IN Q4 2025

DesignDash Magazine

FORECAST A YEAR, DETAIL SIX MONTHS

Most firms work best with a twelve-month view and a tight plan for the next six. The annual plan anchors compensation, hiring windows, and cash flow. The six-month plan sets workloads, milestones, and recruiting checkpoints.

Anything beyond that should live in scenarios with wide bands. Keep a real contingency so a single delay does not toss the quarter. Revisit monthly.

Not to micromanage. To stay honest about what changed, which it will.

WHERE OWNERS MISCALCULATE THE ADRIANA HOYOS SHOWROOM AT HPMKT

Owners often underestimate the time they will win back by hiring and overestimate how long the team can carry an open role without quality slipping.

You also see the reverse: a new hire lands and leadership does not reclaim the hours they meant to.

Melissa is blunt about mindset. “Approach hiring with an abundance mindset. With an expanded team, you’ll have more time to develop more business.”

That only works if you use the time you just freed.

Block weekly business development hours on your calendar. Treat them as a meeting with a client.

Because that is what they are.

IF THE BUDGET CANNOT CARRY THE CURRENT TEAM

Address it early and with clarity. If you are intentionally ramping down, share the plan and timing once it is firm so people can make their own plans. If revenue is soft because the top of the funnel stalled, fix the strategy before you cut.

LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE STAFF WORKING IN THE STUDIO

“The issue is less the budget and more the strategy,” Melissa says.

Outline the targets you need to hit to avoid reductions. Give dates. Offer referrals where you can. Year-end conversations are hard, yet kinder than surprise calls in February. The way you handle this season will follow you.

SOLO VS ESTABLISHED

A solo designer planning a first hire needs a longer runway for onboarding and cash swings. Build a conservative model that covers salary, benefits, and three months of cushion. Decide which tasks you will hand off on day one so the new seat pays for itself quickly.

An established studio adding a tenth person can lean on process, templates, and shared tools.

“Reactive hiring gets you into a bad spot. Plan ahead and ABR—always be recruiting.”

— Melissa Grove

ALWAYS BE RECRUITING

Reactive searches push you toward the wrong fit.

“Reactive hiring gets you into a bad spot,” Melissa says.

“Plan ahead and ABR—always be recruiting.”

Keep a quiet bench of people you admire. Save portfolios.

Grab coffee at Market. Stay in touch without pressure.

When timing and fit line up with the plan, move quickly and respectfully. When they don’t, wait. Steady beats hurried.

ONE STEP TO TAKE NOW Pull twelve months of P&L. Note average monthly revenue, expenses, and profit. Tie your 2026 targets to that baseline. Translate the confirmed work into hours by role.

Then set two dates: the day you will post your first role and the day you will review your stretch roles against revenue. Once the gap is visible and the dates are real, staffing will no longer be purely theoretical. You are looking at a schedule and a plan you can actually run.

“After joining DesignDash, I tripled my monthly revenue just by switching to a billing method that worked for my firm.”

Community

Your business should fuel your creativity—not drain it. You didn’t start your interior design firm just to get buried in emails, spreadsheets, and client management. You started it to do meaningful, creative work— and to build something that gives you freedom, impact, and a life you love.

At DesignDash, we help interior designers like you streamline operations, scale sustainably, and stay inspired. With the right tools, expert support, and a powerful community behind you, you can finally run your firm with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Let’s build the firm you deserve—together.

THE STRONGEST INTERIOR DESIGN BRANDS BEND WITHOUT BREAKING TRACEE MURPHY AND VICTORIA HOLLY EXPLAIN THAT ADAPTABILITY IN DESIGN REQUIRES ELASTICITY, EMPATHY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INSIGHT

Directed by the whims of clientele, greatly affected by changing trends, and dependent on international trade agreements, interior design has never been a static industry. Even when the plans are fixed, people certainly aren’t. Clients get anxious halfway through construction and start requesting massive change orders. Markets shift.

Laws change. Brand values evolve.

Of course, DesignDash doesn't shy away from change.

Our own brand has evolved to meet the needs of our community members. But knowing when, how, and who to respond to is never easy. In these conversations with Victoria Holly and Tracee Murphy on the DesignDash Podcast, adaptability surfaced again and again as a key, enduring theme.

It’s easy to talk about change as if it’s a "future problem".

But in reality, it sits in the room with us every day; it's in the conversations with clients who are scared of blowing their budget, in the language teams use when interacting with vendors, in the hushed recalibrations of a firm’s own voice.

Though it might sound like a buzzword populating every article on HBR, it's much more like a muscle. We flex our adaptability when the world changes, when clients falter, when our firms expand and contract to meet demand.

VICTORIA HOLLY & TRACEE MURPHY, RESPECTIVELY, WITH ANN SACKS TILE IN THE BACKGROUND

Business

ADAPTIVE DESIGN BRANDS

DesignDash Magazine

EXTERNAL SHIFTS TEST BRAND ELASTICITY; BE FLEXIBLE While we can predict trends and estimate economic shifts, there are many cases in which markets do not send any form of advance notice before they lurch. A policy change can occur in the middle of an active project. A regional disaster can reshape needs, timelines, and access overnight.

Clients reevaluate what “home” means and pull entire design schemes apart to rebuild their lives around new priorities.

The latter is exactly what happened in Los Angeles County when the fires tore through Altadena and the Pacific Palisades where Victoria Holly’s clients lived. Some walked away from properties entirely.

Others started over on scorched land. A few homes survived, but the neighborhoods were forever changed. All of them were rethinking what mattered.

“People were questioning everything,” Holly said on DesignDash. “What they wanted in a home. Where they wanted to live. Even how they wanted to feel when they walked through the door.”

She had built her firm’s foundation on a distinctly East Coast sensibility (structured, layered, familiar), but that language didn’t fully speak to the chaos and complexities her clients were living through.

Her definition of design needed to stretch out to meet them where they were in that moment. “I’m trying to go back to that and give it to my roots a bit,” she explained. “How can I bring East Coast to the West Coast?”

The pillars of her brand (“classic, playful, unexpected”) remained intact. What changed was how they presented in her work. We often think of updating our brand purely as a business decision.

But in reality, that kind of elasticity is both empathy and survival.

VICTORIA HOLLY, WHO SPOKE WITH DESIGNDASH ON THE PODCAST AT SPRING HIGH POINT MARKET 2025

Firm owners respond to the needs of their clients while nurturing core values and adjusting brand identity if needed. External shifts challenge operations while also pressing directly against brand identity. If the brand can’t flex to meet the future, it fractures and falls apart.

READ THE ROOM AS CLOSELY AS YOU READ YOUR P&L Few clients "come right out with it," so to speak.

They circle around how they're truly feeling. They pause a little too long when you present the revised estimate. They nod, but their eyes narrow.

They start asking for one more rendering, another material option, a different delivery timeline. That anxiety permeates the room long before the budget blows up. Tracee Murphy has seen this pattern play out again and again.

“It’s really a testament to human spirit: how we create home, and what home actually is.”

— Victoria Holly

Her psychology background isn’t incidental. She told Melissa Grove and Laura Umansky on the DesignDash Podcast that,

“STARTING MY DESIGN WORLD, MY DESIGN LIFE IN PSYCHOLOGY… IT’S HELPED ME IMMENSELY IN DEALING WITH CLIENT CONFLICT, DEALING WITH SALES, DEALING WITH… CONFLICTING PERSONALITIES.” Rather than bulldozing ahead with spreadsheets, she urges designers to anticipate the human element: “We can’t control how anybody is going to act… understanding how you are and how you approach conflict… keeping communication open and direct… make sure you have your clients’ back.”

THE LUDC TEAM ASSESSING SWATCHES

It’s tempting to stick to the numbers when conversations become more and more uncomfortable. But numbers don’t actually resolve your client's fear.

Clients who are quietly panicking might delay, redirect, or push for endless alternatives. Leadership, in those moments, should be steady instead of speedy. As Murphy puts it...

“One easy thing is always just like stay calm… if you can learn the skill to be able to like stay professional and factbased and level-headed, then that gives you the upper hand in [the] situation.”

Reading the room is a skill and a process. Murphy builds trust on purpose and on repeat: “We talk about it and we use that word all the time… Thank them for trusting us, trusting our process,” and then back it up weekly: “Do what you say you’re going to do.”

As for her team, she describes listening as a discipline, encouraging designers and procurement agents to “paraphrase and loop back… ‘Okay, I heard this… Is that correct?’”, because misunderstood preferences are expensive mistakes later. None of this is “soft” or overly emotional. It’s structural.

TRACEE MURPHY, WHO SPOKE WITH US IN AUGUST

“The dream is to be in the pit of despair, holding hands, and still excited for the finish line.”

— Tracee Murphy

“Some of it’s just some self-awareness about you not jumping into that conflict in the heat of it,” Murphy says. “Keep your cool… take the high road.” When firm owners learn to read the room before the numbers, they’re not avoiding tough conversations about the budget. Instead, they are actually protecting it, along with their timelines, teams, credibility, and client trust.

ENGAGE IN EMPATHY WITHOUT E R O D I N G Y O U R F I R M ’S V I S I O N AND VALUES

“WE HAVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES EVERY DAY.” Victoria Holly continues, “You are creating home for people every day. It’s why it is such a stressful job because people are giving you all of their money and everything that’s so important to them and saying please make this amazing.”

These conversations between Laura Umansky, Melissa Grove, and their guests underscore the fact that design leadership requires deep empathy without losing the integrity of your creative and business visions.

Victoria Holly spoke candidly about how the LA fires created a micro-environment of uncertainty.

This reality has demanded sensitivity, community engagement, and personal resilience. As she explained, families were asking “are we staying, are we rebuilding, are we selling, are we moving neighborhoods?”

Many were at major life inflection points, navigating trauma while also making design decisions. Holly acknowledged how critical it was to meet clients where they are emotionally: “you move through the shock a bit and the sadness will forever be there but now moving on to like hope and like okay let’s rebuild let’s rebuild something great.”

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DESIGNDASH’S LAURA UMANSKY AND HER FAMILY IN THEIR HOME

Naturally, designers themselves understand how meaningful home is. Empathy is essential, but so are clear boundaries. Even amid upheaval, Holly held onto her own brand pillars to ground both herself and her clients.

Rather than diluting her creative vision to match her clients exactly, she used it as a beacon to guide projects forward with purpose.

Likewise, designer and mentor Tracee Murphy emphasized that successful client relationships require emotional intelligence and psychologyinformed communication. Designers are creating spaces for real life, which means they’re also navigating trust, fear, and conflict.

“We all get into it and think it’s something really different than what it is. The number of decisions that have to be made… it’s extraordinary how some insight into itself first, then into some sales process and conflict management, will really help you navigate different situations.”

ADAPTIVE DESIGN BRANDS

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ADAPTIVE DESIGN BRANDS

Murphy reminds us that “you can’t control how anybody is going to act," but you can pay attention and adjust your own responses. Murphy underscores that when tensions rise, whether with builders, clients, or collaborators, remaining calm and bringing focus back to the project, not the person, empowers designers to lead without yielding their standards.

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E N JO Y M O R E O F O U R CONVERSATIONS WITH HOLLY AND MURPHY ON THE DESIGNDASH PODCAST

Developing and reinforcing trust is extremely important here. Both guests reflected on fear as a near-silent, building factor that undermines decision-making for many designers. Murphy called it out directly: “people are afraid to make decisions because they’ll upset somebody, they won’t make enough money, they’ll lose that client… fear creeps into all different aspects of running the business.” Her call to action is simple but profound.

"IF WE CAN GET PAST THAT FEAR, IT’S REALLY GOING TO HELP TO ELEVATE US AS DESIGNERS, BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE INDUSTRY.” — TRACEE MURPHY, DESIGN DASH PODCAST Empathy, trust, conflict navigation, and psychological insight will never require you to compromise your firm’s values. When woven together intentionally, they strengthen your ability to lead through uncertainty.

Supporting your clients should never mean erasing yourself. If it does, they're not the right clients.

CLICK THE IMAGES TO WATCH EACH EPISODE ON YOUTUBE OR H E A D T O D E S I G N D A S H .C O M

ANN SACKS DESIGNER TILE FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, ANN SACKS HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH UNPARALLELED CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION IN THE WORLD OF TILE AND STONE. SEARCHING THE GLOBE FOR THE FINEST NATURAL MATERIALS, THEY HAVE METICULOUSLY CRAFTED AN EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO THAT EMBODIES TIMELESS SOPHISTICATION, REDEFINING THE VERY ESSENCE OF HOME. ANN SACKS BRINGS UNSURPASSED ARTISTRY, CRAFTMANSHIP, AND QUALITY TO KITCHENS, BATHS, AND OTHER SPACES IN THE HOME. SPECIALIZING IN HAND-MADE CERAMIC TILE, MARBLE, AND STONE, DESIGNERS OFTEN TURN TO ANN SACKS FOR THEIR CLIENTS. (RIGHT) MOUNTAIN LANE SHOW HOUSE, LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE (LEFT) GREEN TREE, LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE This is a DesignDash-approved ad.

DESIGN FEATURE

EP INTERIOR’S STUNNING MEDITERRANEAN RENO COOK & TEAM BRING INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION TO HOUSTON ESTATE

In Houston, there’s an estate that doesn’t look like it was “redone.” It feels as though it’s always been this way because of how thoughtfully the renovation was approached. Light moves naturally through the rooms, each space transitions easily to the next and, the kitchen, which recently won a national award at the IDS Conference, sits at the center of it all.

Brought on to guide a full renovation that quickly grew in scope, Christine Cook and her team at EP Interior led the transformation of a Mediterraneanmodern home in Houston. What started as an update evolved into a complete interior and exterior overhaul, with every space reconsidered and rebuilt to reflect both the home’s original character and a cleaner, more contemporary sensibility.

Cook has spent more than fifteen years designing across the U.S. and abroad. Her experience shows up in the way she layers function with warmth and knows when to let a space breathe. At EP Interior, she leads a tight-knit team known for balancing architectural sensitivity with livable luxury.

Working closely with the project manager, she shaped each decision around clarity and craft. That collaboration gave the design process unusual focus, allowing her to translate the clients’ vision without unnecessary layers or second-guessing.

In this conversation, Christine talks about how the project evolved, how she thinks about materiality, and how she relies on her team. We hope you enjoy our Q&A.

Design Feature

CHRISTINE COOK

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DesignDash: This renovation evolved from a full-scale renovation into a complete transformation. How did your vision for the home evolve over the course of the project?

Christine Cook: From the very beginning, we had a clear and detailed vision for the home. I created full-scale renderings before construction even began, so we knew exactly how the spaces would look and feel. Of course, design is always an evolving process — small refinements naturally happened along the way — but the direction was distinct from day one. The beauty of this project was seeing that vision come to life exactly as we imagined it, while still allowing room for the home’s personality to unfold through craftsmanship, light, and the way the family ultimately lives within it.

“This started out as a renovation, but the deeper we went, the more it became clear that the house needed a complete transformation.” — Christine Cook of EP Interior

DD: You worked closely with the project manager to bring this design to life. How did that dynamic influence the creative process and final outcome?

CC: That partnership was essential. The project manager understood the level of precision and craftsmanship we were striving for, and our communication allowed creative ideas to come to life seamlessly. Every decision, from millwork details to lighting placement, became a dialogue between design and execution — and that collaboration elevated the final result far beyond what we could have achieved in isolation.

DD: The kitchen is a defining (and award-winning) element of the home. What inspired its blend of technology, clean lines, and warmth?

CC: The kitchen evolved right alongside the project itself. We always planned to close off a doorway to create a more functional layout, but as the design progressed, the island became the true focal point.

“Working with the project manager changed the entire dynamic. There was a shared language from the start, and it made every decision sharper.” — Christine Cook of EP Interior

The clients wanted the largest island and as much seating as possible — a gathering place for family and friends. That desire drove the layout and details, blending advanced technology with craftsmanship and warmth. The end result feels refined yet welcoming — a kitchen where beauty and function coexist effortlessly.

DD: Mediterranean-modern is a distinct aesthetic.

How did you interpret that language to create something both timeless and personal for the clients?

CC: The home already carried a Mediterranean influence, so we weren’t looking to reinvent it — just to refine and modernize it. Our goal was to honor that original character while bringing in more natural light, warmth, and organic materials. We approached the style through atmosphere rather than ornamentation, focusing on soft plaster walls, natural wood tones, and muted stone surfaces that create a grounded serenity. Clean-lined millwork and modern lighting add a fresh balance, resulting in a home that feels timeless, layered, and authentically personal.

Design Feature

CHRISTINE COOK

DesignDash Magazine

Design Feature

CHRISTINE COOK

DesignDash Magazine

DD: Materiality plays a quiet but powerful role throughout this home. How did those choices shape the overall atmosphere? Is there a particular material in the home that stands out to you?

CC: Every material in this home was chosen with purpose. We combined organic textures — plaster, stone, and wood — to create calm transitions and subtle contrast. Each element was selected not just for its appearance, but for how it feels in daily life. The quartzite in the kitchen stands out most to me: its soft veining adds movement and depth, grounding the home in warmth and understated luxury.

DD: Is there a specific detail or moment in the home that feels especially meaningful to you as a designer?

CC: There’s a moment when you stand at the kitchen island and look toward the living room — the light, texture, and alignment all flow perfectly. It’s the kind of view that reminds me why we obsess over every little decision. That sense of harmony and ease is something you can feel, even if you can’t explain it.

DD: EP Interior is known for creating spaces that embody ‘livable luxury.’ How does this project reflect that philosophy?

CC: Livable luxury is at the heart of everything we do — creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful. In this home, durable materials, thoughtful layouts, and layered textures come together to make every moment feel elevated yet effortless. It’s elegant but approachable, sophisticated but comfortable — a reflection of how true luxury should feel.

DD: You’ve designed in many places around the world. How did your global perspective inform your approach here?

CC: Travel has taught me to see design through a lens of connection and contrast. For this home, that meant bringing in subtle European influences — restraint, texture, and timelessness — while staying grounded in the lifestyle of a Houston family.

“EVERY CULTURE CELEBRATES COMFORT AND BEAUTY DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT PERSPECTIVE INFLUENCES HOW I MIX MATERIALS AND BALANCE PROPORTION.” — Christine Cook of EP Interior

DD: Looking ahead, how do you see the role of designers evolving as the industry continues to shift?

CC: Designers are moving beyond creating beautiful rooms — we’re creating experiences. Clients are looking for meaning, connection, and longevity in their spaces. I think our role will continue to evolve toward storytelling — crafting environments that nurture, inspire, and truly reflect the people who live in them.

DD: Was there anything particularly meaningful or distinctive about working with your team on this project? If you can share, what did each member contribute (uniquely) that made the process or result especially memorable?

CC: Absolutely — this project was a true team effort. Desiree was my main assistant and knew every detail inside and out.

She managed all of the ordering, organized the scope of work, and made sure everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. My husband played a key role in bringing my design vision to life, thru his renderings, allowing the client to fully visualize the space before construction began.

And my senior designer, Jordan, joined us on installation day — it was all hands on deck for a large-scale project like this. Every member played an important role in turning this vision into reality, and that collaboration is what made the final result so special.

DD: Do you have a must-do creative ritual or superstition before starting a project? If so, what is it?

CC: Before I ever sketch or source materials, I focus on connection. I spend time getting to know the clients, understanding their routines, and envisioning how they want to feel in their home. That emotional clarity guides every design decision that follows — it’s my way of setting the tone and ensuring every project begins with purpose and heart.

Design Feature

CHRISTINE COOK

A BIT ABOUT CHRISTINE COOK & EP INTERIOR EP Interior was founded in 2021 and has quickly earned its place among Houston’s most respected residential design studios. The firm is known for creating spaces that feel easy, comfortable, confident, and inevitable. Every project starts with how clients actually live. From there, the team, which is comprised primarily of talented women, builds something layered and lasting. Their work leans on thoughtful detailing and strong architectural bones.

DesignDash Magazine

Christine Cook, founder and principal designer, brings more than fifteen years of experience to the studio. She has designed in Iowa, Louisiana, Pittsburgh, the Middle East, and now calls Houston home. Her background gives her work a certain clarity which is apparent in her unique ability to balance timeless architecture with a modern, approachable sensibility that makes sense in her clients’ daily lives.

She leads a small, focused team that collaborates closely with builders and architects to make sure design intent isn’t just drawn but fully built. Under her direction, EP Interior has already earned national recognition, including an IDS Designer of the Year award, with more to come. Thank you, Christine!

Technology

AI & DESIGN FIRM DEPARTMENTS

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HOW DESIGNERS FEEL ABOUT AI The conversation around AI has evolved amongst designers in recent months. As Fred Nicolaus writes in this August 2025 article for Business of Home, “Early on in the AI boom, there was understandable fear that the technology was coming for designers’ jobs.” However, Nicolaus acknowledges that “the focus has shifted toward how designers can use it themselves” and that “a recent Houzz study found roughly a third of the industry is using AI in some form.”

We’re no longer shying away from the tools that artificial intelligence has offered us, but we’re not embracing them whole-heartedly given the human nature, creative essence, and deep personal focus of design.

It’s interesting to watch designers accept AI tools while still side-eying consumers who Google similar tools with the intention of forgoing professional design services in favor of ChatGPT-generated images.

WHERE AI IS ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT A I I N R E N D E R I N G A N D M O D E L I NG DESIGNS For many studios, presentation boards once consumed a significant share of the schedule. Even simple concept renderings required several rounds of drafting and revision before anything could be shown to a client. That work is moving much faster now due to certain AI programs. Laura Umansky described how her team has folded image generation tools into their process. They feed references into Sora to produce quick boards and early renderings.

A PROJECT RENDERING BY LAURA U DESIGN COLLECTIVE FOR A RECENT CLIENT

“I’ve used Sora for presentation boards and simple renderings; it’s a great way to visualize ideas quickly and bring clients into the process earlier,” Laura Umansky, CEO and Founder of Laura U Design Collective, DesignDash CoFounder says.

This allows them to share visual direction sooner, which shortens decision cycles and leaves more room for creative refinement later in the project. The software doesn’t make aesthetic choices, but it does clear away routine steps so designers can spend more time on the parts that require a human eye (and mind).

As Eduardo Souza noted in an article for Architizer last year, the right AI tool can also minimize human error. According to Souza, “[People], while capable of creating impressive visuals, often fall short in a...

...in a critical area: scale accuracy and the creation of unexpected results.” Laura acknowledges this, but also emphasizes that the human element remains incredibly valuable in design, when she says:

“IT’S NOT ABOUT REPLACING CREATIVITY; IT’S ABOUT EXPANDING WHAT’S POSSIBLE AND COMMUNICATING DESIGN INTENT IN A WHOLE NEW WAY.” A I I N M A R K E T I N G A N D B R A N D BU IL D IN G Many firms are still cautious when it comes to using AI in their marketing work because interior design is so visual and brand voice is so individual. Design studios rely on visuals, but they also depend on storytelling, timing, and tone. Most of that doesn’t translate cleanly into automated tools. What does translate are the repetitive steps that take up your marketing intern’s entire afternoons: resizing graphics, repackaging content for different platforms, and drafting simple email copy.

Melissa Grove explains that her team has experimented with AI on this practical level rather than treating it like a creative partner, which is typically where the technology fails. They’ve tested a few tools to support basic graphics production and simple content assembly, especially for campaign work that doesn’t require a human hand.

“We haven't included AI in our process yet on the non-design side of things." Laura U Design Collective COO Melissa Grove notes. "We do use it as a support to reduce the time it takes to create images, edit social media captions, or to organize presentations. We see it as a huge time saver! But we don't YET rely on it as an essential part of the content creation process.”

Her comment reflects a broader reality in the industry. Many marketing teams are still working out where AI fits and where it doesn’t. The technology can speed up straightforward production tasks, but it can’t necessarily build a brand voice, understand the pacing of a successful launch, or sense the difference between a flat image and one that actually captures a story. Those are still very human skills, and firms that know how to balance the two will probably adapt more smoothly as the tools mature.

A I I N P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T A N D BU D G E T I N G Project budgets have always carried a mix of precision and educated guesswork. In the early stages, estimates are often stitched together from experience, spreadsheets, and a few rough calculations that come dangerously close to guess-and-check. AI tools are starting to smooth out this front end of the process. Instead of pulling data manually, firms can feed previous project information into a model to get a usable cost range within minutes. That’s especially useful when a client wants early clarity but the details aren’t fully defined.

Laura Umansky has tested this approach inside her studio. She uses AI to analyze data from completed projects, including square footage, scope, and total cost, and apply that information to new work. This doesn't result in a perfectly polished budget, but it gives the team a starting point. They consider it a first pass at project budgeting.

“We’ve started using AI as a tool to help estimate project costs more efficiently — especially at the early stages,” Laura says. “I’ve given AI details from completed projects — the total square footage, the scope, and the final cost to complete — and then provided specifications for a new project.”

This kind of assistance can free up time for strategy and client communication for many teams. It can also catch inconsistencies or gaps before they snowball into change orders down the line. Still, there are limits. AI can outline numbers, but it can’t weigh the nuances of scope creep, design complexity, or client expectations. Those calls must still be made by people managing the project.

AI IN CONTRACTS AND PROPOSALS Proposals are often rushed; after all, you want to keep the client's attention between consultation and signing. A client is ready to move forward, the design team is juggling deadlines, and someone has to sit down and build a document that captures the scope, structure, and tone of the work ahead.

Is this anyone's favorite task? Typically no, primarily because it’s repetitive and timeconsuming. Because of the procedural nature of certain steps in proposal drafting, AI might offer a few solutions in this department, too.

Laura Umansky uses AI to shape her proposals and contracts from existing templates. Instead of writing everything from scratch, she inputs the basic scope, timeline, and client information, then lets the system generate a draft. From there, she edits for nuance, voice, and fit, which are the parts that actually require judgment.

“I’ve also used AI to create first drafts of contracts and proposals — starting with our existing templates, then tailoring them to the new project scope and client details,” Laura said. “It helps organize my thoughts, clarify deliverables, and ensure consistency.”

This early pass doesn’t replace the legal review or the human input that makes a proposal feel personal. As Sean Low writes in this article for Business of Home, designers must think of themselves as the "storyteller."

MANY DESIGNERS ARE TURNING TO LIGHTING AND OTHER VENDORS WHO PRODUCE OR SOURCE DOMESTICALLY

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Only the designer "knows how the journey with the client is to unfold, and if [they] abdicate that responsibility (or even decide...

AI & DESIGN FIRM DEPARTMENTS

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...to share it), then [they] are no longer the storyteller." Very few designers are letting AI sub in on creative decisions.

AI tools simply cut out the heavy administrative work that exhausts and ties up designers who could easily be working on something more creative or client-focused. The real benefit here is time savings. The hours saved on boilerplate work can be spent tightening deliverables, aligning expectations, or preparing for the client meeting that actually seals the deal.

"ONCE THE STRUCTURE IS THERE, I REFINE THE LANGUAGE AND TONE TO FIT THE CLIENT." As Laura makes a point of noting above, no one’s handing over final sign-off to a machine learning tool. The language in a contract or proposal shapes trust with the client and any third party partners; that’s not something firms outsource in its entirety.

AI IN PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS Procurement has always been one of the most labor-intensive parts of a project. Even the most beautiful drawings mean little if the right products don’t arrive on time, in the right quantity, and in the right condition.

Most procurement teams spend their days chasing quotes, checking stock, clarifying lead times, and tracking shipments. It’s a grind. It’s also the foundation upon which every successful installation relies.

We've spoken with Laura several times about the impact of technology and human talent on procurement. As she told our editorial team back in August during an interview about when to bring procurement in-house, "Procurement is where a lot of issues come up. Having a solid grasp of your ordering process and strong relationships with vendors is critical." Naturally, that means AI could not possibly replace procurement agents or logistics coordinators. However, it can smooth these processes somewhat.

Vendor platforms now autofill spec sheets. Stock updates populate in real time instead of days later. Predictive search tools make it easier to track down options that match a particular reference image. It’s not very glamorous, but it shaves hours off a process that has historically eaten entire afternoons.

“AI can facilitate that direct connection to buying furniture, but it’s lacking in other areas.”

—Melissa Grove on The DesignDash Podcast These tools can hasten the easier, process-focused parts, but they can’t solve the problem when something goes sideways. They don’t renegotiate a freight quote or flag a finish that looks off upon arrival. They don’t build trust with a vendor or escalate an issue when something’s delayed. Those are still human responsibilities.

Laura underscored this point when talking through her own team’s process.

“We make sure everything has been acknowledged, we follow up with vendors, and we address any issues right away, whether something’s been delayed, discontinued, or experienced a major price increase.”

Technology

AI & DESIGN FIRM DEPARTMENTS

DesignDash Magazine

AI might make procurement faster, but it doesn’t replace the people who keep the project moving forward despite unexpected issues. It trims the fat, leaving more room for the actual work of relationships, judgment, and problem-solving that humans must undertake.

OUR FINAL THOUGHTS ON AI IN DIFFERENT DESIGN DEPARTMENTS Across all of these departments, AI isn't revolutionizing any design process or eliminating any jobs. It’s simply shaving hours off the repetitive, uninspired work that used to weigh down our teams unnecessarily. It’s a helper, not a replacement.

Laura’s take captures this.

“FOR ME, THIS COLLABORATION WITH AI ISN’T ABOUT REPLACING HUMAN EXPERTISE — IT’S ABOUT STREAMLINING THE ANALYTICAL SIDE SO WE CAN STAY FOCUSED ON DESIGN. THE TIME SAVED UPFRONT TRANSLATES INTO MORE ENERGY SPENT ON CREATIVITY, STORYTELLING, AND THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE.”

Melissa’s experience on the marketing side reinforces that same idea. AI can resize graphics, repurpose content, or automate steps, but it doesn’t know a brand voice or understand the feeling a firm wants to communicate. Procurement teams might rely on predictive search or auto-filled spec sheets, but they’re still the ones fixing problems, managing relationships, and keeping installations on schedule.

For now, the real value of these tools isn’t in what they can accomplish alone but what they can clear a designer, drafter, or manager's plate. Despite the name, they aren't generative as much as they are assistive. They give designers and their teams back the hours they need to focus on the parts of the job that require human input: creative vision, judgment, trust, and service.

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