Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast

If you’re an aspiring interior designer or you’re still in the early stages of building your business, chances are you’ve asked yourself questions like: Do I really need a professional website yet? Should I invest in custom website design? Or can I just use a template for now?

I hear these questions constantly from designers inside my programs, especially when they’re trying to balance launching their business with managing their budget wisely. And honestly? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options — WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, SEO, branding, copywriting, templates, custom builds… suddenly creating a website feels harder than designing a room.

That’s exactly why I invited website designer Robyn White back onto the podcast.

In this episode, we unpack what interior designers actually need when it comes to website design, how to know the right level of investment for your stage of business, and what questions to ask before hiring a website designer. We also talk about minimum viable product websites, brand strategy, portfolio photos, AI renderings, website maintenance, and why perfectionism may be holding you back from getting clients.

Featured Guest
Robyn White is the founder of RDW Design Studio, where she combines luxury market insight with strategic website design for interior designers. With a background working at one of the world’s most prestigious art galleries, Robyn brings a rare blend of strategy, aesthetics, and high-end client understanding to every project. She specializes in helping interior designers elevate their online presence through thoughtful brand strategy, SEO-conscious website design, and customized digital experiences that attract aligned clients and opportunities.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ When to invest in custom website design
✳️ Questions to ask website designers before hiring
✳️ Templates versus custom websites for beginners
✳️ Website platforms: WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace
✳️ Building a portfolio without completed client projects

Read the Blog >>> Essential Website Lessons Before Building Your Interior Design Website

NEXT STEPS:

🔸 Save your seat! FREE Webinar: Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch)

🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ 

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
4:02 Questions to Ask a Website Designer
8:59 SEO, Copywriting, and Branding Explained
11:13 Website Designer vs. Branding Specialist
15:12 Templates vs. Custom Websites
19:52 Minimum Viable Product Websites
22:00 Building a Portfolio Without Client Projects
25:51 On Using Stock Photos
27:01 AI Renderings for Interior Designers
28:25 How to Choose the Right Website Designer
31:12 Website Maintenance After Launch

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m not experienced enough to call myself a real interior designer”?

Or maybe you scroll through social media, comparing your work to polished projects, and suddenly feel like you don’t belong in this industry at all.

That quiet voice of self-doubt—what we call imposter syndrome—can creep in at any stage of your interior design career, especially when you're just starting out.

I want you to know something important: feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one. In fact, it’s often a sign that you’re growing, stretching, and stepping into a bigger version of yourself.

The truth is, every interior designer—yes, even seasoned professionals—has faced these same thoughts at some point. The difference isn’t whether they feel it… it’s how they move through it.

In this episode, I’m walking you through what imposter syndrome really looks like in a creative career like interior design, why it happens, and how you can overcome it. If you’re ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start building real confidence in your design business, this is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✔️ Why imposter syndrome signals growth, not failure
✔️ How social media fuels designer self-doubt
✔️ Ways to build real, lasting client confidence
✔️ Practical steps to overcome creative career insecurity
✔️ How mistakes strengthen your design expertise

Read the Blog >>> Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Interior Design
NEXT STEPS:
🔸 Save your seat! FREE Webinar: Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch)

🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ 

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
3:47 What Imposter Syndrome Really Means
5:00 The Danger of Comparison on Social Media
9:18 Building Confidence from Within
14:45 Identifying Limiting Beliefs and Patterns
16:20 Learning and Growth Through Action
19:08 Practicing Design in Your Own Home
20:58 Handling Mistakes With Confidence
25:23 Developing a Pioneer Mindset

Have you ever finished a project and thought… “Wait, where did all the money go?”

One of the biggest mistakes creatives make is treating money as something that shows up at the end—rather than something that needs structure from the very beginning. And that mindset? It quietly drains your profit, your energy, and your confidence.

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Nist, a bookkeeping and advisory expert who works behind the scenes with creative businesses. Together, we unpack the most common money mistakes interior designers make—from underpricing and scope creep to poor billing systems—and how to fix them. If you want financial clarity, stronger boundaries, and a business that actually pays you back, this is your starting point.

Featured Guest
Lauren Nist is a co-founder of Magnolia & Main, a virtual bookkeeping and advisory firm dedicated to helping small business owners gain financial clarity and confidence. With years of experience supporting creative and service-based businesses, Lauren specializes in simplifying the money side of business—from pricing and billing systems to job costing and cash flow management. Her approachable, judgment-free style helps entrepreneurs feel empowered, supported, and in control of their finances.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why creatives struggle with financial structure
✳️ How to protect your cash flow early
✳️ Billing ahead vs. acting like the bank
✳️ Spotting red flags in client behavior
✳️ Simple profit planning for interior designers

Read the Blog >>> Interior Design Money Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
NEXT STEPS:

🔸 Save your seat! FREE Webinar: Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch)

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch the Webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:50 Lauren's Journey into Accounting for Creatives
5:32 Common Money Mistakes Creatives Make
7:38 Building a Financial Framework
10:44 Pricing Strategy and Billing Ahead
14:54 Identifying Ideal Clients and Red Flags
18:58 Balancing Job Types and Profitability
21:48 Reviewing Job Costs and Client Feedback
31:06 Habits for Staying Profitable

If you’ve ever felt unsure about what to include in your interior design contract—or worse, you’ve avoided contracts altogether because they feel overwhelming—you’re not alone.

I see so many designers relying on verbal agreements or vague expectations, thinking things will “just work out” because the client relationship feels good. But that’s exactly where problems begin. Miscommunication, scope creep, late payments, and blurred boundaries can quickly turn a dream project into a stressful experience.

The truth is: your contract isn’t just paperwork. It’s your business bestie. It’s the one tool that brings clarity, builds client trust, and protects both you and your client throughout the entire design process. A well-written contract helps you communicate your project scope, payment terms, and expectations clearly—so there are no surprises later on.

In this episode, I walk you through how to create a contract that actually supports your interior design business. When done right, your contract becomes the backbone of your professionalism—helping you run a smoother business, create a better client experience, and confidently step into your role as a true design professional.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✔️ Create clear expectations with strong interior design contracts
✔️ Build client trust without confusing legal jargon
✔️ Define project scope and avoid scope creep
✔️ Protect your time, money, and intellectual property
✔️ Use contracts to elevate professionalism and credibility

Read the Blog >>> Why Your Contract Is Your Best Design Business Tool

Resource Mentioned:
Looking for Interior Design Contract Templates? Check out Erica of ID Law Shop and use code 575P7GC for 20% off

NEXT STEPS:

📺 Sign Up: Free Webinar - Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch)

🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ 

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
🔸Free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction: Understanding Contracts in Interior Design
3:34 Creating Clarity in Your Design Process
5:00 Defining Project Scope and Payment Terms
12:03 Setting Communication and Client Expectations
13:54 How Contracts Protect Your Business
17:00 Handling Project Changes and Terminations
20:48 Legal Clauses and Contract Review Tips
22:44 Using Contracts to Build Professionalism

Have you ever designed a space that looked beautiful… but somehow didn’t feel right to live in?

As interior designers, we’re trained to focus on the visible—colors, materials, layouts, and architectural elements. But what if the real purpose of design goes deeper than aesthetics? What if the home isn’t the final product—but the medium that shapes human happiness, relationship quality, and overall well-being?

In this episode, I sit down with architect Talor Stewart to explore the powerful concept of conscious home design—a framework that goes beyond surface-level beauty and taps into scientific principles, human needs, and the emotional experience of living in a space. If you want to create homes that truly transform your clients’ lives (and elevate your design process), this conversation will change how you approach every project moving forward.

Featured Guest
Talor Stewart is a licensed architect with over 25 years of experience, specializing in residential architecture and intentional communities. He is the author of Conscious Home Design, a #1 bestselling book in seven countries, and the creator of the Conscious Home Design certification program. His work bridges the gap between design and human well-being, helping architects and designers create homes that support happiness, health, and personal growth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why homes are a medium, not an end result
✳️ How design impacts human happiness and relationships
✳️ Three relationship types every home should support
✳️ Using Maslow’s hierarchy in design decisions
✳️ Scientific principles that improve home environments

Read the Blog >>> 5 Principles for Healthier, Happier Home Design

NEXT STEPS:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ 

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:57 Talor’s Journey Into Architecture
10:44 Designing for Human Happiness
12:50 The Role of Relationships in Home Design
19:07 The Three Types of Relationships Explained
23:34 Designing Homes to Support Relationships
25:49 Core Framework of Conscious Home Design
27:52 Maslow’s Hierarchy Applied to Home Design
30:00 Asking Better Questions for Better Design Outcomes
33:25 Why Clarity Leads to Faster Client Decisions
35:00 Homes as Tools for Personal Growth