Happy Tuesday, interior designers and book lovers!
Know what I hear a lot?
Designers wish their clients would be a little more... adventurous. π
They got into this industry to use color! To create spaces with personality! To bring a little drama into a too-often-drab world.
Meanwhile, their clients keep asking for a design that looks just like every other one on the block... you know, for "resale value." π
There's good work to be had in high-ROI design, but what if you're hoping to leave a bolder design legacy, maybe one like Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry of Pulp Design Studios?
They just released a gorgeous new book called Fearless Design: Interiors from Pulp Design Studios, celebrating nearly two decades of projects that showcase their philosophy that a home should be bold, beautiful, livable, and deeply personal to the people who live there.
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But how do you build a portfolio full of unique projects when the clients you're getting keep asking for something safe?
It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, isn't it?
You want clients who are excited about distinctive, personal design.
But those clients want to see evidence that you can deliver it.
And if your portfolio is full of projects that look just like everyone else's... well, you see the problem. π«
Obviously we're not gonna try to talk clients into choices they don't want (and there's nothing wrong with a beautiful-but-neutral home if that's what makes your client happy!).
But if your goal is to attract more distinctive projects, you DO need to help future clients see that you're capable of creating something uniquely theirs.
HERE'S SOMETHING TO TRY THIS WEEK:
Pick ONE photo from a completed project that captures the kind of work you want to be known for. It can be a whole home, a single room, or just a vignette within that room.
Now give that photo some extra attention! π£
Build a story around it. What makes it special? Why was it the right choice for that particular client? What does it say about the kind of work you love to do?
Maybe that story becomes an Instagram post. Heck, maybe you build an entire Instagram series around it! Or create a Pinterest board showing how you might build a whole home around that one element. Or develop a case study for your website and share it in your next newsletter.
You don't have to do ALL those things. Just pick one and start!
Because if you want people to hire you for *THAT* kind of work, make sure *THAT'S* the work you're showing them.
And who knows? The next person who sees that story might be the one who gives you the opportunity to do something really special. π That's how you start building a portfolio worth putting in a book, one project at a time.
π Speaking of books, if you're in Seattle... lucky you!
Want to meet two designers who've spent nearly 20 years building an award-winning firm known for its bold, beautiful, highly personal interiors?
Beth and Carolina are bringing Fearless Design to Seattle NEXT WEEK, and you've got TWO chances to meet them!
- Wednesday, October 28, 6β7:30 PM: A conversation with Pulp Design Studios at CB2 University Village. Detail & RSVPβ
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- Thursday, October 29, 4β7 PM: Book signing and preview of their new S. Harris collection at Dixon by Roslyn in the Seattle Design Center. Details & RSVPβ
If you're in the area, GO! Support two fabulous designers, get inspired, and make some new industry connections while you're at it.
If you go, say hi to Beth for me! π€
π Rebecca
π THE DECIDE METHOD: BOOK UPDATE!
Current word count: About 25,700! π
βοΈ First chapters sent to early readers. (BTW: sharing draft = TERRIFYING. π)
π I'm looking for 3 more early readers who'll tell me what resonates, what's confusing, and where I lose them. Interested? Hit reply and let me know!
π A HUGE thank you to everyone who sent recommendations for book cover designers! I've got some promising leads, and I'm excited to see what comes together!
Want to spread the word about The DECIDE Method? Invite your friends to get on The DECIDE Method launch list! π
Well, hello there β have we met?
Iβm Rebecca West. I help residential interior designers feel seriously confident about their marketing, sales, and client onboarding.
You can find my 1:1 coaching here.
Everything I teach comes from running my firm, Seriously Happy Homes, for 17 years. Between 2007 and 2023, my team and I helped over 2,000 clients transform their small, tired houses into happy homes. π Our work, and my book Happy Starts at Home, was featured on TVβs New Day, in The Wall Street Journal, Live Happy Magazine, Success Magazine, & beyond!
Then, in 2023, I closed my design studio and moved to Paris, and, a couple of years later, to the south of France. ( π€© !! )
As a coach, consultant, and gal-who's-been-there, I'm here to help the next generation of creative, hardworking, detail-oriented interior designers get found, get great clients, and get paid like a pro!
Letβs make it happen for you!
βCourses β’ Podcast β’ Book β’ Instagramβ
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