The Interior Collective

Latest Episodes:

Scaling Back to Scale Better: Redefining Success as an Influencer Designer with Nicole Salceda May 08, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist.

Today’s guest is Nicole Salceda, founder of Eye for Pretty. Nicole built a highly visible brand at the intersection of interior design, retail, and digital influence. But what makes her story especially compelling is not just how she grew quickly, but how she chose to scale back with intention.

In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when growth outpaces alignment, how to downsize without feeling like you’ve failed, and what it really means to be an “influencer designer” in today’s market. We also get into her team structure, partnerships with builders, brick and mortar retail, and how custom spec builds have reshaped her revenue model.

If you’ve ever questioned whether bigger automatically means better, this conversation is for you.

Art with Authority: Integrating Fine Art into Your Design Process with Sarah Hurt May 01, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist.

Today we’re talking about one of the most intimidating and misunderstood layers of an interior design project: art.

My guest is Sarah Hurt, founder of Seattle Art Source, an art advisory that has worked alongside interior designers across the Pacific Northwest since 2017. Sarah’s entire business exists to remove the hesitation designers often feel around specifying art, and to help them position it not as an afterthought, but as a strategic and emotional anchor within a home.

In this episode, we’re getting practical. We’re talking about when to introduce art into the project timeline, how to speak about it with authority, what your role is versus an art advisor’s role, and how art can actually elevate your client experience while protecting their financial investment.

If art has ever felt like the most mysterious line item in your design proposal, this one is for you.

Creating Profitable Proposals: Pricing, Presenting & Closing with Confidence with Lindsey Borchard Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist.

Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today we are diving into a topic that every single interior designer has to master if they want a profitable, sustainable business and that is creating proposals, pricing projects, and confidently selling the bid.

Because here’s the truth. You can be the most talented designer in the room, but if you cannot build an accurate quote, present it with clarity, and hold your ground when pricing pushback comes up, your business will feel reactive instead of strategic.

And this is not just about choosing hourly versus flat rate. This is about understanding your numbers. Gathering real data from your past projects. Accounting for your team’s time. Structuring a proposal that protects your profit. And then having the confidence to walk a client through that number without shrinking when they raise an eyebrow.

So I invited back someone who I trust deeply on this topic, Lindsey Borchard, Principal of Lindsey Brooke Design and my co-founder of Design Camp.

Lindsey has been incredibly transparent about how her pricing has evolved, what she has learned through trial and error, and how she has built systems in her studio to create accurate, timely, and profitable quotes. Today we are getting very tactical. We are talking about how to calculate flat fees behind the scenes, how to blend hourly and flat rate models, how to turn around proposals efficiently, and how to handle negotiations without discounting yourself into resentment.

If you have ever hesitated before hitting send on a proposal, if you have ever wondered whether your number was too high or too low, or if you have ever reduced your fee just to secure the project, consider this episode a mini-masterclass from what you can expect at Design Camp.

Building a Product Brand Alongside an Interior Design Studio with DuVäl Reynolds Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Dezign Assist.

DuVäl Reynolds is the founder and principal of DuVäl Design, a studio known for its layered, highly curated interiors. But alongside the studio, DuVäl has also created a completely separate brand, House of DuVäl, an e-commerce destination for furniture, lighting, décor, and objects that reflect his design perspective.

In today’s conversation, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to build a product business as an interior designer. DuVäl shares why he intentionally kept the studio and retail brand completely separate, how he approaches sourcing and developing products, and what it takes to run an e-commerce company alongside a design firm.

We also discuss licensing, including the debut of his new upholstery and casegoods collection with Sherrill Furniture Brands at High Point Market, and of course, his wildly popular “Curse of a Designer” social media series.

If you’ve ever thought about expanding beyond client work and building a product-driven brand, this episode is a great place to start.

Strategy First: Applying Advertising Principles to Interior Design with Kylie Bass Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I’m sitting down with Kylie K. Bass, founder of KKB Interiors.

Before launching her interior design studio, Kylie built her career in advertising, working inside an industry that’s deeply rooted in strategy, messaging, timelines, and performance. In today’s episode, we’re unpacking how those skills translated into the structure, pricing, and client experience of her design practice.

We talk about the surprising ways advertising thinking shows up in everything from proposals to project pacing, how designers can borrow proven frameworks from other industries without overcomplicating their business, and why clarity, not creativity, is often the thing that unlocks growth.

As always, we’ll also get into the nuts and bolts. Team structure, pricing models, and how Kylie thinks about running a studio that’s both creatively fulfilling and commercially sound.

The Business of Launching a Furniture Line with Bergman Vass Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Today on The Interior Collective, I’m sitting down with Erica Vassalotti and Dana Bergman Falcione, co-founders of Bergman Vass. Erica and Dana’s work sits at the intersection of interior design, product development, and brand building, and in this episode, we’re diving deep into what it really looks like to expand beyond services and into physical product.

We’ll be talking about the business realities of developing a furniture and rug line, from early concepting and manufacturing decisions to financial risk, pricing, and long-term brand strategy. Erica and Dana also share how growing a product arm has influenced the way they run their studio, how they think about visibility in a crowded market, and why investing in a new studio space was a non-optional move.

If you’ve ever considered launching a product line, scaling your brand beyond client work, or building a studio that supports where your business is going, not just where it’s been, this conversation is for you.

From 0 to 60: Scaling a Bi-City Design Firm in Record Time with Parris Mckenna Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Today on The Interior Collective, I’m honored to be sitting down with Parris of Parris McKenna Design, a Toronto-based interior design firm that has experienced what I would call true star power acceleration. Not only is Parris the principal of one of House & Home’s 100 top designers, she’s a close, personal friend and dear advisor.

In just a few short years, Parris has grown her studio from a new business to a multi-office operation serving both Toronto and Muskoka, with a large and expanding team to support it. And what fascinates me most is not just the growth, but the infrastructure behind it.

We’re diving into her 0 to 60 trajectory. How she built momentum quickly, what operational decisions supported that scale, how she structured her team, and how YouTube became a serious marketing engine for her business.

If you are in a season of growth, or hoping to be, this episode is going to give you a real look at what scaling actually requires.

Building Client Trust from Inquiry to Referral with Alex Azat Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Today on The Interior Collective, I’m joined by Alexandra Azat, founder of Plaster & Patina, a renovation-focused design studio known for its thoughtful work in historic homes and layered interiors.

Alexandra has built a business rooted in trust, not just in aesthetic vision, but in process, execution, and financial stewardship. From the very first inquiry to the final walkthrough, her studio has developed a reputation for guiding clients confidently through complex renovations while protecting both the integrity of the home and the integrity of the investment.

In this episode, we’re unpacking what it really means to build client trust. We talk about screening for alignment before signing, creating true design buy-in, leading with clarity during construction, and positioning yourself as a financial steward once a project budget is set.

If you’ve ever felt the tension between creativity and control, or struggled to maintain client confidence through a renovation, this conversation is for you.

Designing for Longevity and Repeat Clients with Jess Weeth Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Welcome back to The Interior Collective. I’m your host, Anastasia Casey, and today I’m sitting down with Jess Weeth, founder of Weeth Home.

Jess has built a studio known not just for beautiful, thoughtful work, but for long-term client relationships that extend well beyond a single project. And that’s exactly what we’re unpacking today. Instead of focusing on one finished space, we’re talking about how designers can intentionally build their businesses to support repeat clients, multi-phase projects, and long-term trust.

In this episode, we’re diving into what it actually takes to move from one-off engagements to ongoing relationships. How you structure your services, how you communicate early on, and how your process either invites clients back or quietly pushes them away. We’ll talk about operational decisions, pricing confidence, boundaries, and the systems that make longevity possible, not just creatively, but sustainably from a business perspective.

Jess will also walk us through how Weeth Home is structured today, how her team operates, how they charge for their work, and what’s changed as the studio has matured. If you’re thinking about how to grow your business without constantly chasing new leads, this conversation is for you.

Building a Multi-Hyphenate Design Business Without Losing Focus with The Brownstone Boys Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Season 8 of The Interior Collective Podcast is brought to you by Loloi.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Materio.

Today on The Interior Collective, I’m joined by the Brownstone Boys, a Brooklyn-based design duo who have built a studio that lives at the intersection of historic preservation, modern renovation, media, and brand partnerships.

What makes their business especially interesting is not just the work itself, but the way they’ve expanded beyond traditional client services. From editorial features and product collaborations to a strong digital presence and storytelling-led brand, they’ve managed to grow visibility without diluting their design practice.

In this episode, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to turn attention into leverage. How they decide which opportunities to pursue, how they protect their studio operations while expanding into new lanes, and what interior designers should think about if they want to build a platform alongside a service-based business.

As always, we’ll also get into the practical side: team structure, pricing models, decision-making frameworks, and what’s next behind the scenes.