The Business of Beautiful Spaces Podcast for Interior Designers | Interior Design Business Pocast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , Laura breaks down how interior designers can begin using AI in a practical, ethical and non-intimidating way in 2026. Whether you are AI curious, quietly resistant, or already dabbling, this conversation is designed to help you see AI as a supportive team member rather than a threat to your creativity or value. AI cannot replac...

Send us Fan Mail Laura breaks down why most designers do not have a pricing problem, they have a scope and structure problem. She walks through practical strategies to increase profitability at your current rates, including tightening and clarifying your scope, reclaiming billable hours you are already working, streamlining your process for efficiency, and shifting from selling hours to selling ou...

Send us Fan Mail In this fun, high value CEO-style episode, Laura shares her favourite business books, podcasts and AI tools that are shaping her strategy and success in 2025.  Why business books matter for designers How the right books can reshape the way you think, market, lead and sell How to turn book insights into systems you use daily How AI can help implement the concepts instantly Book #1:...

Send us Fan Mail Laura walks you through a guided audit of your year: your numbers, your systems, your clients, your values, and your big-picture goals for 2026 and beyond. If you have been feeling the impact of tariffs, market shifts, rising costs, or overwhelm, this episode will help you turn reflection into strategy. Your books and your numbers Revenue: What came in, from which services, and wh...

Send us Fan Mail Gala Magrina — holistic interior designer; host of Going Beyond Spaces with Gala ; creator of the Beyond Spaces methodology and a six-week online course for designers. Gala traces her path from visual merchandising at Diesel to a holistic design practice rooted in meditation, modern feng shui, WELL, and Vastu. We unpack yin vs. yang rooms, the five elements in everyday selections,...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Business of Beautiful Spaces , Laura sits down with Charleston-based photographer Candice Brook , whose work behind the lens has helped countless designers turn their finished projects into powerful marketing assets. Candice shares what really goes into a strategic photoshoot — one that not only captures the beauty of a space but also builds visibility, fuels your...

Send us Fan Mail Every designer knows that uneasy, nauseous feeling that shows up right before a big leap—the one that makes you question your sanity and your business plan. In this episode, Laura sits down with designer Casey FitzGerald to talk about what it really feels like to invest in growth when it’s uncomfortable… and why that “sick feeling” might actually be your best sign of progress. Lau...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your project pipeline full without constantly posting on social media or dropping thousands on ads, this episode is for you. I’m joined by the powerhouse behind Designer Oasis —Kate Bendewald. Kate is a former commercial designer who left the corporate grind to build a design business on her own terms. Within her first year, she scaled to six fi...

Send us Fan Mail AI isn’t just for big tech companies, it’s quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools for creative businesses, including interior design firms. But with all the hype, it can be hard to know what’s real, what’s useful, and how to actually apply AI in your day-to-day practice. In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , I’m joined by AI innovator and strategist Matt K...

Send us Fan Mail Let’s talk about photography— not just taking it , but actually using it to move the needle in your design business. In today’s episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , I’m joined by Lauren Anderson, founder of Sen Creative and a pro at helping interior designers turn beautiful images into strategic business tools. Lauren’s here to show us how to go beyond the portfolio—how t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Christine and I dig into how you can build authority and visibility in your business—even if your marketing budget is limited. She shares practical frameworks, mindset shifts, and tactical tools to help you get seen, heard, and trusted in your field. Key topics include: Christine’s journey : from broadcast journalist to Expert Authority Coach The power of authenti...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re tired of chasing clients on social media and want your dream clients to come to you , this episode is going to shift the way you think about marketing. I’m joined by Julia Bocchese, an SEO and Pinterest strategist who works with creative entrepreneurs to get their businesses found through powerful organic search tools. Julia breaks down what SEO really is (spoiler: it’s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m joined by the incredibly talented Marcy Sagel, founder and principal of MSA Interiors. Since launching her firm in 2004, Marcy has led her team with a strong belief in collaboration—partnering with developers, architects, and builders to create spaces that are both beautiful and deeply functional. With a portfolio that spans multifamily housing to healthcare e...

Send us Fan Mail Too often, interior designers fall into the trap of undervaluing themselves and, by extension, our entire industry. In today’s episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, I’m opening up about why it’s time to change that narrative—because we aren’t just creating beautiful spaces, we’re building businesses that deserve respect, profitability, and longevity. I’ll share a personal s...

Send us Fan Mail Entrepreneurship in interior design is exciting but let’s be real, it can also feel overwhelming and lonely. The truth is, you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself. In this episode, Laura Thornton shares why mentorship and community are essential for building a thriving design business and how they can help you skip years of trial and error. Laura dives into: ✨ The real pe...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever second guessed your pricing, shaved hours off an invoice, or wondered how other designers confidently charge what they’re worth, you’re not alone. In this special episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , I’m pulling back the curtain on Profit Academy for Interior Designers , my 6-week online course designed to help you master the financial side of your design b...

Send us Fan Mail From Start-Up to Profitability with Suzanne Robson In this replay episode, Laura sits down with interior designer Suzanne Robson , one of the very first students of The Profit Academy for Interior Designers . Together, they dive into the real challenges of launching and running an interior design business—from navigating pricing to setting boundaries with clients—and how Susan was...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re talking about one of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of running a design business: contracts. I’m thrilled to have Erica Canas, Esq., a Florida licensed attorney and interior design enthusiast, join us for this important conversation. Erica is the founder of ID Law Shop, where she creates “best-practices” legal templates specifically for interior desig...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the grand finale of our four-part Profitable Design Series with Laura Thornton! In this essential episode, Laura helps you shift from just designing beautiful spaces to designing a truly profitable business . Learn why reviewing your numbers regularly is more important than any brand board—and how to spot what’s really working for your bottom line, even if it’s not the...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Part Three of our special four-part series on building a profitable interior design business with Laura Thornton! In this episode, Laura brings together everything you’ve learned so far—understanding your numbers, tracking your time, and getting lean on spending—and reveals how to turn efficiency into profit that’s yours to keep. If you’ve invested in your systems, proc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , Laura Thornton sits down with financial therapist Aseel El-Baba to dive deep into the hidden challenges creatives and designers face around money, self-worth, and pricing. Aseel shares her inspiring personal journey from growing up in Lebanon and immigrating to Canada, to becoming a Bay Street financial advisor, and ultimately...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Business of Beautiful Spaces! This is Part 2 of our special four-part series on building a profitable interior design business with Laura Thornton. In this episode, Laura shares why tracking your time is one of the smartest—yet most underused—profit strategies for designers. From eye-opening stories about flat fees gone sideways to actionable tips on building b...

Send us Fan Mail In the first episode of our special four-part series, Laura Thornton—founder of Thornton Design and The Profit Academy for Interior Designers—shares the essential financial foundations every designer needs to run a truly profitable business. Drawing from her own journey and real-world client stories, Laura breaks down the difference between revenue, profit, fixed and variable cost...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces , I’m joined by Gabriela Eisenhart of Silo Studios to discuss how interior designers can confidently add construction management to their offerings—and boost profitability in the process. Gabriela shares how designers can start integrating construction-related services, improve communication with contractors and clients, and take...

Send us Fan Mail Some are fortunate enough to discover their passion when they are young — Caron Woolsey is one of them. A native Texan, growing up Caron spent the summers visiting her grandparents in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is where her love of interior design, historic homes, and her appreciation for Creole and French Colonial architecture was born. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Tex...