To-The-Trade with Interior Design Community

This podcast features Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson of “To The Trade” in conversation with Sharon Sherman from ‘ Time and Place Design .’ A seasoned interior designer, Sharon shares her journey from working in high-end luxury design in Bergen County, NJ, to founding her own company after encountering gender discrimination. She highlights the untapped potential for kitchen designers to specify fu...

Laurie Laizure from Interior Design Community converses with Lori Paranjape about her journey to building a successful interior design business through Instagram. They discuss the importance of authentic engagement, showcasing both successes and failures. Lori emphasizes how transparency and honesty have fostered trust with her audience and clients. They also delve into the challenges of pricing d...

Michael Kaestner, a seasoned kitchen and bathroom designer from Philadelphia, joins Laurie Laizure on the To The Trade Podcast to discuss the intersection of design, health, and fitness. Michael shares his journey of over 20 years in the design industry and how he integrates holistic wellness into his life and practice. Despite the demanding nature of design work, Michael emphasizes the importance...

n this interview, Laurie Laizure of 'To The Trade' speaks with Denise Butchko about her transition from high-end closet design to working deeply within the natural stone industry. Denise shares her passion for natural stone and its unique beauty, sustainability, and role in design. The discussion covers trends in surface materials, safety considerations in fabrication, the importance of collaborat...

Laurie from IDC hosted an engaging conversation with Mary Douglas Drysdale, a renowned designer celebrated for her timeless and elegant designs featured on numerous magazine covers. During this discussion, Mary shared her philosophy on timeless design, emphasizing the significance of historical architectural styles and functionality. She reflected on her influences from growing up in Virginia, amo...

Laurie and Nile conclude the first season of the “To The Trade” podcast by reflecting on their success and discussing plans for the coming year. They highlight the positive feedback from listeners and guests about the quality of their questions and their unique approach to holistically addressing the needs of designers. Laurie mentions upcoming initiatives, such as increasing the frequency of epis...

In this episode, Laurie from the Interior Design Community, joined by Nile, recaps their experience at the High Point Market, where they hosted multiple panels and engaged with sponsors and designers. They discuss the various topics covered, including coaching, contracts, logistics, and sales processes for interior designers. Laurie and Nile also highlight the newly launched DIY PR guide for inter...

Join Laurie Laizure and Nile as they chat with their guest, Maria. They dive deep into discussions on AI's impact on the interior design industry, highlighting ethical concerns, best practices, and innovative uses. This conversation covers everything from leveraging AI for enhanced productivity to the risks involved in not properly managing intellectual property. Laurie and Maria provide invaluabl...

Join Laurie Laizure, Nile Johnson, and John McClain as they delve into the evolving world of interior design. In this episode, they discuss the value of mentorship and coaching, the power of shared values in business relationships, and the importance of authenticity in building a brand. Discover insights into marketing strategies, task delegation, and leveraging AI for efficiency. Explore the crea...

Laurie and Rhobin delve into the realities of running an interior design business, from the importance of community support to navigating contracts and insurance challenges. They explore strategies for empowering designers through education, collaboration, and personal branding while addressing key industry topics like the growth of the luxury furniture sector and the need for standard operating p...

In this episode, Laurie and Nile dive deep into the evolving world of interior design marketing, exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by AI tools, social media, and authentic storytelling. They share personal experiences on the importance of quality hardware, the role of designers as tastemakers, and the nuances of building strong industry relationships. The conversation also touch...

Join Laurie Laizure and seasoned bookkeeper Heather Randell as they uncover the financial side of interior design. With nearly 25 years of experience, Heather shares essential tips on managing client invoices, markup policies, and cash flow while emphasizing the importance of clear contracts and tax compliance. Learn how to protect your rights, streamline receiving processes, and forecast for a fi...

Laurie Laizure sits down with social media expert Peg Fitzpatrick to discuss powerful strategies for interior designers to shine on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. From reminiscing about their early days on Google Plus to exploring modern tools like Canva and ManyChat, Peg shares actionable tips for creating content calendars, batching posts, and building a community around your design bus...

Podcast Summary: Strategies for Growth in Interior Design In this episode, Laurie interviews Maddie Landers, Interior Design Society and they explored ways to elevate marketing efforts and strengthen relationships in the interior design industry. They discussed strategies for promoting brands, such as hosting exclusive events, leveraging Pinterest, and integrating in-person showroom experiences. T...

Nile Johnson and I engage in an in-depth conversation about the latest trends and insights from High Point Market, exploring the innovative features of Roland DGA's new printer that creates stunning textured wallpaper. We also touch on the exciting developments at BDNY and highlight various upcoming events that everyone in the industry should be aware of. Additionally, we share some information ab...

I had a fantastic conversation with Nile Johnson, discussing our upcoming projects and the future of interior design. We're both excited to be participating in several events at the upcoming High Point Market, including: Future of Design Expo: Designing Spaces for Neurodiversity (October 25th, 9:00AM-5:00PM): We'll be exploring the impact of design on the brain and how neuroaesthetics can be appli...

A dirty secret in design is that an interior designer will invest their own personal time and money into a project for clients. They want the project to be beautiful. They want their client to love their work. The passion designers put into a project is on the same level as most other artists. When you look at a designer's project, you get a peek into their soul. In this podcast, we talk about the...

Welcome to the latest episode of To-The-Trade, where we delve into the transformative journey of Susan Hayward Interiors as it rebrands to Hayward Design House. Join host Laurie and co-host Nile Johnson as they explore the critical themes of personal branding in the evolving interior design landscape, the commitment to sustainability, and the innovative integration of AI into design processes. In...

This episode of To-The-Trade we talk with designer and author, Mitzi Beach about aging in place, aging in design and the role wellness plays in design. Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson and their guest, Mitzi discussed various topics related to interior design, aging in place, and the challenges faced by professionals in their field. They emphasized the importance of designing for aging in place, th...

Let's Talk High Point Market with Marisa Wilson, interior designer and author of The Cool Girl's Guide to High Point Market. https://www.marisawilsoninteriors.com... Marisa shares with Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson showrooms she would not miss and how to hack market to get the very best out of networking, education and content creation.

Shannon Ggem is a published designed from Malibu, CA and an expert on biophilia. Lets learn how to incorporate biophilia into your design business.

Laurie Laizure and Michael Kaestner interview esteemed interior design writer, Carl Dellatore about How to write an interior design book. What is involved? How long does it take? How much money do you make? How much do you invest? Do you need an agent? Images and copyrights. Promoting your book. The truth about the real payoff. Learn all this and more!

In this podcast, Nile Johnson and Laurie Laizure ask the question Are trade shows worth the expense for interior designers? What should you do if you go to a trade show to maximize the benefit as an interior designer. Hope you enjoy!

Join Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson of Interior Design Community's new podcast To-The-Trade. This week, we delve Inside the Grand Opening: Mabley Handler's New Design Showroom | Exclusive Interview with Austin Handler Dive deep into the heart of interior design innovation with Austin Handler in this exclusive YouTube video celebrating the grand opening of Mabley Handler Interior Design's newest s...

Slay the Paperwork Monster: How Contracts Can Empower Your Design Business (and Save You From Nightmares) Ever dreamed of turning your design genius into a thriving business? Well, buckle up buttercup, because contracts are about to become your new BFF. We recently sat down with Wendy Estela, a legal eagle with 24 years of experience wrangling contracts for small businesses, especially our fellow...