Beyond the Budget with Kimberley Seldon: Designing Profit, Value, and Authority in Your Interior Design Business

Why Design Fees Alone Won’t Make You Rich (Sorry)

Let’s get one thing straight: being a talented designer isn’t the problem.

If your business isn’t as profitable as you’d like, it’s probably your model, not your mood board. 

For years, many designers relied heavily on design fees as their primary revenue stream. The result? Long hours, unfinished projects, and not nearly enough profit to show for it.

Sound familiar? 

During our conversation with Kimberley Seldon of Business of Design ®, we dive into three core ideas every designer should master: specifying with confidence, leveraging vendor partnerships, and building a business model that doesn’t rely solely on design fees.

The Turning Point

The big realization: design fees are just your salary. They’re not your wealth-building tool.

If you want a business that actually scales, and supports your future, you need to think beyond billable hours. That’s where procurement comes in.

Top-performing designers aren’t just designing - they’re sourcing, specifying, and earning consistent margins on the products they bring into their projects. In fact, many report that 60% or more of their income comes from procurement. Yes, sixty.

Enter: The Wish List Strategy

Here’s where things get interesting (and a little counterintuitive).

Instead of designing to a client’s budget, Kimberley suggests pricing the entire wish list first. Every item. No compromises upfront.

Why? Because clients don’t actually know what their vision costs, and when they see the full picture, they often choose to spend more (sometimes double).

It also means:

• No more specifying “just okay” pieces to hit a number
• No more being shopped around
• No more leaving money on the table

The Bottom Line

If your business relies on design fees alone, you’re essentially capping your income.

But when you combine strong design fees and strategic procurement? That’s when things start to scale and feel a lot more sustainable.

And honestly, a lot more fun.

Tune into our conversation with Kimberley, above, for more information!