Ivy Designer Spotlight: Heather Ault of Del Sur Designs – San Diego, CA

How did you get where you are today?

It was a long and winding road that lead me to starting a design firm. Growing up, my dad was a contractor, so I was always around construction sites and developed an appreciation for the process of building a home. Our family lived through two home builds on top of my dad’s work, and as kids, we were encouraged to participate in the process. I once laid roof tiles!

When I was older, my high school offered a “housing and interior design” elective class my senior year and I signed up. We learned how to draw floor and landscape plans (the old fashioned way without CAD). I absolutely loved it! I entered college planning to go into teaching, but would always say “But what I really love is interior design”. Finally, someone said, “So, why aren’t you majoring in it?” I was convinced to make that scary leap, switched majors to the college art department, and eventually received my Bachelors in Interior Design from SDSU.

I didn’t immediately start in the field, however. I married young at 22 (we celebrate 20 years this month), and we had three kids. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with my kids while they were little. Just to stay busy and have a creative outlet, I painted interior murals, taught art classes part-time, and would help friends with their home design projects.

It was one of these friends (who paid me in wine), that posted on social media about me and their home which I helped them rebuild after a flood. Suddenly, requests for interior design services started coming in from around our community. Honestly, I hadn’t planned to start Del Sur Designs before that. It was a pleasant surprise that it all unfolded that way!

I sat down for pow-wows with my husband and a few close friends to figure out a business plan, website, logo, etc. I also called on a good friend with an established large design firm and asked her to mentor me. This was the best business decision I’ve made thus far. I would not be here today if it weren’t for the advice of these people. Three years later, DSD is strong and growing!

Katherine Eve Photography

Del Sur Designs is on a mission to provide clients with beautiful, functional, and unique designs. How do you get to know a client’s lifestyle and needs? 

The first step to better understanding our clients is simply getting to know them. We have a very detailed questionnaire that they fill out with questions such as ‘how often do you entertain?’, ‘what’s your least favorite color?’, ‘ what are your favorite decor and furniture stores/magazines?’, ‘is accessible, or green design a priority?’, and ‘list hobbies and interests’. We want to know where our clients have come from and what design/decor style they are comfortable living in. Sometimes we work with pieces they already own to incorporate them into a larger design. It’s our job to then take these tastes and preferences and apply good design principles to create a beautiful and functional living space. We, as designers, aren’t the people living in the space once finished, so it’s important to make sure it’s an environment that the client will enjoy for years to come. That’s how you get referrals.

Who are your favorite local San Diego vendors and people of the trade?
We exist in an age where many of our furniture and decor vendors aren’t in our town or even our state at all, but there are a few places we love. When looking for fabrics and wall coverings, you really want to feel and touch and there’s just no way to keep sample books of all your vendors. So, we head to Morena Boulevard’s design strip to look at lines like Pindler, Kravet, Thibault, Clarke & Clarke, etc. The Designer’s Resource Collection is a great place to get started if you’re new to the trade. To review the bigger pieces our vendors carry, we try to get to market to do “sit and feel” tests. Periodically, we’ll have reps go over these details with us at our office so we can get to know the quality of the product.

Katherine Eve Photography

What’s the design scene like in San Diego? Can you name some of your favorite local shops for furniture, lighting, home decor, etc.?
For retail, there are places like Greathouse, Pirch, Lamps Plus, Ferguson K&B, and Cedros Street. There are also some fun places to shop for antiques in San Diego. There’s Architectural Salvage of San Diego, Squash Blossom Trading in Ramona, and the Ocean Beach Antiques Mall.

The Miramar Road area is where we head for plumbing hardware, slabs, tile, flooring, and other building materials. Prosource is a great trade vendor that we look to often when working on flooring or a kitchen/bath remodel. San Diego Hardware is a great retail shop for tons of door and cabinet hardware.

How does designing make you feel? 
That is a complicated question; it depends on which day you ask me! There’s a ton about my job that I find rewarding, but it’s not all fun and games.

We have clients and friends say, “You have the best job, picking out cool stuff all day, spending other people’s money”. Yes, some of our work involves searching for products, but that’s just the beginning.

It’s the follow through that puts a space together, and that involves a lot of planning, budgeting, organization, coordination with others, etc. – that’s hard work. The reward is the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all done. It feels amazing to see a finished project come together!

Katherine Eve Photography

What’s your business mantra?
Do good work, and the rest will follow. Take inspiration from everything and everyone around you; sometimes the best idea comes from a lowly place. Be straightforward and realistic; everyone will thank you in the end and you will be proud of your work product. I think most designers are perfectionists in some capacity, so it’s how you harness that instinct to provide an amazingly detailed, finished product with lots of moving parts – but also temper that with practicality when it’s necessary. Put your heart into it, but don’t get overly attached to an idea, this is a business.

How do you personalize a client’s space if they are not sure what their “style” is?
We listen to them. If we find out about their regular family scrabble matches, they’ll need a big coffee table with storage underneath. If they’re empty nesters, maybe they just stop for a drink and change before heading out every Saturday and Sunday. These details help us understand if we can put in more fragile pieces or formal seating versus comfortable lounge sectionals in performance fabrics.We look at clients’ current furniture and ask why it appealed to them when they bought it, go through catalogs, have them create Houzz or Pinterest boards, and other exercises like that.

Katherine Eve Photography

Do you think it’s important to attend market? If so, what are your market strategies? 
Yes, if you can swing it. Obviously it’s expensive to travel to these, but I think it’s important to see new furniture lines from your vendor network and to scout for new companies that are entering the market. It’s also a valuable time to network and cultivate relationships which will help your business moving forward.

How much time do you allocate to social media, email/newsletter marketing and content marketing?
Not nearly enough I’ve been told! We try to push posts out to our Instagram or Facebook feed once a week or every other week. Personally, I’m not a fan of social media and I feel weird about sharing frequently on a public platform. Why would anyone care about what I ate for lunch? So, getting back to business, I’m struggling to find out how often I need to share to keep our name out there without clogging people’s feed. I need to push myself out of my comfort zone and work on this.

Katherine Eve Photography

Why did you join Ivy?
We needed a more comprehensive accounting/presentation program than what we had with QuickBooks alone. When we were looking into various programs, we found Ivy.

We joined Ivy because we saw the value in a young, cloud-based company that was eager to listen and grow along with us and the industry at large. I feel that I’ve forged real relationships with the Ivy team, as well as other designers who use the software. The 24/7 real time tech support is awesome which was a huge help to get us started. We love that there’s a real-time response for recommended changes and additions to the program.

Bottom line, Ivy is always trying to better itself, and so are we. Ivy continues to fine-tune and evolve, serving as one of the key successes to my business.

What have you learned from the Ivy Designer Network (the private FB Group)?
More than I could ever express right here. Seriously, I know that this network was a secondary thought to the software originally, but MAN OH MAN! Ivy hit gold with this idea! This has been such a great resource to find things when I’m stuck, ask technical questions if I’m unfamiliar, and generally feel like I’m not alone as I read through the daily posts.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Reisa, Gilli, Lee, and Alex at Las Vegas Market and couldn’t wait to talk to them about the power of the Ivy Designer Network in particular. This group gives all of us individual small businesses the opportunity to pool our knowledge resources so that we can have the kind of support you only find at large corporations.

When a designer doesn’t know how to approach a particular situation with a client or vendor, they can ask about it on this forum and receive the advice of several others that have been there and understand. A discussion ensues and the designer walks away with much more information and confidence than they had going in.

Also, I think there is a huge amount of untapped power in our ability as a group to promote (or black-ball if necessary) a vendor or product. There was a point last week when someone was sharing a poor experience with a particular company, and tons of people wrote in to confirm their similar frustrations with the same vendor. Obviously, the 1,000+ rest of us who read this took note.

Conversely, an Ivy Designer asked if someone could recommend a company for a mirror she was trying to find. I suggested one of my preferred vendors. Not only did she set up an account, but so did about 15 other people at the same time, just because they were following the post. To this day, that company doesn’t even know why they had that uptick in interest.

When I told Ivy Co-Founder, Lee, she said “You should have told your rep it was from you!” The thing is, it wasn’t just me, it was Ivy. At some point, us “Ivies” could harness the bargaining power of a large company if vendors become aware that we’re communicating like this. I think this is huge!

Katherine Eve Photography

How does Ivy help streamline your day-to-day workflow as an interior designer?
That’s easy. Before, we had to surf through emails and Dropbox files to pull up a project’s information. This was the case for both ourselves and our clients. Now, we have a centralized location for all of our proposals and documentation. Our clients love their dashboard, which we’ve created password protected links for on our website, which also serves to drive traffic to our website. Total win!

I’ve also stopped stressing over every little proposal that goes out. Now I know we have systems in place so my employees and I can create beautiful proposals with the mark-ups and shipping calculated, high resolution pictures, and to top it all off, easy online approvals and payments.

What’s an Ivy feature you can’t live without?

If I have to pick one, I guess it’s the Ivy Clipper. This makes it almost too easy to put products into our database! I find myself clipping products into my product library incase I want to remember for the future. This way, if we’re working on a new project and I search for “chairs” within my product library, I can find all of the awesome pieces I clipped when I was dreaming!

I also love that the proposals have the electronic approval button. This has revolutionized our initial contract process. We are now able to receive online approvals on contracts when we send them as assets to a proposal. Everything is archived and approvals are uncontested. Since we started with Ivy, I’ve stopped receiving emails asking me to resend things, or having clients debate on whether or not they’d given an approval. This may be my favorite part!

Katherine Eve Photography

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your business?

Interiors Photographer Spotlight: Helynn Ospina Photography

Helynn – how did you get where you are today?

It’s been a windy road. While I currently live in Santa Cruz, I’m originally from Colombia and have lived here since I was about two years of age. My younger years were spent on the East Coast but I attended college in San Diego where I earned my BA in biology. After about nine years in the San Diego area, the desire for a new adventure began calling my name and I migrated to San Francisco. San Francisco was so different than anywhere else I had lived and it was that inspiration that reignited my dream of art school again. While still working in biotech, I started taking some evening classes at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and loved it so much! A few months in I made the leap and left my cushy corporate gig and started attending classes full-time for a couple of years until I earned a Masters of Fine Arts in photography. It was during this time that I began shooting interiors as part of environmental portraits for my thesis.

My first interior design client came about because a friend of a friend needed professional photos for their design portfolio and asked me to help out. After graduating, I was a bit burnt out, and my career path wasn’t clear, so I began working at a retouching studio in the city. I didn’t pick up a camera for a while after graduating. Slowly, I started to shoot and build a portfolio that felt authentic and I began to really envision photography as my career path. I continued to work part-time at the retouching studio in San Francisco while also shooting and building my client base until a few years ago when I felt ready to go solo. Although I’m no longer living in San Francisco, most of my clients continue to be in the Bay Area.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by MAS Design

You specialize in photographing interiors, architecture and travel. What is it that you love about capturing interiors?

Interiors have always fascinated me – not necessarily in the design sense, but more as a place where our lives unfold. Interior spaces are silent witnesses to our lives. This belief really informs my approach to shooting interiors. I strive to create serenity and stillness in each image that is welcoming and has a storytelling quality. Shooting interiors also allows me to engage the analytical (nerdy science type) part of my brain because it requires a lot of attention to detail and problem solving.

“Interior spaces are silent witnesses to our lives. This belief really informs my approach to shooting interiors.”

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by MAS Design

We were so impressed by your photos of Ivy Designer Rachel Madden’s recent work which was also featured in Rue Magazine. What did you like about working on that project?

Well thank you, I’m very flattered! The best part about that project was her daughter’s room – it features a teepee, unicorn and an adorable whale! How could I not love a room with all of these things? I rarely get to photograph kids’ rooms but they are probably the most fun because of all the great props and colors. When Rachel and I initially met to go over the details of the shoot, she showed me her daughter’s room and said she would probably remove the teepee. I immediately said we must include it! That was my first time working with Rachel so it was great fun for us to collaborate on creating each image.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Betz Design Studio

Who are some other interior designers you admire and enjoy working with?

Dream clients would definitely be Ian Stallings and Reagan Baker. Their use of color and materials is luxurious but also inviting. It’s a feast for the eyes. I love working with all of my clients! I’ve been doing this for a few years now but each time I get hired I still consider it an honor because all of my clients are extremely talented and passionate about what they do. I enjoy working with other creatives who are doing top notch work.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Storey Design

What makes it easy to shoot an interior space? What makes it difficult?

There are a couple of things that immediately come to mind when I think of spaces that are easier to shoot – good light, good lines/architecture and good styling. Really tight spaces are often difficult to shoot because it’s tough to get a good angle and fit myself into the correct spot – it is not uncommon to find me stuffed in a corner next to a toilet bowl or shimmying across the floor to get in and out of tight spaces.

“Good photography is an investment but it’s one that has a great return.”

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by MAS Design

In your opinion, how important is a good-looking portfolio to the success of an interior design firm’s growth and reputation?

It is extremely important. It is an essential part of branding and marketing. This is where a relationship with a seasoned photographer becomes very important. Having a “go-to” photographer ensures that all your imagery is cohesive and blends easily with your branding. Not all interiors photographers are alike in the way they shoot so it’s important that there is consistency across your images. I cannot emphasize the importance of good imagery enough – I have projects from 4 or 5 years ago that still get picked up by bloggers or Houzz for features. Good photography is an investment but it’s one that has a great return.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Storey Design

If you could make a PSA to all interior designers regarding photographing their portfolio, what would you say?

Just do it! I can promise you that if you find the right photographer you won’t be disappointed. Working with a talented interiors/architecture photographer will change the way you see your work. A photographer, much like any designer, is trained to see possibilities. A designer may not think a space is worth photographing because the lighting is terrible or the room looks small but when you work with a photographer, they help you see things differently. My goal for every project is to have it be a collaboration between myself and the designer – our end goal is to make their designs look amazing no matter what the constraints.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by MAS Design

Why is lighting so important when it comes to photographing an interior? What are the ideal times to photograph?

Lighting is important because it helps create mood and tell a story about the space and what the experience of being in that space might be. My blog post “Why I Light” shows a couple of before and afters using just the available light in a room vs. using supplementary lighting. It’s a great example of how light begins to create a story.

The ideal time to photograph really depends on the space and the end goal of the photograph. I love to capture the drama of streaming light in a room because it creates a sense of time and narrative in the image. To that end, I will usually seek out areas of the house that may have harder streaming light or create it with supplementary lighting.

“Having a “go-to” photographer ensures that all your imagery is cohesive and blends easily with your branding.”

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Space 10 Interiors

How do you typically prep an interior designer for a photoshoot?

As part of my process for each project, I include a walk-through of the space during which we discuss everything including lighting, props, and image usage (portfolio, magazine submission, competition). It’s usually this time that most designers really start to get excited and maybe a little overwhelmed about things. As part of this step, we visit each room and come up with a game plan for each space including any props that we may want for the day of the shoot. As we move through each room, I am also considering what angles to capture and what lighting may be necessary.

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Nicole Newkirk for Homepolish

What are some tips of best practices you can offer interior designers for making the most out of a photoshoot?

Tip # 1: Bring more accessories than you think you will need. I have never had an occasion where a client brought too many accessories. Often times, something can look great in person, but not so great in a photograph. Things may appear smaller in the photograph, so, if possible, you want to bring similar shapes of varying sizes. The same goes for art – bring various sizes.

Tip # 2: It’s a stressful day and there is often not enough time to capture everything so it’s important to know what is a priority to photograph.

Tip # 3: Don’t obsess about the exact placement of every object in a room. Once you see the image, you can really tune where everything is because you will be able to see how it reads through the camera.

Tip # 4: Bring snacks.

Tip # 5: Have fun!

Photo by Helynn Ospina, Design by Storey Design

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your business?

What we would do to be able to see the inner workings of an interior designer…Well, here’s the next best thing! We asked our community of Ivy Designers to give us a sneak peek into their brains through their desktops; from the meticulously pristine to the organized chaos.

A huge thank you to our lovely Ivy Designers for bravely sharing their beautiful desktops (even if they were a bit messy).

“Only the current files I’m working on for clients are on the screen. Once I’m done – they get filed. My computer gets back up daily by my tech obsessed husband, so I’m never worried about losing something.” – Ivy Designer K.M.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Guinness, who is the ‘king of quite a lot’.” – Ivy Designer L.R.L.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Just a few things I am currently working on but haven’t filed away yet.” – Ivy Designer K.W.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Mine used to be so cluttered that you couldn’t even see a background. I have since cleaned it up after my 11-year-old son saw it and almost had a heart attack and my husband repeatedly said ‘HOW DO YOU FIND ANYTHING ON THERE?’ This is mine cleaned up, finally.” – Ivy Designer A.C.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“You guys will probably be really annoyed with me. I keep NOTHING on my desktop because I am paranoid about losing it! Everything is in the cloud!” – Ivy Designer S.M.B.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“I keep nothing on my desktop except a link to my business files and some awesome inspiring words. Clutter (even digital) makes me crazy!” – Ivy Designer L.M.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“I actually “cleaned” mine a month ago…” – Ivy Designer R.D.Z.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Mine’s embarrassing…When the files start doubling up (as pictured) I know it’s time to clean up…In my defense, I rarely see my home screen as I always have several programs up and running at once.” – Ivy Designer B.S.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“I’m a ‘keep nothing on my desktop’ girl – just a pretty background! Everything’s organized in the finder in folders.” – Ivy Designer C.W.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“For the record, I stack all this in one week, click and drag photos, and then delete them once a week or file. I thought I was pretty damn organized until I saw all of these…” – Ivy Designer S.W.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Just about everything gets filed in Finder or on the iCloud immediately. My desktop pic usually involves my next vacation…” – Ivy Designer J.C.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Try to keep it nice and clean with a relaxing image.” – Ivy Designer S.S.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“You caught me on a very organized week! Usually my desktop fills up with screen shots, etc. until I can’t handle it anymore and I purge or stash to a folder. These baby blues literally save me/remind me why I’m busting my butt on some days!” – Ivy Designer A.S.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“This is like a peek inside my brain.” – Ivy Designer A.F.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“I’m obsessive about folders, so mine’s pretty boring. Just shortcuts to my Google Drive and some folders for when my husband inevitably saves his work on my laptop.” – Ivy Designer K.H.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“You don’t get much better than this well designed space. It is perfect in every way!”

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Hilarious. Maybe it’s time I clean up… even better that I’m on 3% battery!” – Ivy Designer C.H.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“My janky Windows 10 desktop until my Macbook gets a new hard drive…” – Ivy Designer L.G.

Ivy Designer Desktop

“Ironically, I cleaned my desktop a couple days before – it was a cluttered mess! This feels SO much more life-giving…”- Ivy Designer L.E.

Ivy Designer Desktop

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your business?

To continue our summer series of Ivy Member Meet Ups, local Ivy Designers gathered at the Bradley USA Showroom in Chicago for an Indian-inspired evening of design. Talented artist, wallpaper designer and Ivy Designer Erin Chlaghmo of Relativity Textiles took us through a visual trip to India, sharing her process and inspiration. Bradley USA touched on their incredible capacity to help interior designers shine for their clients with their highly customizable collection.

After presentations and snacking on Indian inspired bites and sips, Ivy Designers dove into an engaging conversation moderated by Chicago Ivy Designer Ambassador Jennifer Talbot of Jen Talbot Design, exchanging ideas around pricing structures, retainers and other insightful topics.

A special thanks to Bradley USA for hosting Ivy’s first Ivy Member Meet Up in Chicago and to all of the lovely Ivy Interior Designers who traveled to come see us! See photos from the event below.

Photography by Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Casey Harrison Photography

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your business?

The design team behind Abnormals Anonymous has a unique eye, wallpapering their eclectic inspirational finds from sea life and strange creatures to dainty plant life. Popularly known for the adorable Mr. Blow, the surprising patterns and colorways have been a delightful treat for the design community. Abnormals Anonymous shares their creative process, trend forecast, non-conventional ways to use wallpaper, and tips of practices for using wallpaper in a space.

How did Abnormals Anonymous come to be?
My husband and business partner met serendipitously in an elevator in Nashville, TN and almost immediately started talking about our dreams to have a wallpaper collection. Several years later, during a stroll through the Santa Monica flea market, the collection (in our heads) was born. We spotted some vintage illustrations of sea creatures and immediately knew this was the direction we wanted to take for the story of our wallpapers. About 2 years later, our first collection of 12 patterns was fully launched.

Anna Redmond for Abnormals Anonymous // Twisted Stitcher – Abbey Road // Photo: Haris Kenjar Photography

Abnormals Anonymous uses eco friendly, VOC free inks on all wallpapers, printing on materials such as paper, mylar, type II vinyl, textural papers, and other new recycled materials. What’s your creative and production process like, from idea to print?
Our creative process starts with lots of espresso followed by a dive into designing patterns with an interesting story to tell. Influence comes our way via our travels through the NW and beyond. Design and color inspiration arrives by way of everything from strange and wonderful sea life and old shipwrecks to aging forests and delicate mosses, all which carry us back to our studio for a little more espresso. These ideas are mocked up, manipulated in scale and pattern, and then TONS of time is spent on color to perfect combinations that speak to us and the personality of the patterns. Many samples are produced until we find our must haves that make it into the line. One of our favorite parts of the process is naming the patterns and colorways. The designs all come to life!

Palihouse Santa Monica
Exotica – Notorious

Which wallpapers are your best-sellers?
Mr. Blow is hands down our best seller. He was our first design and has become our company mascot. We still get so giddy seeing him go up on walls. Animal House, Bruce, Gossip, Floria and Lobby have been really popular as well. It’s so much fun to see which patterns and colorways are well received in the design community.

“One of our favorite parts of the process is naming the patterns and colorways. The designs all come to life!”

Abnormals Anonymous // Mr. Blow – Grass // Photo: Port Madison

What are some spaces you know of using Abnormals Anonymous wallpaper that you are particularly proud of?
In our first year in business, we landed a boutique hotel project, Palihouse Santa Monica, where 3 of our patterns were specified for each of the guest rooms. We worked with the designers on giving them custom versions of our papers to make their guest spaces one of a kind. It was a really fun collaboration.

Chango & Co. in New York has used our Lobby print in their gorgeous beach house designs. We love how the coastal vibe of the lobster fuses with their seaside aesthetic.

Pulp Design Studios in Seattle and Dallas used our latest Flashdance pattern that was a collaboration with artist Anna Redmond in a DXV Luxury Showhouse in Palm Springs. The bathroom Pulp designed was amazing!

Anna Redmond for Abnormals Anonymous // Lily’s Pad – Colonel Mustard // Photo: Haris Kenjar Photography

Based on your knowledge of the industry, what trends are you forecasting for the end of the year and 2018 in regards to wallpaper style, pattern, and color?
We’ve seen a trend towards larger scale pattern and wall murals which is something we have envisioned getting into for some time. It really feels like art on your walls. We are drawn to the textural patterns that we are seeing out there and as far as color goes, it is still all over the place, totally depends on the space and client. Neutrals, grays, blues and greens have been on the rise for us.

Wheel of Fortune – Deep End
Photo: Meredith Fleming Photography

What are some non-conventional ways to use wallpaper?
Put some wallpaper on the ceiling! It’s such a fun surprise and keeps you looking up. Wallpapering the inside backs of bookcases, wall panel insets, and closet interiors are other unique ways of incorporating wallpaper into spaces.

“Make sure you have your installer measure and calculate based on the specifics of the paper you are ordering. This will save you time and money down the road and avoid ordering too much or too little.”

Palihouse Santa Monica
Sea Tales – Red Rock

Can you offer interior designers 3 tips of “best practices” for choosing the right wallpaper and making the most out of wallpaper when decorating a space?
1. Order samples. Most wallpaper studios will send out sampling at no charge to designers. Reach out to your local showroom or representative or directly if needed and request samples. We love for designers to have our samples in their libraries for current and future projects.

2. Do the whole room! Focal walls are fun, but the impact a fully wallpapered room can make is big. Hang art or shelving right over the paper to give some visual breaks in the space.

3. Wallpapers come in a variety of formats these days. Make sure you have your installer measure and calculate based on the specifics of the paper you are ordering. This will save you time and money down the road and avoid ordering too much or too little. And, always hire a professional installer!

Anna Redmond for Abnormals Anonymous // Wavelength – Sweet Dreams // Photo: Haris Kenjar Photography

What do you enjoy about working with interior designers?
Seeing how designers work with our papers and style them with a range of aesthetics is very exciting and inspiring. We love seeing where our papers end up – seeing the installation photos is the best! Doing custom projects is also extremely rewarding. We did a custom pattern for a coffee truck in Austin, TX with Ore Studios and a one of a kind oyster design for a seafood restaurant with Farouki Farouki in New Orleans. The possibilities are endless!

Spot – Prince // Melissa + Miller Interiors // Photo: Rebecca McAlpin

For the interior designers working with clients who are shy of wallpaper – what are some ways to get those clients to take the plunge?
1. Have fun with wallpaper in spaces that your clients don’t spend the majority of their time. Do something a little wild in a powder room or a laundry room where you can get away with more drama.

2. Add a wainscot to the bottom half of a wall in a powder room or dining space. The paper costs go down sometimes by half and the result is a nice balance of pattern and thoughtful details.

3. Think of wallpaper as art. Compare the perfect wallpaper installation to a clients connection with their favorite art piece. Sometimes you just have to find the right pattern to get your client on board. Make sure it makes them smile.

Anna Redmond for Abnormals Anonymous // Flashdance – Freshly Mowed //Photo: Haris Kenjar Photography

Tell us about your custom wallpaper capabilities…
We love doing custom work. Custom coloring, working on a variety of substrates (think canvas, grasscloth, vellum, and even papers that earn LEED credit) and developing fully one of a kind patterns are several ways we can create unique designs. Because we digitally print everything, it’s an easy process without a huge price tag.

Buggie – Flashy Cadet // Sarah Hill Interiors // Photo: Alyssa Rosenheck

What’s next for Abnormals Anonymous?
We just finished our first artist collaboration with Seattle artist Anna Redmond. It was a labor of love and so much fun. We would love to do more of this with small independent designers that we feel passionate about.

Fabrics are also on our radar. There are several of our patterns that we feel will translate really well to textiles for drapery, upholstery and pillows (Floria, Flashdance, Buggie, Bruce and Mr. Blow of course). Stay tuned!

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your business?

Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Between client meetings, drafting on SketchUp, updating catalogs, all while trying to have a personal life, it gets exceedingly more difficult to burn the candle at both ends. If this sounds all too familiar, it may be time to hire help. We surveyed a group of Ivy interior designers (86 to be exact) and 60% of them confirmed that they don’t have an assistant or intern, but wish they had one! Delegating tasks to assistants and interns, or hiring specialty services, can free up the time you desperately need, relieve stress from your day-to-day routine, and may be the pivotal tailwind in growing your business.

You may be thinking to yourself, “why bother hiring someone when I can run my social media and organize my inventory storage for free?” As any interior designer knows, time is never ‘free’; time trapped on running errands could have been time spent on billables or large projects that require lengthy attention. Overall, the goal for outsourcing tasks is to give you the time to work on the profitable parts of your business, which would in turn cover the cost of outsourcing (i.e. spending money to make money). That being said, the commitment of hiring an assistant can be daunting, and maybe you don’t know if you’re quite ready to make the splurge. In the spirit of making time for design, review this brief guide on business solutions like hiring assistants, interns, and general delegation for all types of firms.

Written by Shai Wallach

Assistant

If you find yourself struggling with your schedule and trying to keep up with a growing business, seek out an assistant. Since there are different kinds of assistants, it is important to know the difference between them before searching for candidates. There are administrative assistants for admin tasks around the office; personal assistants for managing schedules and life itself; and the highly coveted design assistant for admin along with helping out on projects. When trying to cover assistant salaries, factor design assistant hours into client billables and add hourly fees into flat-fee projects. For administrative or personal assistants whose duties can’t be directly linked to design projects, you can try running a quick cost-benefit analysis. If an assistant buys you 5 hours of time running errands while you now work with a client billing your hours, you have just made a worthwhile investment.

After hiring the right assistant, a hurdle that many designers face is delegating tasks to their new assistant successfully. The first thing that you should consider when delegating is what differentiates your services and work – anything that doesn’t fall into that category should be delegated. This includes administrative duties, like tracking billing hours and inputting product specs, along with other tasks that are vital to the operations of your business, like measuring or follow-ups with vendors. Directly working with clients should be left to you, however, having your assistant sit in on meetings, even to simply take minutes, will help ease your assistant into the heart of your work. This leads you to the next important hurdle; because you may be so used to doing everything on your own, slowly letting go of tasks without micromanaging may be difficult. By starting out delegating smaller and more administrative tasks, while exposing them to the creative side of your work, you can slowly build a stronger relationship with your assistant. Once the foundation of trust is built, you can start adding in more creative tasks like helping source fabrics or putting together proposals.

Intern

If you think you’re not quite ready to make the leap of getting an assistant, consider starting an internship program. Unpaid and paid internships have become one of the most popular methods for students and postgrads to make their way into the workforce in the United States. Interns can be hired for part-time throughout the year or seasonally during summer breaks. Design interns can work on all aspects of the business – from assisting in installations to admin tasks – or on more speciality projects like social media. The major benefit in internships is the low monetary risk; even paid internships are relatively modest in salary while still providing eager and capable candidates. Although interns can be seen as a temporary means to an end, the practice of hiring interns full-time after their term has ended is a great way to organically grow your team with people already familiar with the ins-and-outs of your firm.

Speciality Services

Lastly, but certainly not least, for those who need to clear something in their schedule but aren’t sure how; alleviate some stress and time by utilizing speciality services like household cleaning services. You may be surprised by how much a simple outsource of day-to-day tasks, like getting your laundry taken care of, can impact your schedule. Though this won’t directly impact your business, by clearing your agenda of basic yet time-consuming tasks, you will be able to use your time more effectively and therefore influence your bottom line. This is the perfect solution for those who don’t know if they are quite ready to fully delegate tasks or invest resources in full-time assistants on a regular basis.

Photo by Nik MacMillan on Unsplash

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software to manage your business?

From her beginnings in an Israeli kibbutz to living in the Great Canadian Rockies, Zohar Wallach’s surroundings have always been the focal point of her mixed media paintings. Her ethereal pieces draw directly from nature, both in inspiration and in the organic materials she utilizes. Zohar’s work has traversed across the art scenes of New York, Las Vegas, Florence, Montreal, and Calgary. Noted for her almost geographic-like work, Zohar explains here about her unique process, relationship with social media marketing, and experiences of merging art with interiors.

Edited by Shai Wallach

Zohar – how did you get where you are today?

My memories picture me as a very young girl always playing with different materials and creating art, including painting on walls that usually got me into trouble. I come from a creative family, as my mom and my grandfather were artists, so it was quite natural for me to head into the field. However, I wanted to have an “actual career,” so I became a handwriting analyst after my BA and worked in human resources for many years while keeping painting as a hobby. I never took myself seriously as an artist and definitely never intended to be one, but the move to a different environment changed all that in a second as I was overcome by the magnificent “Big Sky Country” and just had to paint. Soon enough after, people started to buy my works and I have been a professional artist ever since.

Zohar Wallach

Can you explain your process?

Over the years I have found the need to develop my unique process of work since becoming sensitive to most common materials. I came out with fermented pigments that I allow to develop in water and sugar for a while, which I then layer onto the surface with sand and water based emulsion; a process that takes weeks to form as I constantly add or remove from the surface just before the layer is dry. The fermentation adds a very original sense to the colors as it breaks down the pigment into a variety of undertones, and the long process allows me to reveal the smallest particles underneath all the layers.

I sometimes consider myself a ‘painter archaeologist’ since I disturb the upper layer constantly to bring new and unexpected wonders into view. Due to this unique process, each work is slightly different from the natural structure that appears through the layers. The final result is quite original and I love how it has its own personality.

“The raw beauty and strong colors of the Canadian landscape is so different; the nature is so wild and extreme at times it begs to be painted.”

“Tender” by Zohar Wallach

How has living in Canada inspired your work?

I always painted, but when I lived in Israel, I used to paint still-life, animals, landscapes; much more naive work in oil pastel. But after I moved to Canada, something opened up completely. As I became immersed in the natural setting, it completely overwhelmed me. The raw beauty and strong colors of the Canadian landscape is so different; the nature is so wild and extreme at times it begs to be painted. I get constant inspiration from living in the vastness of Alberta.

“Renew” by Zohar Wallach

Based on your knowledge of the industry, how has technology or social media changed the way artists and designers do business?

Social media and technology changed everything for designers and artists. It lets us be relevant, helps us reach new clients and markets, and of course it’s a major source of publishing and promotion of our work. I think it changed the rules of the game by making us accessible to anyone who is searching the internet, and at the same time helps in staying relevant in today’s market.  As a personal anecdote – I became an international artist within two weeks after my daughter, Shai, helped me setup my work on both Facebook and Instagram. I use social media a lot today to promote my work and I still learn on a daily basis the true instant power that connects us to the global market.

“Blues” by Zohar Wallach

How do you typically work with interior designers?

My connection with interior designers started many years ago when a designer chose quite a few of my works for a model home, as she needed to stage it and decorate it. All the works got sold and I received numerous orders from other clients that were referred by the designer. I work with interior designers whenever they need to come up with something fresh and different; they usually pick a couple of works for their clients homes or any private or commercial setting they are working on.

I love the creative connection between designers and artists, the opportunity to think of creative and artistic solutions for any space is a treat every time. For me, designers typically pick a specific painting or commission me for one according to the colors that work best with the space, or they send me pictures of the spaces and ask me to be creative with an original work that will work perfectly with the furniture, light and setting. Working in this way is definitely the most fun way to collaborate, since it allows us to work together and conceive the perfect piece for the space.

“I work with interior designers whenever they need to come up with something fresh and different; they usually pick a couple of works for their clients homes or any private or commercial setting they are working on.”

“Manhattan” by Zohar Wallach

What are 3 tips of “best practice” you can offer interior designers for choosing the right artwork for a space?

Firstly, listen to your clients’ needs, what colors speak to them, and how they relate to the medium of artwork. Designers need to know what their clients love and who they are in order to pick the artwork that will be the most harmonious with the space but also the client.

My second tip is to always select the artwork last when you are done with all the other interiors. The right piece needs to work perfectly with the space, so always wait until the project is almost done.

The last tip is to not be afraid to be bold with the choice of artwork. Always listen to your instincts; the work that appealed to you the most is usually the right choice.

“Wild 2” by Zohar Wallach

Are you an interior designer searching for an interior design software for your firm?

Are your interior design projects becoming larger? Are you starting to wonder about liability? If your answers are “yes”, that’s great, your instincts are in the right place. As projects grow and you acquire bigger clients, you may find yourself thinking “is it time to graduate from being a sole proprietorship?” If you’ve come to this roadblock, it’s time to start consider graduating from sole proprietorship to LLC. We surveyed a group of Ivy interior designers (87 to be exact) and 69% of the businesses are LLC, 21% are sole proprietorship, and 10% are S Corp. Before you start feeling ‘more legit’ and dive into your state registry, review this simple breakdown for what it means to be a sole proprietorship or an LLC.

Written by Shai Wallach

Sole Proprietorship

This is the most common form of company due to the simplicity in starting a sole proprietorship. With almost no startup cost, the business is run by a single individual and has no distinction from its owner. Taxation is easy in a sole proprietorship, as the business is not taxed separately from the owner. Sole proprietors reap the benefits in profit, but are also responsible for losses and all the liability that comes with the business. Though this is the easiest way to start up a design firm, with larger projects coming up and firms growing in size, unlimited liability can become a risk for any sole proprietor designer when lawsuits put their personal assets on the line.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

This is where the LLC comes into play. Like its name alludes, an LLC is a separate legal entity and therefore protects its owners (which are called “members”) and their personal assets from business-related liabilities. To form an LLC, you must file Articles of Organizations; many states have fill-in-the-blank forms on their websites. Aside from filing fees, which usually cost several hundred dollars, states often charge annual fees under the state’s law.

Before making the switch to LLC, we highly recommend reaching out to both your CPA and attorney to find out about how your state deals with LLCs. Fees and tax specifications differ state to state so this can get tricky. It’s much better to make informed decisions than trying to do this yourself via LegalZoom. It’s OK to not know everything about the local tax laws in your area so it’s always safe to consult with a professional who can steer you and your business in the right direction.  

Are you an interior designer searching for a business management tool for your business?

Are you currently working with an interior designer? Here’s everything your interior designer wants you to know before getting started on a project.

1. Make the time for your interior designer and try to eliminate any distractions during meetings.

2. “No project is ‘bulletproof’…things will go wrong. It’s a process, but patience and teamwork always win big.”

3. “We cannot create a product that does not exist. Well, we maybe can, but be willing to pay for it.”

4. Make sure your home is clean and tidy before your designer comes in, it lets them do their job right.

5. Always hire subcontractors through your interior designer; they have a strong network of highly vetted and recommended people of the trade. You want someone your interior designer can trust –  at the end of the day, your designer is the one who works with them.

6. Interior designers are literally experts in interior design. You are hiring them for their intellectual property; it’s not a hobby, it’s a profession.

7. Don’t “shop” your designer. “We spend a lot of time developing a design,” so be considerate.

8. Utilize your interior designer to manage all of the individual parties involved in your project (Architect, General Contractor etc.) — you’ll be thanking them later.

9. Be as specific and decisive as you can. Even if you have a vague idea of what you want, try to give some direction via magazine pull-outs, Pinterest boards, etc.

10. “I don’t give out my sources. It’s why you hire me…to make the magic happen for you!”

11. Titles matter — there is a difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator. Interior Designers are licensed professionals who manage projects involving construction and architecture. Interior Decorators make aesthetic improvements, but don’t make any structural changes to a space.

12. “It’s wise to interview 5-6 designers before you commit. Personalities and a good fit add so much to the success of any project.”

13. Bring lots of inspiration, but don’t try to copy any one design. Let your designer “work their magic.”

14. “Clients need to decide how much and to what level they want to be involved up front. Communicate clearly and set realistic expectations early on.”

15. Don’t pigeonhole your designer. Give them your taste and preferences without restricting creativity.

16. “You don’t often get to take things home immediately; lead times should be expected and patience is important.”

17. Clients should understand the difference between trade and retail prices. Even if a designer marks-up their picks, they are still giving the client a better deal than retail.

18. “Please respect normal business hours. (My company) will respond between the hours of X & X, M-F. Emails will be responded to within 24 hours. Text is the fastest way to communicate with me personally, but if it is after hours, email is best and I will respond in the morning.”

19. Decide your budget early on and be prepared to spend it. Don’t worry, it will all be worth it in the end!

20. Have fun with it! Leave your stress behind and trust your designer; allow yourself to be a little surprised, it’ll all be worth it.

A special thanks to the following talented Ivy Designers who contributed their tips:

Jennifer L. Hawn
Studio Six – Interior Design + Build

Sheryl Blake
Blake Design Limited, Inc.

Kelli Walden, Allied ASID
Select Interiors

Casee Burgason
Casee Burgason Interior + Design

Are you an interior designer searching for a business management tool for your business?