Julia Begbie’s Post

The Seven Deadly Sins of Interior Design Practice TIMIDITY - Sins of the Designer 1/3 1. Timidity and Opinions: Designers are hired to provide design direction - so, direct! And, explain WHY option A is better than option B (thereby demonstrating your knowledge and experience). When clients trust that you will speak up when it counts, they feel happy to choose when you occasionally say, ‘In this case I see the benefits of both options’. 2. Timidity and Boundaries: Most new designers are blindsided at some point by clients crashing boundaries that the designer never actually established: working hours, time taken to reply, project scope, favours. Boundaries should be set in advance - being brave enough to define ground rules actually helps everyone involved.   3. Timidity and Ugly Truths: Shying away from the negatives in a design project is a recipe for disaster: every project has boring bits and bad bits, good interior designers balance motivation and enthusiasm for future transformation alongside expectations management for the modest trials of getting there. 4. Timidity and MONEY!: Emotional issues around money could be parching your business - money is lovely and you've earned it. It’s the water that flows through and irrigates your business. Splash around in it - FFS, have a bath…submerge yourself. If you are unsure about charging, or feel awkward about money, let's have a chat...right now it's really cheap to talk! (See below). ----------------- I'm Julia, after two decades teaching and practising interior design, I now help others avoid mistakes and achieve success. SUMMER FUN: Right now you can book a 30-minute chat with me - to discuss any interior design sins, or other business challenges - for £30 only, with all proceeds going to St Michael's Hospice in Hereford. Link to book: https://lnkd.in/evM_NQGU

If you need help with grant writing or fundraising strategy, Ben Chambers, CFRE is your guy. If you need help putting furniture together...you might want to find someone else. This week, read about Ben's misadventures in home improvement and how they relate to fundraising. #grants #nonprofit #fundraising

Like many of us who run small businesses, design colleagues Nancy Keatinge and Stanley Felderman have successfully led an exceptional practice in California, and as designers and artists, prioritized their life experience and home life as an integral part of their careers. Like most of us operating small practices, we sometimes find ourselves using our own savings to support our payroll and business at those times when work is lean versus business loans or sitting on huge reserves like large commercial practices. In the normal cycles of business feast and famine, we have to rely on ourselves and our own investment to keep things going. Unfortunately, like thousands of others in Los Angeles, Nancy and Stanley have found themselves without a home and studio due to the fires in Pacific Palisades taking everything from them within a few hours. As two individuals who both have given more to their local community AND the interior design profession, I am posting this to request that our design community now come together, and help them. Here is the link, organized by their daughter Sara, as of course, and like me, they would never ask for help, and yet, find themselves in this tragic situation. Come on industry, it's time to step up...Let's do this! I understand there are many in need, but I also know there are many with means in our industry who can do so, and I am not ashamed to ask. Now it the time: IIDA Illinois Chapter International Interior Design Association American Society of Interior Designers - ASID ASID Illinois Chapter The American Institute of Architects (AIA) AIA Chicago AIA Los Angeles Gensler HOK HDR SBID® - Society of British & International Interior Design Interior Design Magazine Metropolis Architectural Record The Architectural Review Perkins&Will Cheryl Durst, Hon. FIIDA Dr. Vanessa Brady OBE IIDA Southern California Chapter Joel Berman Joyce Romanoff Michael Gutwaks Karen Herold Herman Miller Steelcase MillerKnoll Davis Furniture Haworth KI FURNITURE Momentum Carnegie Interface Gunlocke Okamura Christopher Stulpin Reva Revis Rob Kirkbride

Absolutely! Aqdus Saleem's home decor brand is deeply committed to giving back to the community. Here are some of the ways we get involved: 1. Local Artisans Support: We collaborate with local artisans, providing them with fair wages and opportunities to showcase their craftsmanship. This not only helps preserve traditional skills but also supports the local economy. 2. **Sustainability Initiatives**: We actively participate in tree-planting drives and other environmental conservation efforts to promote sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint. 3. **Educational Programs**: We sponsor educational programs and workshops for underprivileged children, focusing on arts and crafts to nurture their creativity and provide them with valuable skills. 4. **Charity Events**: We regularly organize and participate in charity events to raise funds for various causes, including healthcare, education, and disaster relief. These initiatives reflect our commitment to making a positive impact on the community and the environment. How do you feel about these programs? Are there any other community involvement ideas you think we should consider?

✨ New Year Prep Pro Tip for 2025 ✨ Start the year off fresh by decluttering your home! 🏡 Whether you’re tackling one drawer or an entire room, these tips make it easy to get started: ✔️ Use the 12/12/12 Rule to organize (12 items to donate, 12 to toss, 12 to put away). ✔️ Try the 20/20 Rule—if it takes less than $20 to replace and 20 minutes to retrieve, let it go. ✔️ Create a timeline and stay on track with bite-sized goals. For more decluttering strategies, check out this guide: https://loom.ly/hADajwI Which space will you start with? Let us know! 🗓️ #NewYearPrep #Declutter2025 #FreshStart

This article highlights some of the missteps that people encountered when downsizing. 1) Downsizing can be daughting and there are professionals who can assist. Better to sort everything what’s coming with you, donations, sold, trash, gifts to family and friends. 2) Try to avoid long term storage in offsite storage. The self-storage business is a $44 Billion industry with 11% of all households renting at least 1 unit per month. 3) Think about keeping an extra bedroom available for guests and family. 4) Build extra storage on site if necessary. In this article several local professionals were noted for assisting in the process. Merci Magdalena a professional organizer, whose company Great Moves sorts out a home and Lisa Tornello, an interior designer with Millroad Studio in San Anselmo, CA. #Housing #moving #realestate #downsizing #Marin #SanAnselmo #storage #SanFrancisco #WSJ

Salvaged items can be used in all sorts of projects around the home. Check out a few examples of material reuse in action from Community Forklift Fans: https://lnkd.in/e38peJWT Would you like to share Before and After photos from a creative reuse project that you’ve completed using salvaged materials from Community Forklift? Send the photos and a short description to outreach@CommunityForklift.org! #beforeandafter #upcycling #lighting #ecofriendly #nonprofit

In Chicago, DON'T HIRE A JUNK REMOVAL COMPANY for useful household items (think anything you can buy at Ikea). Instead call Chicago Furniture Bank, an amazing non-profit that benefits dozens and dozens of our fellow Chicagoans every week. The work they do is amazing and insanely important. If you need true junk removed along with still useful household items, get in touch with the Furniture Bank's junk removal company: The Honest Junk Company, LLC. They'll take it all, and then sort what's useful and recycle nearly everything else. Oh, and since they're a non-profit, most of their fees are tax deductible. https://lnkd.in/g_VeAHmH

Thinking of listing your home soon? Here are three easy upgrades that can make a BIG difference! 01 – 🛁 Kitchen & Bath Refresh These spaces catch every buyer’s eye! Consider quick updates like new fixtures or modern cabinet hardware to give them a fresh look. 02 – 🌳 Curb Appeal Clean up the yard, add a winter-friendly wreath, or even a fresh coat of paint on the front door. A warm, inviting exterior goes a long way! 03 – 💡 Energy-Efficient Touches Eco-friendly upgrades are in! A smart thermostat, LED lighting, or energy-efficient windows add value and attract eco-conscious buyers. 💬 Comment “GUIDE” and I’ll DM my comprehensive Seller’s Guide with instructions on how to successfully sell your home 👇🏾 Carla Stephens, Realtor®️ 📞713-203-9342 📧Carlastephens@remax.net 🖥️Carlastephens.remax.com “Your Expert Realtor Concierge” #texasrealestate #expert #socialmedia #purpose #motivation #growth #information #transparency #nonprofit #charities #knowledge #ethics #success #houston #entrepreneur #leadership

TOP TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME! 🏡 Decluttering is an important step to preparing your home for photos. Clutter can make rooms appear smaller and gives the impression that there's not enough storage, so a few trips to the charity shop can make a difference and really help your local charities too!  See more of our home staging tips in our blog: