A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today with Liz Lidgett:

Art is one of the most overlooked ways designers can elevate a project and expand their own margin, and most designers are sourcing it the hard way.

In this episode, LuAnn sits down with Liz Lidgett, gallerist, art advisor, and author, to talk about what actually happens on the business side of a gallery, and how designers can work with one the smart way. Liz breaks down how trade programs are structured, what questions to ask before you trust a gallery with a client's project, and the hidden costs that can quietly eat into a client's budget if you don't ask about them upfront.

This conversation reframes art sourcing from a task you dread to a part of the business you can actually profit from, as long as you understand the math and let the expert do the sourcing.

What you'll learn:

How gallery trade programs are typically structured, and why the discount should come from the gallery's side, not a markup on the client's price

The exact questions to ask before you send a gallery your first project, references, national versus local reach, artist roster and aesthetic fit

The hidden costs in art sourcing that catch designers off guard, framing, installation, shipping

Why a 15 to 20 percent commission changes how much of your own time should go into sourcing

How to let a gallery's expertise work for you instead of spending hours playing curator yourself

More About Liz Lidgett:

Liz Lidgett is an art advisor, author and gallery owner. As founder of Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design, she works with people to find the perfect piece of art for their style, space, and budget. Representing over 75 artists from around the world, she has a passion for making the art world accessible. Her book, Art for Everyone, will be published by Simon Element (Simon and Schuester) on April 21, 2026. Liz has also been a contributor for many national publications, working with brands like Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, and Apartment Therapy. She lives in Des Moines, IA, with her husband, Nick Renkoski, their children, Rocky and Effie, and their ever-expanding art collection.

Connect with Liz Lidgett:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources Mentioned:

Liz’s Book: Art For Everyone

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 1182: Sponsored Show: Studio Kasa, How to Source Art That Elevates Your Projects and Increases Your Profit

Today with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario:

Being a great interior designer and being a great CEO are not the same skill set, and Kathleen Reynolds and Lauren Vallario both learned that the hard way. Kathleen has run Kathleen Reynolds Interiors in Greenville, South Carolina for eighteen years. Lauren has run Lauren Vallario Designs in Stamford, Connecticut for over ten. Both built real, busy firms. Neither one had actually learned how to run a business until they got coaching.

Kathleen carried a bad feeling about one client for nine months, calling it "the client that will not be named" in her own office, before a single five-minute phone call resolved what nine months of worry never could. Lauren was pricing every flat fee project based on nothing, her words, until a simple tool gave her what she calls confidence on paper. Nine months later, she landed the biggest design fee of her career.

Both women are actual clients of business coach Nancy Quinn, and what they share in this conversation is their own experience, not a pitch for her program.

This episode is about the specific moment every designer eventually hits, when the talent that built the business isn't the same thing that runs it, and what it actually takes to close that gap.

More About Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario:

Kathleen Reynolds is the founder of Kathleen Reynolds Interiors, a full-service interior design firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, now celebrating 18 years in business, handling everything from furnishings and styling to large-scale construction projects. Her team of four takes an organized, personality-driven approach to each client's home. Their motto: your home, uniquely yours. Kathleen opened her own studio in 2008 to bring an organized, streamlined approach to a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming, and that mission hasn't changed since. As a mom of four herself, she knows what it takes to manage a lot of moving pieces at once, which is exactly the energy she brings to every client's project.

Lauren Vallario:

The most rewarding part of the job for Lauren is knowing her clients live better and love their homes! Lauren steps in as the calm, friendly, knowledgeable, and collaborative Interior Designer ready to take the overwhelm of the design process off your plate entirely as she creates liveable luxury.

With a systematic and creative approach (she’s got a spreadsheet for just about everything!), Lauren will help bring your vision into reality while handling all the details. Her clients love being a part of the process as the design comes together with floor plans, elevations, 3D renderings, mood boards, and flawless execution.

Based in Stamford, CT, Lauren Vallario Designs was established in 2013 and provides Bathroom and Kitchen Design to clients located in New York and Connecticut.

Connect with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario and Nancy Quinn:

Kathleen’s Website: kathleenreynoldsinteriors.com

Kathleen’s Instagram: @kathleenreynoldsinteriors

Lauren’s Website: https://laurenvallariodesigns.com/

Lauren’s Instagram: @laurenvallario.designs

Lauren’s Docuseries:

Episode 1



Episode 2



Episode 3

Nancy Quinn on Boardroom for Creatives: https://boardroomforcreatives.com/board-member/nancy-quinn/

Profit Insiders Academy: https://profitinsiderscoaching.com/profit-insiders-academy/

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources Mentioned:

This podcast supports the Savvy Giving Design Coalition. Learn more about it here!

AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project

AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design

Nancy Quinn on Boardroom for Creatives

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 15 Nancy Ganzekaufer- Niche is Rich

Episode 159 Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – How To Get Confident & Clear on What You Offer

Episode 256 Nancy Ganzekaufer- A Powerful Strategy to Attract More Clients

Episode 389Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: The Interior Design Profit Formula

Episode 783Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders for Interior Designers

Episode 841Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders For Interior Designers Group Coaching + Mastermind

Episode 869Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders – How Interior Designers Can Price Themselves Right

Episode 935Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders Academy: Marketing Lessons From Taylor Swift’s Playbook

Episode 37Lesley Myrick – Strategies I Used to Build My Business

Episode 584Lesley Myrick: Building a Business From the Ground Up, Again

Episode 766Lesley Myrick: Offering Interior Design Without Procurement

Episode 972Power Talk Friday: Lesley Myrick: Profit Insiders: How Interior Designers Can Leverage Local Marketing

Today with Megan Reilly:

Today with Megan Reilly, co-founder and owner of WestEdge Design Fair, LuAnn dives into why designers at every level should stop treating trade shows as shopping trips and start using them as real business development tools. Megan has spent her career on every side of the industry event world, from the Merchandise Mart to Marketing Director of NeoCon and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, to launching her own show on the West Coast in 2013, and she and LuAnn get into how to build relationships with brands that actually go somewhere, the roles beyond "attendee" most designers don't realize they can ask for, and a story about a show-floor connection that turned into an entirely new industry organization. Whether you're brand new to the business or twenty years in, this conversation will change how you show up at your next event.

More About Megan Reilly:

Megan Reilly is the co-founder and owner of WestEdge Design Fair.

Having produced some of the most important events within the design industry, including the Architectural Digest Design Show and NeoCon, Megan relocated to the West Coast from New York City to launch WestEdge Design Fair in 2013.

She has extensive experience in brand activations, event management, marketing, programming, project management and public relations. She also covers design and travel for VENÜ Magazine.

Ah Ha Moments with Megan Reilly:

“Reach gets you seen, but a room gets you remembered." - Megan

"What's your gap right now? And maybe don't just attend a trade show or a conference and hope it comes into your path, but see how you can manufacture getting that information during that visit, right?" - LuAnn

Connect with Megan Reilly:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Episode 1116: NEW SHOW: Juliana Ewer: How Networking and Volunteerism Can be the Biggest Return on Investment for your Business and Your Heart

Today with Camia Brown:

In the space of about a year and a half, Camia Brown lost her grandmother, lost her mother, lost a contractor she relied on for most of her projects to suicide, and went through the end of a relationship she thought was headed toward marriage. At the time, she had 15 active projects running, an office, and a team of four. This wasn't a business on the back burner. It was live, growing, and it didn't pause for any of what she was carrying.

Camia Brown built Camia Brown Interiors on craftsmanship, culture, and the belief that a home should tell the story of the people living in it. A background in construction and design, a degree in Spanish, time living in Spain, and design work through Habitat for Humanity and in Costa Rica all shaped how she approaches a project. None of that prepared her for what came next.

This conversation isn't about how she pushed through it, because she didn't. It's about what it actually looked like to keep a live, active business running through the hardest season of her life, why she stopped trying to hit anyone else's timeline for getting back to normal, and what she learned about her own capacity in the process.

If you're in a hard season right now, this episode is for you. And if you want more conversations on what resilience actually looks like in business, go back and listen to our Overheard episode with Antonio Deloatch Jr., Sandra Funk, and Robin Burrill

More About Camia Brown:

At Camia Brown Interiors, we believe that design is more than just aesthetics—it's a reflection of who we are and how we interact with the world. Our founder, Camia Brown, brings a unique perspective to interior design, blending her background in construction and design with a deep appreciation for culture and history.

With a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, including time living in Spain that also shapes her view, Camia's approach to design is both innovative and rooted in tradition. Her experiences working with Habitat for Humanity and providing design services in Costa Rica have shaped her into a designer who values craftsmanship, authenticity, and cultural diversity.

At Camia Brown Interiors, we see each project as an opportunity to tell a story—a story that reflects the personality and lifestyle of our clients. We believe in creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional, incorporating elements of surprise and delight that make each project unique.

Our design philosophy is simple: we believe that good design should enhance the lives of those who experience it. Whether we're working on a residential or commercial project, our goal is always the same—to create spaces that are as practical as they are beautiful, as timeless as they are innovative.

Through our work, we strive to create spaces that inspire, uplift, and ultimately, bring joy to those who inhabit them. We invite you to explore our portfolio and discover the world of possibilities that await when you choose Camia Brown Interiors.

Connect with Camia Brown:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 1010: Overheard: Developing Resilience in Interior Design Business Leadership with Antonio Deloatch Jr, Sandra Funk and Robin Burrill

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

Somewhere on a coaching call this week, a designer told LuAnn the same story she hears constantly: her client is insisting on seeing the invoice, certain she's entitled to know what that ten thousand dollar sofa actually cost. It feels reasonable in the moment. It isn't, and in this episode LuAnn walks through exactly why, using the same standard your clients already apply to a restaurant, and to a national retailer like Restoration Hardware, without ever questioning it once.

From there, the episode moves into the number most firms get wrong without realizing it. A 35 percent markup, the default for most of this industry, doesn't produce a 35 percent margin. It produces something closer to 26 percent, and that gap is quietly the difference between a business that pays you and one that just keeps you busy. LuAnn backs the target margin up with real, named sources, not opinion, including CPA Greg Crabtree's philosophy that gross margin, not revenue, is the true top line of a business.

She also breaks down what she calls the checkbook lie: why a healthy-looking bank balance in a growing firm can quietly mask a business that isn't actually profitable, and why that problem gets easier to hide the bigger a firm gets, not harder.

The episode closes with two concrete action steps: the exact math to run on your own last project, and how to start consolidating your vendor relationships to command real trade pricing instead of scattered discounts that never add up to a healthy margin.

For the full formula breakdown behind markup versus margin, go back and listen to Episode 279⁠⁠: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup⁠

Have a Question for WWLD?

Head to: ⁠luannigara.com/WWLD⁠

Submit your question and it might be featured in an upcoming episode.

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Other Shows Mentioned

Episode 279: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup