Episode 96: Hand Sketches, Classic Style, and Teamwork with Alisha Taylor Interiors
Brought to you by Pella Windows & Doors
Today Brad speaks with Alisha Taylor, an interior designer based in Scottsdale, AZ. She has been running her design studio in Arizona for almost 20 years and has been recognized for her award-winning designs locally and nationally.
Listen in as Alisha gives her thoughts on educating and setting expectations with clients. She explains why embracing the role of interior designer as facilitator is more important today than at any other time due to changes in the industry brought on by the turbulent circumstances of the last year-and-a-half. She and Brad unpack the reality that “there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap bid.”
Alisha then speaks on the importance of hiring the right designer no matter how “clear” the client’s vision of their dream home is. She describes how she conducts her first presentation of the proposed space to a client and why she always starts with the kitchen first and the master bath second.
She covers communication and dynamics with the client, the builder, the architect, and vendors throughout the project. She touches on her strategies to keep both her team and the client on-track from the initial meeting through to completion.
Finally, Alisha talks marketing and SEO, as well as finding and forming long-term relationships with vendors.
Topics Discussed:
[02:06] Alisha’s biggest challenge at the moment
[07:55] Educating clients so that they go with the most effective builder rather than the cheapest
[11:14] Meeting the client’s vision while staying within realistic parameters
[19:16] The value of doing hand sketches
[23:05] How Alisha starts “touring” clients through the space in her initial design
[26:48] Guiding clients to buy into the manufacturers you recommend to them
[32:14] How soon and how closely Alisha works with her architect in the early stages
[34:11] Alisha’s most successful project so far
[37:38] The client is part of the team
[38:54] Alisha’s ideal client
[45:15] Alisha’s personal aesthetic
[49:11] How Alisha finds her clients online
[56:39] Navigating the chaos of today’s supply chain
[59:05] Building relationships with cabinet, tile companies, and other vendors
[01:01:58] Alisha’s advice to young/new designers
Key Quotes from Episode:
The perfect client understands that there’s no set number sometimes when we get started, and that they’re hiring a team—not a number or a bid.
A home is much more than just tile, cabinetry, and drywall. It is a feeling. It should be felt. It should be experienced. It is where our clients relax at the end of the day. It is where they’re going to create family memories.
We keep talking about the ideal team, meaning “professionals”; but, I tell the client they’re on the team, too, because they are such an important piece, and they bring something to the table. It allows them to take ownership and responsibility to work great with everyone and to communicate.
Systems is key. The caliber and size of the projects we do aren’t possible without great systems.
