16 Sticky Client Situations, Solved

Interior design is an unusually personal business, often creating complicated client situations out of previously relaxed relationships. As legendary designer Angelo Donghia noted in a 1981 talk, maintaining professional boundaries is crucial; he famously treated his work as a business arrangement rather than a social one, asserting, “You would not go out and have cocktails with your doctor.”Fast-forward to the present day: Not only has technology brought an unprecedented level of accessibility and transparency to design, but designers and clients follow each other on social media, creating a heightened feeling of familiarity that leaves boundaries fuzzy. Here, designers weigh in on how to navigate the stickiest client situations.Get AD-ApprovedJoin the AD PRO Directory, our professional network that puts you in front of the right clients. Learn moreArrowMoney mattersThe Client Wants to Negotiate Your Fee“When clients ask whether I’m willing to lower my fees or increase discounts, I chuckle and then say, ‘I wish I’d gone into philanthropy, but unfortunately I chose interior design.’ Similarly, when clients ask about our markup on products, I usually smile and remind them that no one walks into a restaurant and asks what the chef paid for the fish—or into Hermès demanding the factory cost of a handbag. Humor softens the moment, but it also opens the door to an important conversation: Clients aren’t simply paying for products. They’re investing in the design and the turnkey, luxury experience that we orchestrate, including countless invisible details that make the entire experience feel seamless.” –Benjamin Johnston, Benjamin Johnston DesignThe Client’s Taste Level is Fancier Than Their Budget“I often tell clients, ‘Great design isn’t about spending the most money everywhere, it’s about spending it in the right places.’ For example, we recently worked with a client who fell in love with a number of custom pieces and bespoke finishes that pushed the budget well beyond what they planned on spending. Instead of asking them to compromise the overall vision, we helped them prioritize by investing in the pieces that would anchor the home. They realized that the rooms still felt as elevated as the original concept because the key focal points remained intact.” –Lara Lubin, Ellerslie InteriorsThe Client Doesn’t Pay Their Invoices On Time“Something that I find tricky is when a client is slow to pay their invoices. We always want to be a team player and help move the project along, but we clearly state that payments are due within 30 days of receipt of invoice. I typically will do a good cop/bad cop scenario where my bookkeeper is the bad cop and I get to remain the good one. I’ll usually email the client saying, ‘I hope you’re well. I’m writing because our bookkeeper has been bugging me about your outstanding invoices. I understand it’s easy to miss these things, but if you could help me out and send us a payment to get your balance taken care of, I’d be very appreciative. Again, I hope you’re well.’ Although we’ve had clients with proven track records go as long as six months between payments, we generally will now stop work if they go beyond two months without paying their balance in full.” —Adam Kober, Kober Design GroupThe Client Wants You to Help Them Troubleshoot Furnishings You Did Not Purchase“We’re always happy to support our clients however we can, but I’ve learned that responsibility and procurement really go hand in hand. When furnishings are purchased outside our firm, we’re still glad to assist with condition reports, damages, or return coordination—but because those items fall outside our purchasing and tracking systems, we bill those efforts separately on an hourly basis.” –JohnstonThe Client Cancels a Project You’ve Already Started Working On“Rarely, but occasionally, a client cancels a project after we’ve put in significant design time. When they do, we stand by our standard practice—written into our contracts—that the design fee is nonrefundable. We explain that this is because the funds immediately went toward securing a spot on our calendar, and our team’s design work has already been put into motion. That said, there was one occasion where we made an exception for the sake of preserving the relationship. A client’s plans unexpectedly changed after I had already invested time and work into the design, but I chose to return the deposit. I told her I trusted that we’d work together again when the time was right. She was grateful and said we’d be working together for years to come. That’s the kind of trust you can’t put a price on, and why it’s important to consider the long-term relationship.” —Betsy Wentz, Betsy Wentz Interior DesignNavigating couple dynamicsThe Clients Are a Couple Who Cannot Agree on What They Want“The key is to address problems early and focus on solutions rather than blame. It’s the designer’s job to help find common ground. Ask for the clients’ nonnegotiables and come up with a way to blend both requests. For instance, if a husband insists on comfort and must have a recliner, while the wife finds recliners bulky and unsightly, it’s the designer’s challenge to find a solution, like offering an attractive, streamlined version. Or maybe one partner insists on a ceiling fan in the bedroom, while the other wants a chandelier—there are ways to compromise there, such as placing a fan in the corners of the room and still having a central chandelier, or putting in the ceiling fan but adding beautiful lamp lighting. You want to protect the relationship while also protecting the project.” —Jenna Miller, Robin Rains Interior DesignThe Clients Are a Couple With Conflicting Aesthetics“I try to avoid taking sides on matters of taste—because you simply can’t win. Instead, position yourself as an advocate for their investment and let design principles do the heavy lifting. Don’t get pulled into ‘Is the floral sofa ugly?’ territory. Keep it grounded, like, ‘We’re choosing the floral because it plays off the stripes and solids you already have and contributes to that joyful, light feeling you’re after. So let’s figure out how to make it something you both love—maybe we tweak the background color.’ Design principles are excellent neutral ground and they are your area of authority. After all, that’s why they hired you and not just anyone with an opinion.” —Anne McDonald, Anne McDonald DesignThe Clients Are Bickering Constantly and Attacking Each Other In Front of You“When clients are butting heads or outright insulting each other, remind yourself that you are not their marriage counselor. Don’t acknowledge the sniping or the tension during your meetings—just don’t go there! The best thing you can do is stay neutral and position yourself as an advocate for the budget, the timeline, and the overall vision. The more you can maintain a calm, steady leadership role and resist taking sides (no matter how tempting!), the easier it is to keep the project moving forward.” –McDonaldCommitment issuesThe Client Is Afraid to Green-Light Procurement“At the start of every project, we create what we call a ‘feeling booklet,’ a curated look book with imagery for every space that the client approves before we ever discuss budget. Having that booklet on hand is everything when, almost inevitably, clients pump the brakes right before we begin purchasing. It happens on almost every project, because they’re crossing from the intangible world of concepts and renderings into the very tangible reality of spending money. So in those moments, the booklet gives us something concrete to return to.” —Karen Asprea, Asprea StudioThe Client Keeps Hitting Pause“One recurring piece of client drama is the classic pause-and-resume pattern. In our earlier days, we’d often say yes to pauses in the spirit of good customer service. The problem was, the call to resume would almost always arrive at the worst possible moment! Now we implement a monthly retainer that runs from contract signing to install. It has helped tremendously to keep projects moving and encourage decisiveness.” –Ashton Taylor Oberhauser, Ashton Taylor InteriorsThe Client Cross-References Your Work With AI“The biggest threat to great design isn’t bad taste—it’s infinite options. AI is a valuable tool, and I encourage clients to use it if they are curious, but it gives them access to an endless stream of alternatives, making every decision feel temporary and every choice open to reconsideration. I explain to clients that AI doesn’t appreciate their priorities or the hundreds of interconnected decisions that shape their lifestyle. My job isn’t to compete with AI, instead it’s to bring experience and judgment.” —Duan Tran, KAA Design GroupThe Client Declines To Remedy Even The Most Obvious Problems“Often clients need to be educated about their home and its hidden issues. They often believe against all evidence that their project only needs a touch up, even when you can see that they need to invest in an overhaul. Sometimes they're just in denial or they don’t fully understand the underlying issues. This happened to us recently with a client who was looking for a decorative refresh, despite having windows that were clearly rotting and leaking. I confirmed the issues with a contractor and then I took the time to come up with three different layouts. Despite their initial refusal for a remodel, the clients were thrilled with the options and actually ended up choosing a full expansion of the home. Sometimes you have to take a risk, spending your own time to show the client your vision.” —Jess Cooney, Jess Cooney InteriorsThe Client Tries to Redesign By Committee“When you start working with a new client, it’s helpful to get clarity from them about who will be the key decision maker and why they hired a designer. This way, when you get into tricky situations or moments of doubt, you can harken back to the reason they hired you. I had a client building a new home who had no design experience and was still emotionally tied to their previous home. After months of reviewing inspiration images, architecture plans, and visiting showrooms, they finally made some decisions. After what I thought was a successful four-hour design meeting on a Friday afternoon, they spent the weekend consulting Chat GPT, Reddit, their friend who likes paint colors, and their uncle who is a retired plumber. I realized I wasn’t working with two decision makers, I was working with a committee! I reminded them of our months of work and meetings, and asked if they would ‘prefer to work with their network on the design instead’—because if they didn’t trust me, then the relationship was never going to work. They decided to stay the course but it became a learning for me about setting stronger boundaries around the scope of work.” —Sarah Storms, Styled by StormsDelicate dynamicsThe Client Keeps Emailing And Texting For Advice Long After The Project Is Complete“The most important design tool is boundaries. Knowing when to hold the line, when to bend, and when to walk away is what separates a sustainable practice from a stressful one. I once told a client at the end of a project, ‘My door is always open for questions.’ Two years later he was still texting me paint colors for rooms I’d never seen. It was my fault! Now I close every project with a handoff call and a clear boundary: Ongoing advice is a new engagement. Kindness without structure isn’t generosity, it’s a slow bleed.” —Joe Carline, Kligerman Architecture & DesignThe Client Wants You To Copy What You Did On Another Client’s Project“We always remind clients that our goal isn’t to recreate a previous project—we’ve already done that project. The most rewarding homes for us and for the client are the ones that could only belong to the people living in them. While clients may be drawn to a particular room or detail from a previous project, we see that as a starting point for a conversation about what resonates with them and why. Our goal is to uncover something more personal than a reference image. It’s what makes our projects so special and deeply personalized to the client.” —Ashley Nath, Studio Director, Interiors at Marmol RadzinerThe Client Needs Face Time With the Principal Designer“Even with a strong team behind me, there are moments when clients need to see me. Running this business means I’m ultimately responsible, and I take that seriously. I don’t expect anyone on my team to juggle the same load I do, but I do believe in stepping in for the important moments—looking someone in the eye when they can’t make a decision, showing up at a delivery, making sure they feel taken care of if they’re facing a problem. That personal touch is what separates a good experience from a great one. It’s like dining at a high-end restaurant: If you’re investing in the experience, you expect attentive service. If no one’s filling your water glass, it changes everything. No matter how beautiful the work is, people remember how they were treated. And that’s a line I’m careful never to lose sight of.” —Wentz