270. Client Red Flags in Interior Design: I Knew the Signs — And Took the Job Anyway

There are projects that stretch you creatively. There are projects that grow your business. And then there are projects that quietly cost you more than you realize while you're in them.

This is about one of those.

For nearly ten years, I worked with a client who, if I'm being honest, I knew was difficult from the very beginning. Not unreasonable in a glaring way. Not someone who screamed or threw things. She was particular. High maintenance. Intense. And in the early years, I convinced myself that I could manage it.

We started with decorating. We would work intensely for months, and then I wouldn't hear from her for almost a year. Throughout that time, she would tell me they were looking for their "dream home." The one we would fully renovate together. The big project.

Looking back, that may have been the carrot that kept me moving through the more frenetic moments. I believed that if I stayed steady, if I stayed patient, it would all culminate into something extraordinary.

Eventually, they found the house. It was beautiful and complicated and ver y old. It needed modernization and a large addition. It was exactly the kind of project designers dream about.

And I told myself what so many of us tell ourselves: I know her. I understand her quirks. I can handle this.

It was not fine.

So today, I want to talk about the red flags I saw — and ignored — along the way. And also the pink flags that showed up. My hope is that you'll recognize them sooner than I did and avoid this kind of client in your own business.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here:

https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/client-red-flags-in-interior-design