Thinking it’s time to give your interior design business the attention and cohesive, one-of-a-kind look it deserves? As is the case for home design projects with your clients, branding your business is not a process to be taken half-heartedly. 

Today, we’re sitting down to discuss why it matters and the three fundamentals we recommend prioritizing when it comes to investing in brand design. 

First, let’s walk through why branding your interior design business matters in the first place.

Creating a brand can closely resemble creating a home. Both endeavors are about fashioning an experience that resonates deeply with those who encounter them. Just as well-designed personal surroundings evoke emotions, memories, and a sense of belonging, brand design seeks to elicit similar sentiments among your ideal clients. It really is about so much more than mere aesthetics. 

While having a visually appealing look for your business is a plus, here are just a few beyond-the-surface perks that come with investing in great brand design:

1. Distinguish yourself and your work from others. Interior design services continue to grow in popularity. In fact, it’s predicted that the market will attain a 79.6 billion value by 2030. More and more people are seeking out your expert eye. And with that, you’ll want to quickly (and wisely) set yourself apart when those ideal clients of yours arrive at your digital doorstep (e.g., your social pages and website). Your visual identity, tone of voice, and brand personality should genuinely be an extension of you. With more personal elements, you open the door to genuine connections, attracting those who align with and appreciate your individual style, values, and preferences. 
2. Establish trust and credibility. When you have a cohesive look and professional presence that matches your high-end services and portfolio of successful work, it showcases your level of professionalism, competence, and attention to detail. It also gives prospective clients all the more reason to fill out your inquiry form, put their trust in you, and invite you into their home to fulfill their needs and goals. 
3. Influence higher fees. The last two perks pave the way for instilling more confidence in your abilities and articulating the value you bring. That way, there’s some solid rationale behind charging more for your services. Essentially, clients will be willing to pay a premium for what you have to offer because you’ve both positioned and proven yourself to be an expert in the interior design field. With a well-crafted brand, there’s a greater chance you’ll find that when you present your fees, people aren’t surprised. You’ve shown them a great preview of your potential and that what you can do for them will be more than worth it!
4. Expand your reach and visibility. When you’re proud of the brand you’ve cultivated, you naturally become more inclined to consistently showcase your work and industry knowledge across various channels and platforms – online and offline. An aesthetically pleasing and unified visual identity makes your design projects instantly recognizable, creating a memorable impression on potential clients and industry peers alike. Whether it’s through social media posts, portfolio showcases, or collaborations with other professionals, your brand becomes a powerful tool for attracting welcome attention and generating interest in your work.

So, you’ve probably gathered already that every detail truly matters. And when done intentionally with the right team of creative service providers on your side, you can absolutely accomplish the above – from your brand identity to your website, and also your digital and print pieces. 

Now, what are the essentials to invest in when it comes to brand design services for your interior design business? 

1. Your Brand Identity

What do we mean by brand identity? It entails your logo (often logos, as us brand designers love to create variations that fit different places and uses!), colour palette, typography, and brand guidelines. Beyond what we do here at Duelle Made, it can also include your brand voice and messaging, brand photography, and any other supporting visual and verbal elements. 

This is why you’ve probably heard designers repeat this sentiment: “brand design is more than just a logo.” Clearly, your brand identity is not just about appealing aesthetics. It’s a strategic embodiment of your unique selling points – be it your innovative design philosophy and distinct style, exceptional expertise, ability to foster enduring client relationships, communication style, or deeply-held values. And when rooted in that kind of profoundly personal strategy, it becomes an experiential journey for your clients, not just a visual treat. 

A thoughtful curation of your brand elements — from your logo to your brand colour palette, and typography selections — accurately represents the distinctive features of your services. When done right, you make your brand unforgettably yours rather than centered around copy-and-paste trends. 

2. Your Website

With everything easily accessible at our fingertips, your website tends to be one of the very first points of contact with potential clients. So it’s crucial to view this piece in particular as not just a portfolio showcase but also as a comprehensive platform. It should be one that markets your services and personal characteristics (any details that are relevant to what you do and your studio’s “why”), outlines your process, and establishes your expertise.

Think of it this way — your digital home deserves to receive the same level of attention and care as the homes you design. A great website for an interior designer:

• mirrors the brand’s aesthetic for cohesive purposes,
• tells your authentic story in enough detail across your primary pages (learn more about this as it relates to search engine optimization), and
• offers a seamless user experience, easily and efficiently guiding your reader further into your website (from the Home page all the way through to the Contact page).

A subpar experience might lead to missed inquiries and thus, opportunities.

But maybe you’re hesitant because you’ve seen (or heard) the price tag associated with website design can be quite steep. Let us assure you that we’ve taken that into consideration here at Duelle Made. That’s why we prefer to offer template customization rather than completely custom website design. This means we’ll propose the best possible templates for you and your brand, which we’ll then customize to your liking.

It’s important to note, however, that your website isn’t just for your ideal clients. It should also be made to work for you! You’re most likely taking on many responsibilities and handling endless to-dos, and the plus about investing wisely in a semi-custom website is that it can save you so much time. You can use it to speak to questions you find yourself answering more times than you can count, therefore easing interactions during discovery calls and in-person consultations. Plus, you can integrate a blog, which is a great way to further position yourself as an expert, get noticed by industry publications, and level up your visibility on Google with strategically integrated keywords! 

Also, implementing tools like a client relationship management system (with our preferred platform Dubsado), client inquiry form, and a meeting scheduling tool (to save you from back-and-forth emails; Dubsado already has scheduling functionality, so you don’t have to add another platform to your list!) can help streamline your process. You’ll find it’s easier for those you serve to engage with and follow the experience you’ve designed, allowing you to spend more time doing what you do best! 

3. Your Digital and Print Collateral

If you’re offering a luxury service, you need to have a luxury experience, especially if you aspire to take your business further. Aim to exceed expectations – not just with the final outcome, but with the collaborative journey you offer. From the first consultation to the moment someone steps into their newly designed space, every interior design marketing touchpoint should be carefully crafted. 

This means physical and digital pieces of collateral associated with your brand must be viewed as an opportunity to reinforce your uniqueness and incredible capabilities. 

In terms of the online world, this could involve your email signature, studio documents and resources (like your investment guide, proposals, welcome packet, questionnaires), email templates, and social media graphics. And when it comes to connecting with potential and existing clients offline? Consider on-site signage, business cards, and tangible correspondence (like thank you cards or letterheads). 

Here are some examples of interior design marketing collateral we’ve made for brands like yours:

No matter what you choose to implement, every bit of it must exude the quality and elegance homeowners expect to receive when working with you. While that might sound like a lot of additional work to add to your already overloaded plate, when you hire a design studio like Duelle Made, we can help ensure it’s possible. 

In conclusion, branding your interior design business with a well-thought-out visual identity, an impactful website, and cohesive digital and print collateral is not just about standing out. It’s about creating a memorable, luxurious experience that resonates with your clients. 

Is it an investment? Absolutely. But remember: when YOU value your business, others will, too. By focusing on these three fundamentals of branding your interior design business, you’ll not only impress but also leave a lasting impression in the minds of those who matter most. 

If you have questions or would like to chat about working with Duelle Made to make the above possible for branding your interior design business, we invite you to fill out the inquiry form today.