How I Went From Budget Clients to Selling $300-a-Yard Fabric

When I first started my own interior design business, I wanted to create the kind of elevated, custom spaces I had worked on earlier in my career.

But there was a problem.

I kept sourcing for budget clients.

I’d find the cheaper fabric. Swap the custom piece for something retail. Pull back on the hardware. And little by little, the original design would get watered down.

Meanwhile, I was wondering why I wasn’t getting to do the kind of work I actually wanted to do.

In this episode of Resilient by Design, I’m sharing how I went from sourcing $20-a-yard fabrics to confidently presenting fabrics that cost $300 a yard and more.

And no, it didn’t happen because I suddenly found a magical pool of wealthy clients.

I had to change the way I thought about money, the way I set client expectations, the way I presented my designs, and even the way I talked about the products I was recommending.

I’m breaking down some of the practical shifts that helped me get there, including why knowing your numbers matters so much, how I started introducing “stretch” pieces into presentations, why I stopped giving clients endless options, and how I learned to get more comfortable hearing no.

Because if you want to create higher-end work, at some point you have to actually start presenting higher-end work.

Episode Highlights

The sticker shock I experienced early in my design career
How I accidentally kept myself stuck in the budget-client cycle
Why unrealistic budgets can water down your best design ideas
How knowing your numbers changes your discovery calls
Why I started presenting clients with a total room investment
How to introduce higher-end products without completely overwhelming your client
Why I believe designers give clients too many choices
The importance of having a backup without leading with the backup
How emotion influences what clients are willing to invest in
Why getting a “no” isn’t necessarily a sign that you should stop pushing

If you’ve been thinking, “My clients would never pay for that,” this episode may challenge you to ask a different question:

Have you ever confidently given them the opportunity to say yes?

Episode Resources

FREE WORKSHOP: 3 Mistakes Standing Between You & The Full-Service Design Business Of Your Dreams

Ready to move beyond budget-conscious clients and start booking better-fit, bigger-budget projects?

Join Rebecca for this free workshop where she breaks down the common mistakes that can keep designers from building the full-service business they actually want.

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This episode is sponsored by Programa.

Programa is project management software built specifically for interior designers. It’s designed to save you hours every week and reduce the errors that come from managing projects across scattered documents and systems.

Use code RBD25 for 25% off annual Programa plans. Click to learn more.

September 22, 2026

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