5 Essential Steps to Grow Your Interior Design Business in 2025
In 2025, the interior design industry is entering a pivotal era. Clients expect high-touch service with high-tech visibility. The designers who thrive will be those who evolve from personal brand to legacy business—those who lead conversations, rather than chase them.
This isn’t about following trends—it’s about strategically positioning your business to grow, attract premium clients, and scale with purpose. Here’s how to do just that.
Step 1 : Redefine Your Brand for the Legacy Era
The most successful designers today aren't just known for their taste—they're known for their positioning. A 2025-ready brand speaks not only to style but to story, values, and a clear market niche.
Checklist:
Does your website reflect your most profitable services?
Is your portfolio curated for your ideal client—not just a highlight reel?
Are you clearly positioned as more than a personal brand?
Tool:
Run a quarterly Brand Visibility Audit (or have your PR team conduct one). This should cover messaging, SEO keywords, and media presence.
Mini-Case Study:
A nationally recognized architecture firm owner partnered with ADP to reposition her brand through a tailored brand strategy and PR rollout. The result? Increased editorial placements in Veranda and House Beautiful, plus a refreshed narrative that spoke to luxury decision-makers.
Step 2: Systemize High-Value Client Acquisition
Referral-only business is a legacy killer in 2025. High-net-worth clients are researching online, vetting through press coverage, and scanning social media—even if they don’t engage directly.
Checklist:
Do you have high-res project photography ready for pitching?
Are your projects visible across multiple platforms (online + print)?
Is there a defined pipeline that supports new inquiries?
Tool:
Use a CRM (like HubSpot) to track inquiries, project value, and referral sources. Integrate with your PR and social media strategy to align outreach efforts.
Mini-Case Study:
A prospective ADP client had built a strong business purely on word-of-mouth but hit a ceiling. After implementing ADP’s PR + social alignment program, she expanded visibility beyond referrals, reaching new clientele while preparing to launch a design product line.
Step 3: Get Strategic About Press Features
Design coverage in 2025 is more competitive—and more segmented—than ever. From long-form editorial to trade-specific blogs, the media landscape requires targeted, layered storytelling.
Checklist:
Do you pitch brand, projects, and founder stories across different angles?
Are you aligned with editorial calendars and trend cycles?
Do you know which publications reach your true target client?
Tool:
Map your projects to editorial themes using a quarterly PR calendar. This allows for strategic pitching, rather than reactive requests.
Mini-Case Study:
After years of feeling stalled with a generalist PR firm, a designer based in the Southeastern United States saw zero ROI from publication exposure. By realigning with ADP’s four-pillar PR strategy—including paid speaking slots—she began monetizing visibility and establishing new revenue streams.
Step 4: Monetize Beyond Service
Product lines, brand partnerships, digital assets—today’s most profitable designers aren’t just billing for hours. They’re building scalable ecosystems.
Checklist:
Do you have unique products, collections, or IP worth showcasing?
Is your brand positioned to support licensing or e-commerce?
Have you validated audience interest before investing?
Tool:
Pilot an “interest-first” landing page for your collection. Capture emails and measure intent before production. Pair this with PR placements in design trend roundups and founder spotlights.
Step 5: Own a Thought Leadership Niche
In a saturated market, thought leadership creates demand. Not by shouting, but by showing up consistently in the right rooms—on stages, in podcasts, and as the quoted expert in major media outlets.
Checklist:
Have you pitched yourself for panels or podcasts this quarter?
Are you posting original POVs to LinkedIn or Substack?
Does your bio reflect your credentials, accolades, and authority?
Tool:
Have your PR team pitch you for upcoming trend pieces and design summits. Maintain an updated media kit that includes headshots, past features, and talking points.
Mini-Case Study:
One of our social media clients leveraged ADP’s founder-pitching pillar to secure podcast features and award nominations that reinforced her status as a luxury-market insider.
You’ve Built the Business. Now Build the Legacy.
Each of these steps moves you from just being “in the room” to owning the room.
If your goal for 2025 is sustainable growth, prestige-level visibility, and a brand that transcends the founder—you need a guide who’s been there before.
Let’s make your next chapter your most recognized.
→ Book a Growth Consult to identify your next best step.