The Business of Beautiful Spaces Podcast for Interior Designers

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In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, Laura sits down with three long-time colleagues and friends from very different industries to talk candidly about what entrepreneurship actually looks like over decades, not highlight reels.
Together, they unpack the misconceptions people have about their businesses, the pivotal career moments that changed their trajectories, and the real trade-offs behind growth, scaling, and balance. The conversation moves beyond hustle culture and into lived experience, touching on leadership, team building, motherhood, resilience, mentorship, and the power of community.
This episode is an honest, unscripted look at what it takes to build something lasting, and why success often looks quieter, messier, and more intentional than people expect.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us [email protected] or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign

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Client Relationships 101: How to Set Boundaries, Stay in Control & Create Happy Clients
Strong client relationships don’t come from being overly flexible or available 24/7. They come from clear leadership, well-defined processes, and confident boundaries.
In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, Laura breaks down exactly how interior designers can stay in control of their projects from day one without sacrificing warmth, professionalism, or client trust.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by constant client communication, unclear expectations, or decision fatigue, this episode will show you how to fix the process so your client experience feels seamless, elevated, and referral-worthy.
✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why most client issues are actually process problems
How to set the tone before the first client conversation
Why a Welcome Guide is one of the most powerful tools in your business
What to include in a “What to Expect” PDF to protect your time and energy
How to clearly define client vs. designer responsibilities
Why renovation projects require their own expectation-setting documents
How to stay in control of scheduling while still appearing flexible
The importance of weekly client check-in emails, even when nothing has changed
How limiting choices leads to better client decisions and less overwhelm
Pro-level systems that create happy clients who refer you again and again
Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us [email protected] or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign

Send us a text
In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, I sit down with Andria Cowan Molyneaux, founder and principal designer of ACM Designs, for a deeply honest conversation about what it truly takes to build a design business that lasts.
Andria is a designer who leads with integrity, intention, and quiet confidence. She’s built a respected, enduring firm grounded in exceptional client service, thoughtful design, and a commitment to lifelong learning. She’s also the current president of the Decorators & Designers Association of Canada, where she continues to champion community and professionalism within our industry.
This episode is all about resilience, not the hustle-for-the-sake-of-hustle kind, but the steady, grounded resilience that comes from experience, education, and connection. We talk about Andria’s journey into design, her specialization in aging in place, how she’s navigated decades of market shifts, and why community has played such a pivotal role in her success.
And I’ll share this openly, after we stopped recording, Andria and I stayed on the call for another hour, continuing the conversation about our businesses, shared experiences, and personal connection points. That’s the magic of community. That’s where resilience is reinforced. And it’s exactly why this podcast exists.
This is an open, thoughtful, and genuinely fun conversation, full of wisdom, perspective, and encouragement for designers at every stage of business.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us [email protected] or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign

Send us a text
In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, Laura dives into the real-world lessons behind building a profitable, sustainable interior design business—without sacrificing creativity or personal boundaries. Drawing from decades of hands-on experience, she shares candid insights into what designers often get wrong, what actually moves the needle, and how small mindset and strategy shifts can create major business breakthroughs.
Listeners will walk away with practical takeaways around decision-making, client relationships, and running a design firm with confidence and clarity. This episode is a reminder that success isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things intentionally, pricing with purpose, and designing a business that supports the life you want.
Whether you’re early in your design career or scaling an established studio, this conversation offers encouragement, clarity, and actionable wisdom to help you move forward with confidence.
A free way to support our show is by leaving it a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It’s a chance to tell us what you love about the show, and it helps other designers discover it, too.
Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us [email protected] or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign

Send us a text
In this episode of The Business of Beautiful Spaces, Laura breaks down how interior designers can begin using AI in a practical, ethical and non-intimidating way in 2026. Whether you are AI curious, quietly resistant, or already dabbling, this conversation is designed to help you see AI as a supportive team member rather than a threat to your creativity or value. AI cannot replace your intuition, your eye, or the human connection you build with clients, but it can absolutely remove the repetitive, time consuming work that keeps you out of your creative zone.
Laura walks through simple, starter level ways to introduce AI into your business right now – from drafting client emails and summarizing meetings to supporting social media content, refining website copy, organizing project communication and assisting with early concept exploration. From there, she explores more advanced strategies for designers who are ready to integrate AI deeper into their workflow, including AI assisted design development, procurement support, predictive project planning, business intelligence analytics and client style profiling. Finally, she offers a future focused look at where AI is heading in the design industry, and why designers who learn to partner with it will be able to work with more ease, clarity and profitability.
In this episode, you will learn:
How to think about AI as a tool that supports your business, not a replacement for your talent
Simple, beginner friendly ways to use AI for admin, communication, content and client support
How more advanced AI tools can streamline design development, procurement and project management
Why AI will increasingly become a core business support system while designers remain at the heart of the creative process
A free way to support the show is by leaving a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more designers discover The Business of Beautiful Spaces and step into their role as confident, profitable CEOs.
Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us [email protected] or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign