Hi there, designer đź‘‹
I just wrapped up a very big milestone in my studio this week.
For the past three months, I’ve been working on the design development for a 6,000 sq. ft. home renovation.
It was a very detailed process that included everything from layouts, 3Ds and elevations to materials, millwork, and overall design direction for the home.
In total, the design presentation phase alone lasted about 10 weeks.
After that, I spent another two weeks producing the full design documentation set - the drawings and information that now go to the architect so they can finalize the construction drawings.
It’s a big moment in any project.
Because once those drawings are issued, the project begins moving into the next phase.
But something interesting happened during this process that reminded me of a lesson I learned from one of the architects I collaborate with.
He’s been in practice for nearly 38 years.
And he shared a simple rule with me that completely changed how I structure my own projects.
He told me:
“I never release the final drawings until the final payment has been received.”
At the time, it seemed like such a small operational detail.
But over the years I’ve realized it’s actually a very important boundary in professional practice.
Because the moment you release the final design documentation, you’ve essentially delivered the full intellectual work of the project.
Before I release the complete design set - which includes all of the drawings and documentation we’ve spent months developing - I request the remaining balance for the design phase.
Once that payment is received, I issue the full design package and we move forward.
After that, the project transitions into the procurement phase, which is an entirely separate stage of work.
That’s where sourcing begins. Furniture. Lighting. Custom pieces.
And for many design studios, this is where another important layer of revenue is created within a project.
It’s a structure that took me years to fully understand and implement in my own business.
But moments like this week remind me why those systems matter so much.
Because when the final payment came through from this project, I had a moment where I honestly had to pause.
The amount I earned from this design phase alone was equal to what I once made working an entire year at a traditional design firm.
And I’ll admit - I almost wanted to cry a little.
Not because of the number itself. But because it represents years of learning.
And most importantly…
Years of simply not giving up on myself or the vision I had for my career.
If you’re earlier in your journey as a designer, I want you to know that these kinds of moments don’t happen overnight.
They’re built slowly - project by project, skill by skill, decision by decision.
But they do happen.
And they’re often the result of the quiet work most people never see.
Just a little reflection from my studio this week.
See you next week, designer 🤍
Ana 🌸
Interior Design Den
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