Things happen. Life gets in the way, and for one reason or another, a client may need to put a project on hold. This week, we asked four designers—Ariella Duker, Ashley Ferguson, Corbin See and Aileen Warren—how they manage a stalled project.
Start Fresh
“Pauses can wreak havoc on cash flow, scheduling and pace-setting—especially when a client returns ‘raring to go’ after months or even years away, right as I’ve allocated that time to new work. Two things have helped. First, I structure my design fee as monthly progress payments, so my time is covered up to the point of pause rather than tied to project milestones that stall along with the client. Second, I set expectations upfront: An extended pause triggers a new design agreement. Time away almost always brings a period of reflection and budget reconsideration, which invariably changes the scope—and once momentum is lost, restarting genuinely takes the effort of a new project, not a resumed one.” —Ariella Duker, Ariella Duker Interiors, New York
Hourly Comes In Handy
“It honestly doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, we keep it pretty straightforward. We bill for the time that’s been spent and any products that have already been ordered or installed, then we simply pause the project. One advantage of our billing structure is that we don’t charge a flat fee, so there’s no complicated recalculating. When the client is ready to move forward again, we’re ready to jump back in right where we left off.” —Aileen Warren, Jackson Warren Interiors, Houston and Fairhope, Alabama
Trust and Understanding
“We’ve learned that flexibility builds trust. Sometimes a project needs to pause, and we want our clients to feel like we’re partners, not adversaries. It’s important to be transparent about how a delay may affect timelines, vendor availability, or pricing, while making it clear we’re ready to pick things back up when the timing is right. A paused project doesn’t necessarily mean a failed project. Some of our most successful homes have simply taken a little longer to reach the finish line, and our goal is to make sure the design vision remains intact when they do.” —Ashley Ferguson, Ashley Ferguson Interiors, Austin
Assess Next Steps
“First, we try to understand whether the pause is truly temporary or whether the project has fundamentally changed. Then we document exactly where the work stands, what has been approved, what remains unresolved, and what will be required to restart. We also make it clear that a pause affects staffing and schedule. We cannot necessarily hold the same team or immediately resume the project at the same pace months later. When the client is ready to restart, we reassess the scope, timeline, fees and current conditions before moving forward. A pause should be handled professionally, but it should not leave the design firm carrying the cost or uncertainty indefinitely.” —Corbin See, Sees Design, Dallas and Oklahoma City
