Figuring out how your clients will pay you is one thing—knowing when to pay yourself is another. This week, we asked six designers—Lizette Bruckstein, Noha Hassan, Jeanne Hayes, Isabel Ladd, Rachel Moriarty and Jean Pierre Ortiz—to share the moment when they decided to start receiving a regular paycheck from their firms.
After the Boom
“I took a salary during year four. It was 2020, and business skyrocketed. My CPA restructured my business from an LLC to an S corp, and advised, per this new structure, it was time to take a salary. Prior to this, I reinvested my earnings into my business and only took draws as needed. Though I’ve been told to raise my salary as my business has grown, I still set my salary as low as my CPA advises, taking incremental draws when needed and continuing to reinvest into my business.” —Isabel Ladd, Isabel Ladd Interiors, Lexington, Kentucky
Early Adopter
“I started taking a salary very early on, even if it was modest at first. I believe that if you want clients and collaborators to take your business seriously, you have to do the same. Paying myself set the tone for professionalism, clear pricing, and long-term, sustainable growth. In the early days, I kept expenses intentionally lean. I invested only in essentials like freelance CAD support, a website and professional photography. I also worked from home for 10 years, using communal workspaces only when needed. That structure served my needs well at the time, allowing me to stay present for my young children without compromising the business. I set a realistic hourly rate for my experience and structured design fees so the scope could genuinely support the hours involved. That made it possible to pay myself and to increase my salary once project flow became more consistent after the first two years.” —Noha Hassan, Noha Hassan Designs, New York
The Big Switcheroo
“I had been in business for around six years and had three employees when it made the most sense to change from an LLC to an S corp due to the volume of business we were doing. As an S corp, I am now required to pay myself a ‘reasonable salary’ (subject to payroll taxes) that is at least on par with the other designers I employ, and take the remaining profits as distributions.” —Jeanne Hayes, Camden Grace Interiors, West Hartford, Connecticut
From the Jump
“I started taking a salary immediately. We’ve always been a two-income household, so it wasn’t optional. I had side-hustled long enough to build momentum and replace my salary as a banking officer before making the leap. Staying lean while paying myself from the start reinforced that this is a business. That mindset shaped how I priced, made decisions and approached sustainable growth from day one.” —Rachel Moriarty, Rachel Moriarty Interiors, San Diego
Fifth Anniversary
“When I started, I was working out of my home and very much figuring out what the business even was. For the first few years, it felt informal, project by project, rather than something fully structured. Around the five-year mark, I realized this wasn’t just a side pursuit or experiment anymore; it was a real, sustainable business that needed to be formalized. That’s when I incorporated, set up payroll, and became my first official employee. To be clear, I had always been taking in some money (I live in San Francisco, so that part was nonnegotiable!), but year five was when I shifted from simply earning income to making a living and intentionally building a company.” —Lizette Bruckstein, Lizette Marie Interior Design, San Francisco
Natural Progression
“We started our interior design firm in 2020, and from the beginning, we were able to generate some profit. However, before officially opening our studio, we intentionally took on a few projects for free. These were primarily for friends and family, and we saw them as valuable learning opportunities rather than unpaid work. Once we opened the studio, we began charging for our services and taking a salary, even if it wasn’t substantial at first.” —Jean Pierre Ortiz, n’Pierre Design Studio, New York and Puerto Rico
