Business of Home

Spring 2023 | Issue 27

Future-proofing your business doesn’t matter one bit if you haven’t built a business that makes you feel good. With that in mind, we’re unpacking the latest research and advice to help designers reclaim their inspiration, restore their energy and release stress; beat burnout and boost morale among their staff; and help clients feel their best at home. Here’s a guide to making thoughtful choices—for your clients, your team and yourself.

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Features

The designer’s guide to wellness at work

Being many things to many people may put designers at risk of putting themselves last. Here’s how to cultivate practices that nourish your mental health on and off the clock.

BY Hannah Hickok

7 designers on how to stay creative and prioritize mental wellness

Your clients deserve a healthy home. Here’s how to give it to them

By leveraging the latest research and technology, designers can create healthier spaces for clients.

BY Hannah Hickok

7 designers on how to create a healthier home for clients

Why this designer believes in the power of small gestures to keep her staff happy

For Tracy Morris, building a team means treating her employees the way she wants to be treated in the workplace. That means taking a flexible approach to working hours—but as the McLean, Virginia–based designer describes, it’s also about paying attention to the details and making sure everyone feels acknowledged for a job well done.

BY Kaitlin Petersen

How this designer balances team bonding with constructive feedback

For several years, Corey Damen Jenkins maintained two offices—one in Michigan and another in New York. As he prepared to shutter his firm’s Midwest outpost amid the pandemic, he sought to establish a supportive physical and emotional space for his team.

BY Kaitlin Petersen

Why this designer tapped a business coach for her entire team

After years of hustling to grow her business, Rachel Nelson realized she needed to make a change. The Detroit-based designer got serious about her own professional reset with the help of a coach—then tapped that same coach to work with her team. The goal? A work environment that puts mental health first.

BY Kaitlin Petersen

How this designer settled on the right amount of time off for her team

Bay Area designer Noz Nozawa despised the corporate culture she encountered early in her career—inflexibility, an always-on-call mentality, or simple indignities like having to ask for permission to go to the doctor. As her team has grown, Nozawa has developed her firm’s values around the inalienable right to take a break.

BY Kaitlin Petersen

Design Dispatch

meet the makers

From pet accessories to swimming pools, this color-obsessed designer is dreaming big

For Alex Proba, unfamiliar mediums and unexpected collaborations have paved the way for a portfolio that knows no bounds.

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3 designers share their can’t-miss decor details

Finding a special new piece is always a thrill, but repurposing and reinventing a worthy design in fresh ways brings another kind of creative joy. Three designers dish on the styles they keep in their back pockets.

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How hiring a virtual assistant eased this designer’s workload

When Connecticut designer Mandy Riggar wanted to ease her day-to-day workload without the risk and responsibility of a full-time employee, she found success outsourcing tasks like procurement and renderings to qualified virtual assistants.