Work life balance isn’t a myth.

It’s not perfect, it’s not static, and it’s certainly not a finish line you cross once and never think about again. But you can build a rhythm that works – even if it’s not perfectly balanced all the time.

And if you’ve been in this field for more than five minutes, you already know something most people don’t: interior design is deeply personal work. It demands creativity, leadership, emotional intelligence, patience, logistics, planning and, sometimes, nerves of steel.

Especially when you offer more comprehensive services, like construction project management, where your role goes far beyond your typical interior design tasks.

That level of responsibility comes with a cost if you’re not careful. And after mentoring hundreds of designers, here’s what I can tell you with absolute certainty:

You cannot build a profitable, sustainable, ethical design business if you’re burned out.

This pillar page is your guide to building something steadier – something that supports your life, not consumes it. It’s meant for designers who want longevity, boundaries, confidence, and a business that truly aligns with their vision.

Let’s dive in.

Why Work Life Balance Matters in a Modern Interior Design Business

Interior design is one of the few professions where creativity, client service, and construction timelines all collide. And when they do, it’s easy to feel like you’re always running, always juggling, always “on.”

Let me be clear from the start. Work life balance is possible, but it’s never perfected.

It shifts season to season, project to project, life stage to life stage. Or, come to think of it, no two days are exactly the same.

Feeling out of balance doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It means you’re human.

The goal is awareness, not perfection. Use that awareness to build systems that support you before you hit the point of overwhelm.

Knowing Your Why: The Anchor That Keeps You Grounded

It’s inevitable. You will face moments when everything feels like it’s needed sooner than possible.

This is where your why matters.

Your “why” is what keeps you steady when fatigue sets in. It’s what helps you stay the course when the chaos of construction tries to pull you in every direction.

Your why becomes the lens you use for:

• Which projects you take
  
• Which clients you say yes to
  
• How you structure your time
  
• How you protect your calendar
  
• And how you show up on the jobsite

When you know the purpose behind your business (not the trendy version, but your honest one), you make decisions that support not just revenue, but the lifestyle you desire.

Especially since prioritizing just your income can only work short term. There will always be a ‘reality check’ moment, so it’s better to avoid this mistake from the very beginning.

This is the foundation of true work life balance.

How to Plan Ahead to Avoid Overwhelm as an Interior Designer

Overwhelm is a system problem, not a character flaw.

Most designers feel overwhelmed not because they lack talent or discipline, but because the work keeps expanding while their calendar stays the same size.

Planning ahead is how you stay grounded.

Plan your workload like a CEO, not a creative in reaction mode.

Here’s how:

• Build a capacity plan for how many active projects you can handle at one time.
  
• Work backward from install days, lead times, and construction schedules.
  
• Schedule your time off before clients book your year for you.
  
• Coordinate breaks with your contractors, subcontractors, and vendors.
  
• Add buffers. You will always need them.
  

And most importantly:

Protect your calendar. Protect it like a business asset, because it is one.

The cost of overcommitting goes beyond exhaustion. You lose profit. Then, you make rushed decisions that can be dangerous. You face client dissatisfaction and creativity depletion.

That’s why we need boundaries. I know setting them feels scary, but as I mentioned below, we are all human, and every one has their limit.

Steps to Manage Overwhelm and Stay Creative During Renovation Projects

Renovation projects are where interior designers face the highest emotional load. Every decision, every phone call, every disruption loops back to you.

Here’s how you manage the pressure:

1. Break the project into phases.

Overwhelm grows when everything feels urgent. Phases create clarity.

2. Use repeatable systems.

Systems prevent decision fatigue. And fatigue is what ultimately drains designers the most.

3. When fatigue sets in, slow down, don’t speed up.

Rushed decisions cost more time later.

4. Embrace a CEO mindset.

A CEO doesn’t fight fires all day. They lead, delegate, and strategize.

5. Remember: change can turn from overwhelming into exhilarating.

Most designers underestimate how resilient they are. You’ve handled every hard project you thought you couldn’t. You’ll handle the next one too.

Navigating the Jobsite: Professionalism, Boundaries, and Confidence

Let’s talk honestly.

Even after 30 years on jobsites, I still face challenges as the only woman in the room. Not every comment feels great. Not every interaction feels comfortable.

But here’s what time has taught me: professionalism is your power.

You don’t need to match the energy of whoever is being difficult. You certainly don’t need to raise your voice to be heard. Also, you don’t need to prove yourself to every new contractor. You show your value through clarity, leadership, and calm problem solving.

Why anxiety comes up with a new construction team

Because you don’t know their rhythm yet. That’s normal.

But instead of fear, try anticipation. A new team means new skill sets, new perspectives, new possibilities.

And when disruptions happen (and they will), your response is what defines you.

Building Confidence as an Interior Designer

Confidence doesn’t come automatically with experience.

I know designers with 20 years in the business who still whisper their rates and new designers who speak about their process with clarity and belief.

Confidence is a muscle. It grows through repetition.

Here’s what confidence looks like in action:

• You lead the conversation, instead of waiting for permission.
  
• You explain your process as if it’s second nature.
  
• You set boundaries clearly, without apologizing.
  
• You say “no, thank you” without guilt.
  
• You charge properly because you know the value of your work.
  

And yes, every confident designer still has imposter syndrome sometimes.

The goal is to keep moving even when imposter syndrome shows up, not to eliminate it completely.

Supporting Yourself as a Working Mother in the Interior Design Industry

Working mothers face challenges that textbooks don’t teach, and the design field adds extra layers of unpredictability.

I’ve been there.

Projects don’t pause when your child has a cold. Clients don’t move installs because your family needs you. Construction doesn’t slow down because school is closed.

Motherhood doesn’t limit your career. It can actually deepen it. You learn time management on a level most CEOs never will. Also, you learn prioritization by necessity. You learn what actually matters.

The best advice I ever received when my kids were babies was:

‘Work hard when your kids are younger so you can be there more for them as they get older.”

Although it wasn’t easy, in a way, my business has helped me raise my children. Because they watched me struggle, fail, and then learn from my own mistakes. It’s actually helping them for life with all its challenges.

Your home doesn’t need to look perfect, and your work doesn’t need to be magic every day.
Your schedule doesn’t need to impress anyone. You simply need consistency, compassion, and systems.

And when you give yourself grace, you make space for balance.

The Importance of Taking Time Off

Designers often treat rest like a reward.

It’s not.

Rest is professional maintenance. Time off keeps you sharp, creative, patient, and grounded. It protects your boundaries and your business.

How to prepare for time off

• Notify clients, contractors, vendors, and trades well in advance.
  
• Set clear communication expectations.
  
• Add an autoresponder that reinforces your boundaries.
  
• Schedule return to work days with buffer time.
  
• Ensure no one is waiting for you on something urgent.
  

Who you need to notify

• Active clients
  
• Contractors managing builds
  
• Subcontractors scheduling timelines
  
• Procurement vendors
  
• Your bookkeeper or admin support
  
• Any collaborators who rely on your approvals
  

This is how you step into a CEO mindset: by planning your absence with as much care as your presence.

Contracts, Boundaries, and Making Decisions That Support Your Life

A great contract is about clarity, not control.

It protects your designs, your time, your boundaries. And it prevents you from sliding into overwhelm.

Mistakes will happen. But it’s you who decides their impact on your life. Let them teach you, not defeat you.

Every mistake becomes a clause, and every uncomfortable moment becomes a boundary. Every miscommunication becomes an improved process.

You build a sustainable business by learning from mistakes, not by avoiding them.

Aligning Your Business to Your Vision (Not Someone Else’s)

Designers often chase goals that don’t belong to them: big teams, huge portfolios, luxury clients. Because that’s what the industry celebrates.

But real balance comes from defining your version of success.

Do you want a lean, profitable studio?
Do you want to specialize in construction project management?
And do you want a schedule that supports school pickups?
Fewer, high value clients with deep relationships?

Success is an alignment and a set of decisions, not just a number.

One of the ways I anchor myself each year is by choosing a word of the year instead of setting strict goals. The word becomes a lens for decisions, boundaries, and opportunities.

Let your business become an extension of your life, not the other way around.

Why Protecting Your Calendar Is Essential

Your calendar tells the truth about your business.

If it’s overloaded, your mind will be too.
Then, if it’s chaotic, your projects will be too.
If you don’t control it, someone else will.

Here’s how to protect it:

• Lead scheduling conversations instead of reacting to them.
  
• Offer options, not your entire week.
  
• Block creative time.
  
• Block admin time.
  
• Block rest.
  
• Block family commitments.
  
• Block catch up days.
  

And when a project tries to creep outside its lane?

Say it with me:

“No, thank you.”

Not every project is meant for you.
Not every client is yours to save.
And not every opportunity aligns with your vision.

When Work Life Balance Feels Impossible

There will be seasons where everything feels hard.

This doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means something needs recalibrating.

Here’s your emergency checklist:

• Are you overcommitted?
  
• Are your boundaries too flexible?
  
• Are you carrying responsibilities that aren’t yours?
  
• Are you avoiding help you actually need?
  
• Are you exhausted, not uninspired?
  

Work life balance is about having the tools to move through hard seasons without losing yourself, not about eliminating them entirely.

Final Thoughts: Your Long Term Path to a Sustainable Interior Design Career

After decades in this industry, here’s what I know with absolute certainty.

Your projects matter.
Your clients matter.
So does your creativity.

But you matter most.

A sustainable interior design career is built on boundaries, clarity, confidence, and rest.

You don’t need to do everything.
You don’t need to be everything.
What you need is a business that supports the life you want – not one that demands you sacrifice it.

And I promise you this:

You can have balance.
You can have confidence.
Also, you can have a business you’re proud of.
And you can do it without losing yourself in the process.

You’re building something meaningful. Let it support you, too.