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What you will learn in this episode:

• Why holiday deadlines almost always create stress, delays, and unrealistic expectations.
• How to confidently set boundaries with clients and vendors during busy seasons.
• Practical ways to protect your time, reputation, and sanity while still delivering great results.

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Why Interior Designers Should Stop Promising Holiday Deadlines

It might feel strange to bring up the holidays while it’s still warm outside and your kids are running around on summer break. But if you’re an interior designer—or in any trade that works in design and construction—you already know: the holidays sneak up faster than anyone expects.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s… clients want their homes “done” before the season hits. And that brings one of the most common (and most stressful) struggles for designers: holiday deadlines.

I’ve been there—running myself ragged trying to make a home look perfect for a client’s Christmas party, begging vendors to push rush orders through, and leaning on contractors to squeeze in “just one more job” before they shut down for the year. At the time, I thought I was being helpful. What I’ve learned since? Promising holiday completions almost always backfires.

Let’s dig into why holiday deadlines are so risky, what they mean for your business, and how you can start setting realistic boundaries that protect both you and your clients.

The Holiday Deadline Trap

Clients often say: “We want the project done before the holidays.”

Sounds straightforward, right? Except it’s usually not.

Here’s a real example: I once had a client who told me their project needed to be completed before Christmas. So I built my calendar around a December 23rd completion. Later, I found out what they really meant was that their house needed to be ready for a large holiday party they hosted every year, usually the first week of December.

Suddenly, I wasn’t working toward a late December deadline. I was already three weeks behind now. Cue the scramble: rush orders, overnight shipping fees, and a lot of stress that could have been avoided with one clarifying question:

👉 “When exactly do you need your home ready, and for what purpose?”

This is the first mistake most designers make—we take deadlines at face value without uncovering what’s really driving them.

The Vendor and Trade Shutdown Problem

It’s not just clients who complicate the holiday rush. Vendors and trades are part of this equation too—and many of them close up shop during December.

• Furniture manufacturers often stop production for a week or two.
• Workrooms and fabric houses take holiday breaks.
• Contractors and installers may pause or limit their work.
• Even shipping companies slow down with holiday congestion.

Add in winter weather delays, kids out of school, and family travel schedules, and suddenly, your “doable” timeline has hit six or seven major roadblocks.

The truth is, the holiday season is one of the least reliable times of year to wrap up a project. No matter how much you want to make it happen for your client, the deck is stacked against you.

The Cost of Overpromising

When designers overpromise, we often do it with the best of intentions. We want to make our clients happy, to go the extra mile, to deliver that “wow” moment when they walk into a finished space.

But here’s the reality:

Overpromising leads to disappointment. If you miss the deadline, even for reasons outside your control, clients remember that you didn’t deliver.

It puts you in constant stress mode. Instead of leading the project, you’re reacting, scrambling, and problem-solving under pressure.

It can hurt your reputation. Word of mouth matters. If a client tells their friends, “Our project was supposed to be done by Christmas, but it wasn’t,” that reflects poorly on you—even if the cause was vendor delays.

How to Protect Yourself (and Your Clients)

The good news? You don’t have to keep repeating this pattern. Setting boundaries and communicating clearly not only protects you, but it also positions you as the professional and trusted advisor your clients need.

Here are a few strategies that have worked for me:

1. Get Crystal Clear on Deadlines

Don’t stop at “before the holidays.” Ask:

• “What’s the actual date you need this finished by?”
• “Is there a specific event or gathering driving this deadline?”
• “Which parts of the home need to be ready, and which can wait?”

This prevents misunderstandings and sets realistic expectations from the start.

2. Build in Buffer Time

If you think a project will be done in January, tell the client February. If you think it will be ready December 15th, tell them January 1st. Delivering early makes you look like a rockstar. Delivering late makes you look unprofessional.

3. Communicate Vendor & Trade Schedules Early

At your kickoff meeting (and in your Friday updates), include information about vendor and trade closures. For example:

• “Our workroom shuts down December 20–January 3.”
• “Shipping will be delayed the week of Christmas.”

Transparency eliminates surprises.

4. Set Personal Boundaries

One of the best decisions I ever made was blocking off the last two weeks of December. I don’t schedule client work during that time. Instead, I use it to recharge, spend time with family, and wrap up business planning for the year ahead.

And here’s the thing—clients respect that. When you confidently state your boundaries, you earn more trust, not less.

Reframing the Conversation

Instead of saying:
“We’ll have your whole house done before Christmas.”

Try saying:
“We’ll do our best, but given the holiday closures, I can’t guarantee everything will arrive in time. Here’s what I can guarantee: we’ll have your space fully designed, orders placed, and a plan in motion so you can enjoy it as soon as possible.”

This positions you as realistic, professional, and trustworthy—rather than desperate to please.

Final Thoughts

Holiday deadlines are one of the biggest traps interior designers fall into. They sound doable in August, but by December, they’ve turned into stress, delays, and disappointment.

As tempting as it is to promise your clients a holiday-ready home, the reality is that it rarely works out. By asking better questions, setting clearer boundaries, and being upfront about vendor schedules, you save yourself (and your clients) a world of stress.

This year, give yourself permission to say: “We’ll try, but I can’t guarantee it.”

It might just be the best gift you give—to yourself, your business, and your clients.

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #207: How Interior Designers Thrive Through the Holidays
• Be sure to check out Episode #154: From Holiday Stress to Project Success
• Be sure to check out Episode #140: Developing Your Baseline Confidence to Take on Any Challenge That Comes Up on a Construction Project