Interior Designers: Delegate Art. Keep the Profit
Why Do Interior Design Projects Need Art Specialists?
Interior design art sourcing specialists prevent the expensive mistakes that happen when clients buy art independently. Professional art consultants like Sarah Hurt from Seattle Art Source work directly with residential designers to specify, commission, and install artwork that elevates luxury projects while saving designers significant time.
Unlike galleries that cater to collectors, art sourcing services built for designers offer flexible working relationships, transparent pricing, and bulletproof approval processes that eliminate buyer's remorse. The right art partner becomes a finishing-layer resource that distinguishes exceptional design practices from basic decorating services while creating ongoing revenue opportunities through repeat client touchpoints.
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[00:43.7]
Sarah, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what, led to you starting Seattle Art Source? Sure. Well, first, thanks for having me on the podcast, Doug. I started the Seattle art source about 10 years ago.
[01:00.1]
Actually, this year is our 10th anniversary, which is. Is. Boggles my mind. It's flown by. It was really a little bit of, kind of out of necessity. I was looking for art myself, was, having a bit of difficulty finding what I needed in a price point that worked for me in a way that felt approachable.
[01:25.5]
I figured There was also other people that felt the same way. I didn't really feel comfortable just walking into a gallery and picking out art. It felt a little intimidating. I also was adjacent to people creating art and was doing some rotating art shows in my brother in law's, furniture showroom.
[01:48.6]
Just kind of happenstance, helping him out in kind of an adjacent way. And over the course of about a year and a half, formulated the plan for, for what became Seattle Art Source and really a way to kind of lower the barrier for accessing art and making it really a comfortable way to buy art.
[02:13.1]
Cool. Yeah. So, how does that work for an interior designer? I'm curious, like, what you actually do for them and maybe kind of from their point of view, if you can kind of step into their shoes, what it's like working with you? Yeah, well, from the very beginning, working with interior designers was kind of the cornerstone of the business model because, my, brother in law was making custom furniture.
[02:41.0]
There was furniture, in this little showroom. I was putting art on the walls and I was having a lot of interaction with the designers because they were ordering custom furniture from him. And I would ask them, where do you find art? Where for your projects, where, you know, if you could find local artists, would you be inclined to purchase more local art?
[03:04.0]
And the answer was always yes. But it's complicated to find art, from local artists. It's kind of disorganized. We don't really know where to go. And so I knew that if I could access designers, they have a volume of business because of the amount of projects they have.
[03:24.8]
And I knew that I could have a volume of projects for artists to place for placements. And so I immediately knew that if I could build the business model around servicing designers, that that would be a really strong business model for Seattle Art Source.
[03:44.5]
And so what I do is make it really easy for designers to, to work with us. It's. We are by appointment only. We're very service heavy. So we do all of our, mock ups. We do renderings for designers, we offer discount.
[04:02.0]
We are really sensitive to the, the complexities of what designers need. As you know, there's so many details in, the business of what designers are doing from tile and drawer pulls and fabric.
[04:18.3]
And we know we are just one detail in the spectrum of what a designer's project is. So we are really sensitive to that. And we try and be, make their life really easy and make it really easy for them to include art into the scope of their Project.
[04:37.0]
Could you give us a story of perhaps a specific interior designer of like, you know, one of your most, you know, amazing stories? Yeah. Oh my gosh, there's so many to choose from. I, I have so many beloved interior design clients.
[04:53.8]
And they really do feel like partners in crime with Yeah, I think one of. Well, I have I share a, space with or studios. Andy Beers, he's my roommate, actually my work roommate.
[05:11.9]
And he's been a client and supporter of mine since the very beginning. And he does such a wonderful job of placing art in his projects for me and many other artists. He's such an advocate for art. And there are so many opportunities in his projects for my artists, local artists, commissions.
[05:34.8]
Yeah, they're. It's just boundless. He's such an advocate for them. And he has commissioned recently some beautiful panels from Leslie Stoner. They're just she's one of our artists that does handmade ink and pen and ink mazes.
[05:55.5]
And I'm telling you like when a designer envision kind of these flourishes in their projects, their, their clients are really benefiting from kind of this elevated this elevated artistry really when their designer kind of uses us as a resource that it really is amazing to see what happens to their projects.
[06:26.8]
Kind of in preparation of our chat I spoke with a number of different interior designers that I know about how they incorporate art into their projects. And it was a real, it was a real mixed bag. Some were like, we don't do anything with it like at all.
[06:43.5]
Right. They either, the homeowners either have their own art and it's just something they don't, they don't dive into at all or they do help them source artwork. My wife's company, I know she works with a number of different galleries around our city in Toronto.
[07:01.1]
And but not with somebody like you. Like it's specifically just with the galleries and she's then limited to what those galleries have access to. But I honestly haven't spoken with any designers who work with somebody who does what you do.
[07:20.9]
And I, I mean I understand it from you know, diving into, into your your content, your website and, and have an idea. Can you kind of explain like what designers are missing out on by not either supplying art themselves or with a gallery or with somebody?
[07:39.9]
Like what are they losing out on? Why should they be doing this? Yeah, that is such a great question. I think one of the elements of any luxury project project is going to Be the art.
[07:55.7]
And it's a layer, it's a finishing layer. Just like if you were designing somebody's home and you didn't put carpets in or window treatments. You know, you don't have to understand everything there is to understand about marble.
[08:13.0]
You might have your marble guy, right? He's your resource. He knows where to go in Italy to, to access that marble and bring it to you. But you have him in your back pocket to access the marble so that you can give it to your clients so that you can elevate their projects.
[08:32.9]
Because that's what a luxury client really wants. And that's what I am kind of like, you know, that finishing layer of art is, is what a, really custom project with that finishing touch really needs.
[08:50.1]
As a designer, you don't have to understand everything there needs to be about art. But having me in your back pocket as a resource means that, hey, let's go talk to Sarah. Let's go over to Seattle Art Source and connect you with somebody where we can have a discussion about art with somebody who can help translate what we kind of want and to language that makes sense.
[09:12.7]
So we don't have to all be experts on all things. Right? You, you're the expert in your field, I get to be the expert in my field. And we just get to kind of bring those expertises to the table. But it's adding that, that finishing layer that really elevates those projects that can distinguish a, designer's practice above, above the crowd.
[09:38.6]
Right? You can get that base layer done, you can get the basics done. A lot of people can do that. If you're trying to distinguish yourself as a designer, it's those finishing touches, those details and access to the resources and the specialty, the specialty makers, that I think really will set a designer's practice apart.
[10:02.8]
And I mean every designer is going to have a variety of clients at different price points and different comfort levels of what they can do. And you know, whether that, that means supplying custom furniture versus, something from, you know, it can be a high end store, but I mean there's lots of homeowners who think a place like Restoration Hardware is the pinnacle of, of furniture that you can buy.
[10:29.4]
Not knowing, you know, what they're missing out on with, with custom. Right. Well, and we have art in a huge range of price points. It was really important to me that access to art did not mean, super expensive.
[10:45.9]
Right. We have art in the hundreds, original pieces of art in the hundreds, to the medium point. Of, of price point in our arts is like 1800 to 2500. It's very accessible. And I. Did I do this on purpose? Many, many of our clients come to purchase art for multiple placements in their home.
[11:08.0]
So we're talking, you know, if you're. If you are looking for art for 5, 6, 7 placements in your home, and each placement that adds up, we're talking. These are normal people with real houses and, and real, real budgets.
[11:23.3]
You know, I want them to know that they can come and work with us, and we're sensitive to their, their budgets. And having those price points in the hundreds and those smaller pieces mean that those kind of tertiary placements, those water closets, those, you know, kitchens, those hallways, those placements are important.
[11:43.6]
We live and interact with those areas in our home often, and they deserve art as well. So Seattle Art Source has, sensitivity to that price point range and those size ranges so that we can work with clients in all spectrums.
[12:04.2]
Right. And this is something that I hadn't thought about, that you just kind of twig me to is, designers. Frequently I help designers with the business side of the business and their operations and their marketing. And one thing I have to keep hammering the point home to a lot of designers is that you need to be in contact with your past clients on a regular basis.
[12:25.8]
And the pushback I frequently get is. But, you know, what reason do I have to connect with them? I'll send them periodic email, but, you know, or some of the ones I'm closer with will I'll invite out. We'll go for coffee and talk about things.
[12:40.9]
But I would assume that with art, you know, unlike a custom piece of furniture or a new kitchen, that's only going to happen, you know, a certain number of years, 10 years down the road, you might do another project. But art could evolve, right?
[12:57.8]
Like a homeowner could. So if I could just imagine, if I'm the designer and I say, you know, Sarah, I want to, reach out to these clients again for a, for an email blast and, or a phone call or whatever. Have you got any pieces similar in the same vein as what we did for that client?
[13:16.9]
And you say, oh, yeah, for sure. I've got this and this and this. These are artists. And then I could then go to that, that homeowner and say, hey, just so you know, Sarah's got some really cool pieces that you might be interested in. And that's like, just a natural way to, you know, get that conversation going again.
[13:32.7]
And perhaps make an additional sale and make money for your business. Yeah, exactly. Have you had that happen before where people like repeat customers? Yeah, we have repeat customers with our designers, obviously. You know, we hopefully become a repeat resource for our designers, but our homeowners as well.
[13:51.8]
So this, our homeowners evolve, their styles evolve, their home evolves, they move and their needs transition. They buy multiple homes, you know, and sometimes a client will downsize and their needs, their needs change.
[14:11.2]
So many people are right now transitioning from the big family home to a, empty nester condo. And the, their furnishing needs change, but along with their furnishing needs change, their art needs change and they want to refresh what's on their walls too.
[14:29.3]
So all of those needs, are an opportunity for us to interact with our clients. And yeah, that art collection can evolve and change just as just like their furnishing needs change and their collection rotates. Yeah.
[14:45.1]
And purchasing art like this is different than what a lot of people do. I've got a friend who is just a glorious oddball and she buys art from just the weirdest people. And it's, it's one. And they're, they're like, they're not expensive.
[15:01.8]
They're really inexpensive pieces because these artists are totally unknown and quirky and weird. But when you go into her house now she is an art collector and I, I've told her this and she like, she laughs and she thinks it's funny. And I said, well, look at this. You know, original piece.
[15:17.1]
Original piece. We go around her house and they're in her living room alone or living space. There are at least 25 original pieces of art. Love it. And so love it. Yeah, yeah. You're not buying, you know, super, expensive pieces, but you are an art collector and that.
[15:34.1]
Absolutely. Yeah, it's a, it's a different thing. Right, right. And that's, you know, we're, we're here not. It's such a joy to like turn that dial in someone's life to start to see the value of original art because you start to then see it everywhere.
[15:55.4]
You it's, you start to see it when you're out traveling, when you're out eating, when you're, you, you're, you start to develop a palette for it. You start buying it with us, you start buying it with other people and it becomes part of the joy in your life.
[16:12.6]
Like your friend, you know, it doesn't have to be express expensive to engage with art buying. Absolutely not. Yeah. I mean, there's nothing wrong if it's expensive. If they want to buy, you know, pieces that cost, you know, tens of thousands of dollars, I'm sure you'll hook them up. Sure, of course.
[16:28.5]
But that barrier of entry is lower than people think sometimes. And, yeah, you can, you can start at any, any point. Any point. Right. One of the things that, that struck me when I was talking, like I said to designers before in preparation for this, was that, designers frequently run into homeowners who have either watched a lot of HGTV or whatever, and they think that they've got a great design eye and, and they have no idea that of what they don't know.
[17:04.5]
Some of the people, they are designers who, work with galleries or source art for clients themselves. I pushed back a little bit, saying, you know, do you really think you have the expertise to be the person doing the advising for art for your homeowners?
[17:24.9]
You don't, you know, you don't talk to the plumber. Like, you understand how to rough in a shower right now? Well, of course not. I'm like, so what makes you. Other than you're artistic and you have an eye for design. That doesn't necessarily make you an expert on sourcing art for homeowners.
[17:45.2]
Maybe those designers don't reach out to you, but I'm wondering if you've seen that where a designer kind of goes, oh, yeah, I really, you know, I, I don't know what Sarah knows, and I'm going to let Sarah drive the ship here. Well, I mean, I, I love it.
[18:03.2]
I love any designer that calls me for help. I mean, I, I, I will say. I will say yes to anyone that calls for help. I. Absolutely. Some designers are just way more comfortable picking art out for their clients and are just more art, fluent.
[18:22.2]
Some are less art fluent. And so I'm here to step into the gap and to help the designers that just want more support picking art out. We shouldn't assume that just because you're an interior designer that you feel comfortable picking art out for your clients.
[18:41.1]
Many don't. And so, sometimes they just relegate that just to their clients and let their clients go wild and pick out art. And sometimes that's disastrous because then their clients just pick out stuff to put in their home that is completely antithetical to the design scope that they've spent years working on.
[19:03.6]
Right. So it's my job to help marry these two things so I can come in to the project at the Beginning. So the beginning of the project, we can introduce the concept that the art is going to be part of the scope.
[19:19.1]
We are introducing it to the line item on the budget. We are putting thumbnails into the design scope. You know, bring it in at the very beginning. We try and enculturate our long term design designers, that this is, should be natural, just like carpets and window coverings and all of that.
[19:43.0]
Or I can come in at the end of the project. And sometimes the. That is a better fit for the client. Really depends on the client if the client wants to work independently of the designer with the art specifically, because it just feels separate and more independent.
[20:04.4]
And sometimes at the end of a project, the designer's like, you know what, we're done. My job's done here. I'm going to hand over Mr. And Mrs. Indecisive. They're all yours. You get to pick the art out with them. Good luck.
[20:20.2]
I then kind, of get to gently scoop up Mr. And Mrs. Indecisive. The designer goes on her merry way and, I, she knows that I'm going to take good care of the clients, make The art is going to dovetail.
[20:38.0]
Lovely. And you know, honor the design scope that's been, been just such hard work over the years and put, you know, honoring artwork that the homeowners love into the, into the project. Sometimes that's a better scenario, but both we, we do both of those things.
[20:59.8]
And it really just depends on how much the clients want the designer involved and where we are at in the timeline of the project. Sarah, I mean, at the end of the day, we're. We're all in business here. And, if I'm an interior designer who's considering bringing you on board one of the projects, financially, what can they expect to benefit?
[21:23.8]
I mean, obviously there's the, you know, the client is going to get this incredible experience with you, but, you know, what's going to end up in their bank account? Well, at Seattle ArtSource, we have an industry discount that we give designers. So they, they get a discount on the cost of goods when they.
[21:41.5]
They work by art from us. And that's pretty industry standard, of course. They can. Our many designers also purchase art from us. And I don't know how their billing goes.
[21:57.4]
Sometimes there's a markup on their end. Every designer works a little differently. And over the 10 years of doing this, there's, you know, 5 million different ways that designers do their billing and whether they're hourly and there's a markup or whether, you know, they incorporate the discount.
[22:17.0]
But we offer a discount to all of our designers. If I'm working directly with a client, sometimes there's a fee, fees involved, but there's no fees involved when I'm working with designers. Okay.
[22:33.0]
And, and me mostly, I am here to make my design clients look great and look resourced and make their lives really easy. And at the end of the day, they're going to save a lot of time.
[22:51.0]
So, make end time is money. So maybe not making money, but making a use of their time. And, that is a huge resource for my designers. Yeah, well, I mean, it's A, it's a contentious issue amongst designers, of what to do with a supplier discount.
[23:12.2]
And yeah, across the board, right. Homeowners, some owners expect, they expect a designer to pass on their designer discounts, whether it's furniture or lighting or working with you. And then there's other designers say they're not a chance. This is how I make my money.
[23:28.0]
What are you talking about? Yeah, and every designer does it differently and I'm, you know, so I kind of stay out of that conversation with a client. I let them, I assume that there's a contract that they're all clear about.
[23:46.4]
And I, my, my pricing is all public facing, it's all online. You can go on my website and there's public facing pricing on all the art and you can purchase my art online yourself. And so everybody's so used to shopping online these days, it didn't feel relevant to have hidden pricing.
[24:10.3]
And so from the very beginning I had public facing pricing. That's brilliant. Yeah. So then what, what the designer wants to do with the discount you give them is entirely up to them if they want to pass it on, if they want to keep it, if they, if they want to tack on because they could.
[24:27.0]
Look, you know, this is a service that we're providing and it's, and it's geared to work with your design as well. So that, but like you said, you leave that up to the designer. Yeah, it's up to their discretion. Okay. Have you found when you have started working with a designer that maybe they had tried specifying art for their projects before?
[24:49.6]
Have there been any aha moments where a designer like the penny drops and they go, oh, this is why I should have hired her all along. Yeah. And really we have stepped into a lot of projects where there have been expensive mistakes.
[25:06.1]
And the hard thing about art is the, there's, it's not something you can return. So when a client has commissioned something from an artist directly purchase something online that they thought was going to work.
[25:26.9]
Yeah, buying art with no guarantee can be an expensive mistake. So we're really here to make sure to save you from making some gutterball decisions. So we worked with, we do a lot of commissions with are artists and we have a process that really is pretty bulletproof.
[25:49.9]
We don't run into issues with clients where the commissions don't work out well because we've done so many of them. The communication is really clear, the expectations are really clear and we end up with really happy clients because of that, we know what artists do really good commissions.
[26:08.0]
And we make sure that the art is in the home and the approval process is really clear. So if you're buying something, we, we make sure that you see that art in your home before you sign on the dotted line.
[26:23.4]
Because the lighting is different in your home, the furnishings are different. Something that you love in my gallery can turn kind of dark and muddy. When we get it into your den and you may change your mind, that's the worst case scenario.
[26:40.3]
I don't want you to be stuck with a piece of art that you don't like once it gets into your house. So we do all we can to mitigate buyer's remorse and have a lot of policies and procedures in place to make sure that happens. And people who are, you know, other, other art vendors don't do that.
[27:00.3]
And so when you're working with us, it's really, you know, smooth and guaranteed process that you're going to end up being happy. Okay. I think I'm probably stepping outside of the scope of your expertise, but you mentioned about, a piece of art looking muddy or something like that, and it got me thinking of a project years ago that my wife worked on, was lighting.
[27:25.7]
Yeah. Right. Do you, do you, do you get involved with that kind of thing or do you know somebody who can advise on lighting specifically for how to light art? Yeah, I mean, I have opinions about lighting. Yeah, we, we certainly have.
[27:40.7]
Lighting is so critical when it comes to art, for sure. I have, I will give my clients guidance on how to light and temperature for bulbs and all that kind of stuff. And if, they really are at the stages when they're building out the, the lighting, we can give them some referrals for sure.
[28:02.0]
But it will, it can make or break the art to have good lighting. Yeah. So I think that kind of ties back to when we were talking about how when you step into a project, sometimes you're there from the start and sometimes you come at the end. And I would say like, in terms of something like, like lighting and placement as well, obviously, that it, it may be more advisable to have you, you know, be involved sooner.
[28:29.9]
Yes. And, we've had clients, you know, purchase art from us before the house is built so that the art, you know, so that the elevations are accommodating this specific piece of art.
[28:45.9]
Right. So from the very beginning they want to accommodate this, this drawing or this painting. And everything revolves around that specific title, which is, you know, Those, of course, are the dream clients that. We love. Those guys. Yeah.
[29:02.3]
And that way we can reverse engineer how the lighting is, make sure it works correctly, you know, for the, for the work of art. It's easier to do that than have to go in and move. Move the hard wiring after. Afterwards.
[29:17.6]
No, no, that. And that's going to be annoying and take time and take money. I could, I could also see if I'm going to, like, pick knits. If I'm a designer that maybe is working with a homeowner that is a, bit not. I mean, all homeowners should be, you know, budget conscious.
[29:35.8]
I mean, I mean, unless you're working with like ultra, ultra wealthy homeowners, if they bring you in and now there's an art budget of X number of thousands of dollars, I wouldn't be surprised if there's going to be some designers who are a little wary because they would rather that budget go to their design work rather than, you know, art.
[29:59.2]
Hold on one second.
[30:03.7]
Someone was climbing into a paper bag. What were you doing? What were you doing? Sunday. Yeah, you gotta go. Gotta go. Sunday. Sunday. It's my daughter's cat.
[30:19.6]
Oh, cute. Like ice cream sundae. Oh, cute. All right, let's get back to the business. So we're talking about, getting territorial around the budget. Yes. Yeah, I mean.
[30:40.0]
Oh, that's a tough one. I. If a designer is getting territorial around the line item on the budget, then
[30:55.8]
they're going to use me as a store, and that's fine. You know, I, I don't. I'm here to be a, resource to them in whatever way works for them, you know, and, I have designers that come and just tell me exactly what they need.
[31:21.3]
I just wrap it up and they scoot it out the door. And I don't know anything about the project. They're just decisive. Their clients trust them. They. I know little about where it's going to end up. And I have other designers that give me the elevations and I make suggestions and I know every little detail about the project because they are relying on my expertise.
[31:46.4]
All of those scenarios are fine. You know, yeah, I say all. Yes to all of the above. They're just different. Yeah. Just different needs. And I'm here to be a resource in whatever capacity works for my designers.
[32:02.5]
Yeah, well, I Mean, obviously, I thought when we connected that I thought, what a great idea. And then after speaking to designers, realizing that, the vast majority are not taking advantage of a service like yours. And maybe a service like yours doesn't exist in every city, right?
[32:20.5]
I don't think so. Yeah, I. I don't think so. And I'm not even limited to Seattle. I'm here in Seattle, but I have clients and that, you know, access me from other places. The world's. We're all connected through the Internet.
[32:35.7]
It's, you know, geography is not really a limitation anymore. So Toronto has great galleries, but of course I have clients that are calling me from Nashville and from New York and all over the place. So, designers can use me as a resource outside the Pacific Northwest, for sure.
[32:54.8]
But that is probably pretty cool for you that you get to rep local artists and expand their brand across, the continent. Yeah, I specialize in artists from the Pacific Northwest, and I do have a few artists that I represent that are from outside the region, but the bulk of.
[33:15.6]
I have about 40 artists on my roster. Yeah. That's amazing. So I would also guess that, correct me if I'm wrong, that, a number of designers probably become more art fluent after working with you.
[33:32.6]
Yes. And that's been a wonderful kind of evolution to see after, you know, a relation after 10 years of being in business. Of course, I have really wonderful embedded relationships with some of my designers who have.
[33:47.8]
Some of us have been in business about the same amount of time and getting to see their businesses, evolve and grow and, and alongside mine and their fluency around art grow, it's just been really gratifying.
[34:08.1]
So I, I love that we're all growing together. Yeah, that's amazing. I've run to the end of my official list of questions that I had for you. Is there anything that you think I've missed that, that designers should know about you and your business?
[34:26.6]
Well, I think it's important just to remember not to be intimidated by the process. I think we can, you know, just like anything else, it's one element that we can educate ourselves on. And if it feels intimidating, there's somebody out there that knows something about it.
[34:46.3]
It's. It can be me. It might. There might be somebody in your community or in. You're. The city where you live that does something like what I do, but it's a. Just a little bit of education. Art is. Does not have to be rarefied.
[35:03.8]
And my, you know, the, the drum beat that I'm beating is just. The barrier to entry is lower than people think. I. The budget doesn't have to be super high. We can enjoy it and engage with it and incorporate it into our projects in a way that's meaningful.
[35:27.7]
Easier than I think we were led to believe before. Our. Seattle art source is refined enough for designers to engage with most budgets. And so that's always been our goal, and that's the service we provide for our designers.
[35:47.2]
Again, you can look@seattleartsource.com it's all the art is there online to review. And it's available nationwide. We ship nationwide. But, there might be somebody in your community that does something like this. But, yeah, we. We access clients all over the nation, so.
[36:04.6]
Yeah, well, I'm glad you mentioned that because, like I said, as I was prepping and the designers I was speaking to, I think most of them went to your website and looked at it and they thought it was, oh, this is a good idea. And then they had some question for me. But I think that they had immediately penciled you in as, like, while your prices were on the website, which would make me think that, like, anybody.
[36:25.8]
This is for anybody to buy. Yeah. They had in their head that the idea that it was local, and they're like, oh, we need this kind of thing in Toronto. And I'm like, well, one, you know, feel free. Like there's a business idea. Right. Meet the needle.
[36:41.6]
Right. But you do, you know, you work with designers, you know, outside of Seattle, outside of the Pacific Northwest. So, if I was a designer and I could be, you know, wherever, usa, Canada, wherever, and I wanted to work with you, how would that.
[36:57.2]
Obviously, they go to your website, but what would. What would the first steps kind of look like? The first steps. The first steps for a designer would be to email me. And it's the. The dialogue is really basic. Sarah@seattleartsource.com and the.
[37:14.0]
They can ask me questions. They can inquire about a specific painting. We can get into the weeds about the process. But I'm an open book. I have, my. My email is open to anybody, and they can dialogue directly with me.
[37:30.8]
I am, I do all the communication with my B2B clients. So sarah@seattleartsource.com would be the best way for designers to get in touch with me directly. And then we have an inquiry page on our website if they have, questions about specific paintings, and I have a staff that is here ready to answer those Questions.
[37:54.5]
Okay, well, this has been great. I mean, I thought it was a smart idea when I first ran into it, and I think it's even a smarter idea now. Well, awesome. And I love this podcast. You answer so many, like, straightforward business questions.
[38:09.7]
Designers. I, mean, we love them. They. They're creative, they go to school to learn how to design, but nobody teaches them how to run businesses. And those are two totally different skill sets. And as I've learned, you know, I can.
[38:26.5]
I know about art and paintings, but nobody has taught me about how to run a business. And I've. I've had to go and learn how to do that on my own. And that's, you know, all these resources are out there for people, and it's just, you know, so valuable.
[38:41.9]
So thank you for doing this podcast. A. Thank you.
Key Takeaways
Art as Strategic Finishing Layer: Professional art sourcing is the final touch that elevates luxury residential projects, similar to how marble specialists provide expertise you don't need to develop yourself. The right art partner becomes a back-pocket resource that distinguishes your design practice from competitors who avoid art or leave it entirely to clients. This strategic delegation allows you to deliver complete luxury experiences without becoming an art expert.
Flexible Integration at Any Project Stage: Art specialists can enter projects at the beginning (integrated into budgets and design scope from day one) or at the end (taking over after designers complete their work). This flexibility accommodates different client preferences and designer working styles, from hands-off "store" relationships to deep collaborative consulting. You maintain complete control over the designer-client relationship while leveraging specialist expertise where needed.
Public Pricing Eliminates Discount Friction: Transparent, online pricing removes the awkward conversations about designer discounts and client expectations. When retail prices are publicly visible, designers maintain complete control over whether to pass discounts along to clients, keep markup, or add service fees—without pricing transparency undermining their positioning. This eliminates a major friction point that stops many designers from incorporating art into their service offering.
Bulletproof Commission Process Prevents Costly Mistakes: Professional art sourcing services have developed approval systems that eliminate the expensive mistakes designers encounter when sourcing art independently. Art cannot be returned, making wrong decisions financially painful—specialist processes include in-home previews, lighting consideration, and clear communication that prevent buyer's remorse. This protection alone justifies the partnership for high-end projects.
Art Creates Ongoing Client Revenue Opportunities: Unlike furniture or kitchen renovations that happen once per decade, art collections evolve continuously as clients' styles change, homes transition, or spaces get refreshed. Art provides natural touchpoints for reconnecting with past clients and generating additional revenue long after initial projects complete. This repeat business opportunity represents untapped income most designers are currently leaving on the table.
Expertise Gap Between Artistic and Art Knowledge: Being an artistic interior designer with strong visual sensibility doesn't automatically translate to art sourcing expertise. Many designers who excel at space planning, color theory, and furniture specification feel uncomfortable navigating art galleries, artist relationships, commissioning processes, and pricing structures—this expertise gap is exactly what art specialists fill. Strategic delegation isn't a weakness; it's smart business practice that mirrors how you work with other trades.
Conclusions
The Strategic Benefits of Delegating Art Sourcing
Interior designers who partner with art sourcing specialists gain the finishing-layer resource that distinguishes luxury practices from basic decorating services while keeping more profit in their business. Professional art consultants handle the complexity of artist relationships, commission management, and approval processes while designers maintain complete control over client relationships and project direction. The right partnership eliminates the intimidation factor of gallery navigation while preventing the expensive mistakes that happen when clients buy art independently. Designer discounts create financial flexibility that you control completely, transparent pricing removes client friction, and flexible working relationships accommodate any designer's preferred level of involvement. Most importantly, art creates ongoing revenue opportunities with past clients that furniture and fixtures simply cannot match.
Your Implementation Blueprint
Start by identifying whether art has been a missing element in your luxury residential projects and whether you've been leaving repeat business opportunities on the table with past clients. If clients currently select their own art or if you've been avoiding art specification because galleries feel intimidating, research art sourcing services in your region that specifically cater to interior designers. For designers working on high-end residential projects nationwide, services like Seattle Art Source (seattleartsource.com) ship anywhere and work remotely with designers outside their geographic area. Begin with one project where art integration would elevate the final result—contact an art specialist early in the process to understand how collaboration works at different project stages. Ask about designer discounts and how you can structure billing to keep profit in your business, commission processes, approval systems, and how they handle lighting considerations for new construction. The goal is finding a back-pocket resource you can depend on repeatedly, not just a one-time vendor relationship. Then identify 3-5 past clients whose art collections might benefit from refreshing and use this as a natural touchpoint to reconnect.
The Professional Transformation Ahead
Integrating professional art sourcing into your service offering transforms how clients perceive your design practice and creates ongoing revenue streams long after projects complete. Clients whose art collections evolve naturally provide touchpoints for staying connected and generating additional income as their needs change, homes transition, or spaces get refreshed—income you're currently leaving on the table. Your design work gains the finishing layer that truly distinguishes luxury from basic decorating, while you maintain the artistic vision that could otherwise be undermined by client art choices made independently. Most importantly, you gain time back and keep more profit in your business—instead of becoming an art expert yourself or working for free on art sourcing, you leverage specialists who have spent years developing relationships with artists, perfecting commission processes, and understanding what works in residential settings. This strategic delegation approach, combined with smart discount management, allows you to deliver exceptional results across every project element while building a more profitable business that doesn't depend on you being an expert in everything.
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