Is the Las Vegas Market on your travel list of dreamy design destinations? Wondering how this market compares to others like High Point or even NeoCon? Ready to untangle the trends of 2023? You’re in for a treat because we’ve got everything designers need to know—and then some!
Diana Rushton of Color Works Design joins us once again to share her firsthand observations of the 2023 Las Vegas Market! This conversation is full of furniture, texture, lighting, and color trends designers and consumers alike can expect to see in 2023 and beyond. Is farmhouse here to stay? Did someone say “plaster?” And… shag? We’ve got lots to discuss, so let’s jump in!
What trends were revealed at the Las Vegas market
Color stories and trends to look for
Textures we’re going to see more of
What’s happening with farmhouse
What to expect with… shag?
What’s trending in art, furniture, and lighting
Other surprising trends designers will love
How Las Vegas market compares to High Point market and NeoCon
Think you’ll be visiting the Las Vegas market? Excited (or shocked) by what’s trending? Find us and tell us on Instagram!
Project Manager and Assistant Designer, Color Works Design
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Building a Brand Story by Donald Miller
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
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Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
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Katie Decker-Erickson
Welcome to Colorful Conversations with Katie. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability, all while balancing work with life. Whether you're a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go -to source for inspiration, insights, and hopefully a dash of lively conversation.
Today's guest is Diana Rushton. Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes to say that the partnerships between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. With 15 years of experience in brick and mortar, e -commerce, residential and commercial design, she feels she's found her true calling. With every project, she strives to create beautifully inspired work while bringing transparency to the process. When she's not designing or managing projects, you'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible, which I absolutely love. So welcome, Di, we're glad to have you back.
Diana Rushton
Thank you, hi.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know I couldn't decide whether to title this episode, like what happens in Vegas should never stay in Vegas. So we're bringing it to you or what was, I had another one floating around in my head, but yeah, I was like, Oh, it's so good to have her back. Like, Oh, it was die goes to Vegas. So you don't have to.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I mean, I feel like for this one in the summertime, that's the truth.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like, Oh, it was so hot. We had Diana Phoenix the week. prior or the couple of days prior, it was all part of one big bundle. And oh my gosh, it was like a hundred,
Diana Rushton
hundred and 22. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Oh yeah. Just a cool one. 22. Cool. One 22. Just cool enough that you can't get off the runway sometimes. So yes, let's talk all things market. First of all, lots of new trends, lots of stuff coming out of Vegas market. What caught your eye?
Diana Rushton
I feel like the biggest thing was the color story that we saw. With the rich chocolates the mochas those kinds of colors that are really coming back are no longer just in the accessories, which I feel like we saw at the last furniture market because it's. Like production wise and manufacturing wise, I feel like it is a little bit easier to do some of those accessories, but now we're seeing it in like the sofas and like the Merlot granites and that kind of like more substantial pieces are seeing seeing those color palettes which is really nice and that. with like the paint that they're using in their showrooms really creates like that inspired look that is bringing it all together. And it was just nice not to see as much gray. You know, I love gray or white. Yeah, but like, come on, like it's nice to see the coppers and you know, more of those like rich Browns.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So rich Browns, are we also getting into say some of those like terracotta colors and some of the oranges and like everything in that warm kind of burnt family is what we're saying.
Diana Rushton
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson
let's talk textures to what are we seeing what did I know you said plaster and I said what die plaster.
Diana Rushton
You kind of and you're like no like plaster it's awesome so it's more of a texture thing so it's not just like why feel like when you say plaster like people think like drywall and like. Totally. wall and construction, but it's like artistic artisanal artisanal plaster better words. So. Yes, yes. yeah it's like a. it's that a lot of light fixtures actually so independence and the table lamps in the floor lamps and it is mixed with color sometimes but then there's also just like that neutral palette of more of like a stone color that it's like neutral, but the texture is awesome so just is perfect.
Katie Decker-Erickson
it's beautiful we've seen so much farmhouse and I know we don't specify farmhouse typically at all and i'm I just. I just want farmhouse to move on and that's just me. And if you're listening to this and you're going, I love farmhouse. What is Katie even talking about? I totally do really love and respect you. Most of them ever. I really feel like farmhouses had its day in the sun. How much farmhouse were we seeing at market? How much more like the mid -century that I feel like everything's pushing that mid -century more contemporary direction in general, but is farmhouse still out there? Is it still a thing?
Diana Rushton
It's still out there, depending on the manufacturer, the vendor that you're going to. There are certain companies that will always do farmhouse because they're just Southern. That's what they do. That's what they do. And I can appreciate that look. And it definitely had its time in the sun. But I think too, as designers, we see it so often that we're just like, okay, we would like to design something else besides that, especially in the residential side. But in commercial, it's the contemporary Southwest style, kind of like you were saying, that kind of Bohemian is like, with the plaster and with those color palettes is really like coming into the furniture too, where you see like more of like that arched kind of look. But yeah, I mean, that farmhouse is still around, but I don't think it's quite as prevalent in everybody or in all of the art. Like, yes, like Highland cows are cute and the goats are cute, but we have it mixed in with more contemporary stuff. So I do feel like things are shifting in that trend and it's getting a little bit more niche back to those. You know manufacturers who have always done that and it's kind of going back that way, which is just refreshing to see.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Well, and in my heart i'm just happy, but if. farmhouse we deeply love and respect that you're here, like I said. let's also speaking of textures oh I hate to say the word shag what are we seeing are we see it like i'm like pastor die shag die tell me all the things die shag yeah. shag
Diana Rushton
yeah so it's not just. in the like an accent rug anymore, but it's like in the chair, like the chair looks like a sheep and it's awesome. And it's not like, you know, a little pile. It's not like a one inch pile. Like it's not just like beep. It's like, girl, like this is a throw that you just sewed on your chair. And it's awesome. Cause they're cozy. And I feel like going into fall and winter, like those pieces just make everything just feel like home. but it's like next level shag. It's not just like, oh, that's fuzzy. It's like, oh, this, you have a sheet. Okay, it's great.
Katie Decker-Erickson
She has legs in the form of a chair. And I feel like for so long, we saw that in accessories. We saw it in pillows. We saw it in all these things, but it seems like all these things we've been dabbling in from a design standpoint. Now we're just blowing it out and going in with the full sofa, the full chair, the full fixture. Art. What did, how did you feel about art, you mentioned plaster for the lighting or there are a lot of different mediums being teased out in the art world, I know we've done canvases for so long and canvases are great I mean they're classic for a reason they're a good price point, but what else did you see floating around out there in the art world.
Diana Rushton
yeah besides the plaster which you, you know did see or like more of like an acrylic paint where it's like on with like you know their their specialty like little plaster knife thing like however they're getting that texture. You see that, which is great, but they're also doing a lot of like LED backlit pieces, which I thought were so interesting. So it was like when you're trying to do, you know, say 15 floors of something and you want it just not to be like campus, campus, campus, campus. Like it was nice to see that you could sprinkle in those, like those little glimmers and that little bit of glitter there so that it, your eye has something to look at. That's a little bit more of a showstopper. So. I saw a lot of that and then also like more of like a shadow box 3 dimensional so like back to that Southwest, a modern inspired like you saw some tapestries that they had like squished and so it was getting like a wave and then they were like securing that to the back of it and then putting glass so it was more of a shadow box that added a texture. But in the commercial space you wouldn't have to worry about somebody like taking it off or picking at it because it truly had like that class and
Katie Decker-Erickson
children would never. pick at a tapestry.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. Never, never, never do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah, exactly. Especially in a commercial setting. And if you want to see visuals of these, check out the show notes and follow us on the socials because we put together great reels that Di took of all of these. If you're like, I kind of see this in my head, but I really want to see it. Go follow us on the socials because you will find all of what she found there for sure. Surprises, other surprises that you were not expecting to see come out of market.
Diana Rushton
Oh man, that's such a good question. I would say, so in, in what we do, so in a commercial space, we do a lot of decor and the decor can't be like little, right? Like you can't just do like small little guys cause they're going to get lost or unfortunately they're going to grow legs and walk away. So the two, I feel like vendors that I saw that coming from brick and mortar, I didn't order a lot of because of the industry I was in is some really oversized scale for indoor outdoor. So like. a giant teak horse that had metal accents, um, like hand screwed into it, but they were just giant. Like they were like almost full size. Like, love it. Whoa. So you could really do like a showstopper in your entryway or like right in the beginning of your, your property. So that was really cool to see that I just stumbled across. That was nice. And then the second thing was just having a vendor for like your niche product. Like, so for us, what I found was coffee table books. So we do a lot of that kind of like staging so that it's very custom to wherever a client is within the country or whatever look we're going for or in, you know, in a kitchen, that kind of thing. So being able to find a vendor for our business that can help with our margin and also the ease of shipping to our receivers. So it's just, you know, in one giant box, not with a bunch of skews. I feel like business and functionality and margin -wise trying to really dig deep and find those exact things that you You wouldn't necessarily think are going to be like a margin builder, but are because the, the relationship you have with those vendors is really just going to add, add to that. And it's going to make it easier on your team and easier to execute as you're traveling around.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Totally agree. And I think what was neat out of market, just from hearing about it from you was the depth. It wasn't just all furniture. It wasn't just all, it ran the full, full scope. And even down to like, we were discussing florals huge. big, extravagant florals are back and not a cajillion of them, but back to the idea of 10 % glitter on every project, there was a 10 % glitter quotient in the form of these really beautiful show -stopping, large oversized florals. Is that a fair assessment?
Diana Rushton
Yeah, because what I, I mean, we always have like love of floral, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like a little bit of plant always.
Diana Rushton
Exactly. It brings it to life, but I feel like they're. I just started to look at it from a different eye. So it's like, if I was looking at this vignette and this display, if I took out that floral, how would this look? And it was just like, oh, it wouldn't quite be as much because it wasn't just like a tiny little like succulent. It was like, we put a big pot on this beautiful table and then put these beautiful like individual stems that look custom created, but it wasn't like overwhelming. It was just like five or six picks, but like done really well. And so it really created that like.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Wow factor or the draw me in. Yeah. I love, I feel like everything needs something like that, regardless of the size of the space. I think it's easy in smaller spaces too. I mean, we obviously designed for bigger spaces, but in smaller spaces too, there still needs to be something that captures the eye that ropes us in. That is that unique moment of that's beautiful. And it just makes the space and it doesn't, I think sometimes we either fall into the it's too cookie cutter and too much of the same thing. Right. Or we're trying to make everything super special. And I think a lot of times that happens with residential clients. They want the most amazing wall color and the most amazing art. And then the most amazing furniture. When you're done, you're like, that's so much amazing. I can't breathe. Right. Yeah. I remember back when I started in residential design, which was the first three years of our business explaining to clients, Hey, your room is a canvas. We're going to build on top of it, but starting with a white background is not a bad thing. We're going to add in color strategically. We're going to layer this out. And getting to those showstoppers that become the 10 % at the very end that are just it doesn't take a lot of glitter to quickly go from gorgeous to tack right.
Diana Rushton
Exactly.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And so just the sprinkle of that and the sprinkle that floral or the sprinkle of whatever becomes that showstopper for that space. It's just it's it's the make or break it.
Diana Rushton
Yeah, it really is. Because I mean, even too, if you're looking at from like a budget standpoint, it's like. how can I get you the best bang for your buck here? Because like, what's the most important to you? Like when you walk into your house or your, your property, like what feels like what you feel like would like truly express your mission statement or your home values, that kind of thing. And so that life and that color from the floral or from the arrangement, I really do feel like expresses that sense of like feeling and like, this isn't just somewhere where I work or where I live, but this is truly my home or like what I'm really passionate about in my business. and bringing in all those colors, like you're saying from the art or from the paint, it's like, that's how we're going to bring it and tie it all together in a really like impactful way that isn't overwhelming to the eye. Because when you start to do that everywhere, like you're saying, it's like, am I breaking the break? Like it's too much.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Too much. Well, I think too, it's such a good reminder for us as designers to always remember, it's not about our vision. It really is about understanding the client's vision. The client wants the relationship and what is it that they want to see? in their space when they, what is the feeling they want back to ontological design, but what is the feeling that they want when they walk in that space? How is that space designing them back in a productive, creative, meaningful way? What else did you see at market besides the show stopping florals that you feel like it would be a good takeaway for all the designers listening to this, as far as what they can incorporate into their business through the fall and winter months, that it's just that little extra something that makes their designs relevant. on point adds value to the client without being a budget, a budget breaker.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I think it just kind of goes back to like your core values of your business and the, the hope for your client, like what is their end result? Like what are they getting at? So I would just encourage anyone who's a going to market because they are so wide, they have furniture, they have accessories, they have like gift to you, but like what's your signature as a designer. So like whether I'm going to do a custom, you know, like. I don't even know like basket every time I do this, but like whatever it is like finding like your signature point. So that when you walk away from it, even though you're not branding it with like designed by color works it's like oh, I think color works has been here because I see you know.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I see a footprint that looks really familiar that shows up everywhere.
Diana Rushton
Exactly like they always like you know. do like a really fun pillow accent or they always do like a multimedia art that's right in the entry way, you know, like whatever it may be for your business, but going to market and just having that, like the thought of what can I niche down, especially coming from e -commerce, like the more you can niche down in that kind of thing, the better you're going to be able to get yourself in alignment with the right client.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So true. And I think that's the thing. I always love to say, If you're trying to meet everyone's needs, you're meeting no one's needs. You have to know your target market. What do they want? What do they need? And how do you deliver it? And once you drill in on that, run with it. Yeah. Run, run, run and run hard. And you'll, it'll, you'll be amazed at where your business ends up.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. So once you decide on that, when you go to market, it's amazing how those things will start to pop out at you and go, Oh yeah, I see that in all of these different vendors. And so that you've truly built those relationships to build margin and make it easier for everybody at install.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I love that. Let's talk about future trends. Forecasting is always dangerous. Everyone hates to forecast it. Everyone chickens out and goes, Oh, but I don't have a, I don't have a glass ball. I'm like, I know you don't, but if you were guessing going into the spring based on what you're seeing, what do you, what would you know feet to the flames? And we're not going to judge you if you're wrong. I need to give lots of disclaimers to this, but what do you think are going to be some of the things we're going to be seeing more of in the spring that you're like, Ooh, I'm catching glimpses of this. I bet we see more of that.
Diana Rushton
I feel like that plaster is going to come. big into mass market for lighting. So it's going to be a little bit heavier than what you're seeing. I feel like that's going to come. I really think the chocolates are going to come in really aggressively through a while. So it'll be in the spring as like its base color, like paired with like more of like that seventies inspired like greens. So I feel like those color palettes that we're seeing now are going to transition into spring. And then like the fur and like the really heavy texture. I just think it'll be a finer one time spring, but I don't think it's going away. Um, so, and, and you'll see that like the odes to the fashion of the nineties, I feel like have started like in a lot of the accessories, like that. Live through the nineties sometimes like the smiley faces that you're seeing in fashion and all that, like you started to see it in the accessories. So I feel like the biggest thing is going to be in home and furniture and decor. Like you're going to start seeing some of the bigger manufacturers do. more of those like nineties princess styles, probably not quite as, um, aggressive as the fashion side, but you're going to see it because I started to see it trickle in and it was, I mean, yeah, I was raised in the nineties and so I'm like, Oh no, I don't know how I feel about this. Do I want to look at this? Like, but it's kind of a fine glitter. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
What's going to happen in the world of design. I can't do mom. I'm just not there. And I'm okay saying that I'm not the stage in life. I'm just fine with that. Just say it. Um, quick tips for people who've not been to Vegas market specifically, cause you, we were in Neo con in Chicago, which by the way, if you missed that, that was episode one, go back and snag that. Um, that was, we don't be at Neo con. Was that in July? No, June, June. So if you want to know commercial trends, go back and listen to our episode on that recap. That would be super duper fun. Um, Di was also at high point earlier in the year and back in the spring. So going to Vegas specifically, now that we're on market number three of the year, what do designers who say, yeah, I've been to high point, but I've never been to Vegas. Why should I go to Vegas? And what do they need to know about Vegas specifically?
Diana Rushton
I really, really enjoy Vegas. Um, because a logistically it's easier to get to than high point, um, high point, if you don't know, is in North Carolina in high point, North Carolina, and you fly in and then you have to drive and then you'd have to stay like lodging. It's just outside. And then the way they have it set up is more of like, um, a city block, um, kind of like you go outside and you go to each individual one, which is a lot of fun, like, don't get me wrong. But if you're like, I only have two days to do this and to see as many things, it's quite not quite as streamlined. So with this, because that furniture market, like you said, doesn't just have furniture, it has accessories. It also has some, um, like fixtures, like bath and light. There's ton of lighting. Um, So, and it's, it's set up in like three really tall buildings that's in Las Vegas. It's not on the strip. It's just off so you can stay on this strip. You there's shuttles usually that you can take for free from your hotel to the place. And it's so much easier. And then it's just in the buildings and then there's breeze ways. So you can truly get into a building, see what you need to see, map it out. They have a great app. It's just more efficient. I think. And because of what we do, it's just nice to see some of that stuff in person. And I feel like the smaller vendors are going to Vegas over high point. And then Neocon is its own, like its own very specialty commercial where that's like. Yeah, it's, it's just a little bit different, but I personally really like Vegas. It's easier. Um, the, everything is organized really well. Most of, most of our vendors are there and it's kind of fun to like go to Vegas because there's great food. Like for me, I'm all about the food. I'm like, well, after I'm done like walking 12 miles today, I'm going to go to sushi Samba and get some sushi. And it's just going to make it all worth it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I'm not going to worry about those carbohydrates in that rice. No, I'm not. I'm going to today. It's fine. I feel was that favorite meal while you were out there.
Diana Rushton
Sushi Samba every time I'm such a time for the win. Just love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know we had sushi at Neoconto and I just could have sat there all night and eating more sushi and more sushi. And I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to bother with the rice. I just want pure sashimi. Like, yeah, I just want a little broth. And you can just leave me alone. And if that repels you, I totally understand and respect that as well. For those of us sashimi people, oh my gosh, I just post camp there. Yeah. So post camp there. Any last things we're missing on Vegas before we go into our rapid fire round?
Diana Rushton
No, it was really great. I feel like if you've never been to a market and you want to like test the waters, this is a really good first one to start with.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Um, just to kind of understand the process for drinking out of a fire hydrant, I feel like Vegas feels much harder. Yeah, I agree. Okay. What is the rapid fire? Number one, what is the book that most changed your life business or both?
Diana Rushton
This is a hard one. Cause I feel like every book I read, I'm like, never going to be the same after this. Um, I would say personally, the book that changed my life would be untamed by Glennon Doyle. I read that in a season of life where I was really needing some courage. So. That one still sticks with me and I tend to buy it for everyone.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Birthdays, baby showers you're getting.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. That's what you're getting from Die, another book, surprise, surprise. Whether you want it or not. And then for my business, there's probably two. The first one was building a brand story by Donald Miller. So that one just helped me really understand my vision for my business and for the projects I was working on, how to really like clearly defined how I wanted to project that to the client and to, you know, the world. So I really enjoyed that one. And then scaling up was not an easy read. It is a meaty y 'all. It was a lot, but it really did help me understand to the back end of the business of like, whatever I'm doing right now, if my goal is to grow business, how can I do this? Well, so I'm not doing double work or kicking myself when I bring on another team member or we on onboard someone else and it scares them away because it's not done well. So it just reminded me to take a pause. What is your actual plan here? So that. we can scale correctly and it's fun and not like, oh, this is, this didn't go well.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah. And I would say that's one thing we try to do is we try to keep it fun. I think fun is important. Not that it's not hard, not that it's not gritty and not that we don't have challenges back to Di's introduction, talking about puzzle pieces. We try so hard to still have fun and let people do what they love to do, whatever that is, whether it's. it like creating the space, whether it's designing the space, whether it's executing the space, whether it's doing all the ordering for the space, whatever it is, plugging the right people into the right position. So the bus rolls forward. I think it's so important. We will have all of these links in our show notes, by the way. So don't worry about scribbling them down. Or if you're in the car, just know that you can hop over to our show notes and we'll have all the hyperlinks there. Number two, what piece of advice would you have told yourself when you were 20?
Diana Rushton
That's such a good one too. I would say to really have the freedom to invent and create your own life. Because when you're 20, people are telling you what you should be doing and how this works and how the world works. But friendly reminder, like that was all made up. So you can make it up on your end too. And if something doesn't feel good to you that you are getting a lot of pressure about or from, whether that's where to go to school, what career to have, what color your hair should be, what you should be wearing. et cetera, like if that doesn't feel good in your soul, don't do it because you get to make this up. And like this life is too short to be doing something that you think you should be doing, but do you actually want to do it? And the game changer for me was when I was in my, like had just turned 30 was like, Nope, I'm redesigning this. I'm not, I'm not doing this anymore. And it was when I finally took that leap and was like, I'm going to do exactly what feels good to me that my entire world opened up. And so when you're 20, it's hard to say that because you're 20 and you don't really know anything, right? But invent your life.
Katie Decker-Erickson
No offense. All the 20 year olds listening.
Diana Rushton
Yes. Just invent it. Like no one knows what they're doing. Everyone's Googling everything. So just do what feels good.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And we're chugging PT the bigger questions of life. Yes, I totally agree. And then three, your best time management hack.
Diana Rushton
I started probably about a year ago, setting a timer. So if I have. A project that I need to be working on that I'm like, Oh my gosh, I need to focus because we do, we do so many things in a day. Right. I set a timer. Like I have 15 minutes to get this done at when the timer goes off. Then I can move on to the next thing. Or after this 15 minutes, I can go get lunch or go get a coffee, but it's amazing that like I'll finish a project and I'll have like 13 minutes left or like, it'll be 13 minutes off to left. And I'm like, in two minutes, what can I get done? And it's amazing in two minutes, like, because I can't stop until that timer goes off. That I get so much done in two minutes when I'm like, well, I have to sit here for two more minutes before I can go get ice coffee. So guess I'll go through these emails. Like, but it's really has helped because power of a moment. Like if you can take care of it in the moment and it's out of your brain, I just feel like I love my entire life. That way is just set a timer power of a moment, get it done. So we can get onto the fun stuff.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Cause there's always, there's always other stuff around the bench. That's the thing that procrastination is you end up missing out on so much. because there's always going to be something else new and exciting around the corner. So get this done so you can prove the space to do that is what I'm hearing you say. Love it. Okay. That's a wrap. Thank you for joining us for another insightful episode of colorful conversations with Katie. I hope you've enjoyed our discussion today with Di. We've loved having her on our team and found valuable insights to help you thrive in your design business and life as we try to merge them all right here. To all our listeners, thank you for joining us on this journey of learning and growth. your enthusiasm and dedication to honing your business skills as design professionals. It inspires me to keep bringing you valuable content. So remember to subscribe to our podcast. So you never miss an episode. If you have any questions or even better yet topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes, feel free to reach out. I don't have all the answers, but we're going to find the people that do. If you would like one -on -one time with me, I'd love to discuss your firm, your plan for intentional. steps for growth, success, stumbling blocks, wherever you're at, you can book a call with me on our website at www .colorworks .coach. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep designing, and mastering the art of running a successful interior design business that scales to your life. This is Katie Erickson signing off for now. Bye bye.
I’m a commercial exterior and interior designer with an MBA and nearly 20 years in the industry. When I’m not leading my coast-to-coast, multi-million dollar firm, I love sharing real talk on the business of design, blending insights from 20 years as a business professor. I keep it honest—balancing work and chasing my two girls around.
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Is the Las Vegas Market on your travel list of dreamy design destinations? Wondering how this market compares to others like High Point or even NeoCon? Ready to untangle the trends of 2023? You’re in for a treat because we’ve got everything designers need to know—and then some!
Diana Rushton of Color Works Design joins us once again to share her firsthand observations of the 2023 Las Vegas Market! This conversation is full of furniture, texture, lighting, and color trends designers and consumers alike can expect to see in 2023 and beyond. Is farmhouse here to stay? Did someone say “plaster?” And… shag? We’ve got lots to discuss, so let’s jump in!
What trends were revealed at the Las Vegas market
Color stories and trends to look for
Textures we’re going to see more of
What’s happening with farmhouse
What to expect with… shag?
What’s trending in art, furniture, and lighting
Other surprising trends designers will love
How Las Vegas market compares to High Point market and NeoCon
Think you’ll be visiting the Las Vegas market? Excited (or shocked) by what’s trending? Find us and tell us on Instagram!
Project Manager and Assistant Designer, Color Works Design
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Building a Brand Story by Donald Miller
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
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Welcome to “Colorful Conversations with Katie”! Join us for a vibrant webcast where we seamlessly blend the realms of design and business in a fun and professional setting. Available on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms!
Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
Whether you’re a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go-to source for inspiration, insights, and a dash of lively conversation. Tune in and let your imagination, business and life take flight!
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Katie Decker-Erickson
Welcome to Colorful Conversations with Katie. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability, all while balancing work with life. Whether you're a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go -to source for inspiration, insights, and hopefully a dash of lively conversation.
Today's guest is Diana Rushton. Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes to say that the partnerships between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. With 15 years of experience in brick and mortar, e -commerce, residential and commercial design, she feels she's found her true calling. With every project, she strives to create beautifully inspired work while bringing transparency to the process. When she's not designing or managing projects, you'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible, which I absolutely love. So welcome, Di, we're glad to have you back.
Diana Rushton
Thank you, hi.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know I couldn't decide whether to title this episode, like what happens in Vegas should never stay in Vegas. So we're bringing it to you or what was, I had another one floating around in my head, but yeah, I was like, Oh, it's so good to have her back. Like, Oh, it was die goes to Vegas. So you don't have to.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I mean, I feel like for this one in the summertime, that's the truth.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like, Oh, it was so hot. We had Diana Phoenix the week. prior or the couple of days prior, it was all part of one big bundle. And oh my gosh, it was like a hundred,
Diana Rushton
hundred and 22. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Oh yeah. Just a cool one. 22. Cool. One 22. Just cool enough that you can't get off the runway sometimes. So yes, let's talk all things market. First of all, lots of new trends, lots of stuff coming out of Vegas market. What caught your eye?
Diana Rushton
I feel like the biggest thing was the color story that we saw. With the rich chocolates the mochas those kinds of colors that are really coming back are no longer just in the accessories, which I feel like we saw at the last furniture market because it's. Like production wise and manufacturing wise, I feel like it is a little bit easier to do some of those accessories, but now we're seeing it in like the sofas and like the Merlot granites and that kind of like more substantial pieces are seeing seeing those color palettes which is really nice and that. with like the paint that they're using in their showrooms really creates like that inspired look that is bringing it all together. And it was just nice not to see as much gray. You know, I love gray or white. Yeah, but like, come on, like it's nice to see the coppers and you know, more of those like rich Browns.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So rich Browns, are we also getting into say some of those like terracotta colors and some of the oranges and like everything in that warm kind of burnt family is what we're saying.
Diana Rushton
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson
let's talk textures to what are we seeing what did I know you said plaster and I said what die plaster.
Diana Rushton
You kind of and you're like no like plaster it's awesome so it's more of a texture thing so it's not just like why feel like when you say plaster like people think like drywall and like. Totally. wall and construction, but it's like artistic artisanal artisanal plaster better words. So. Yes, yes. yeah it's like a. it's that a lot of light fixtures actually so independence and the table lamps in the floor lamps and it is mixed with color sometimes but then there's also just like that neutral palette of more of like a stone color that it's like neutral, but the texture is awesome so just is perfect.
Katie Decker-Erickson
it's beautiful we've seen so much farmhouse and I know we don't specify farmhouse typically at all and i'm I just. I just want farmhouse to move on and that's just me. And if you're listening to this and you're going, I love farmhouse. What is Katie even talking about? I totally do really love and respect you. Most of them ever. I really feel like farmhouses had its day in the sun. How much farmhouse were we seeing at market? How much more like the mid -century that I feel like everything's pushing that mid -century more contemporary direction in general, but is farmhouse still out there? Is it still a thing?
Diana Rushton
It's still out there, depending on the manufacturer, the vendor that you're going to. There are certain companies that will always do farmhouse because they're just Southern. That's what they do. That's what they do. And I can appreciate that look. And it definitely had its time in the sun. But I think too, as designers, we see it so often that we're just like, okay, we would like to design something else besides that, especially in the residential side. But in commercial, it's the contemporary Southwest style, kind of like you were saying, that kind of Bohemian is like, with the plaster and with those color palettes is really like coming into the furniture too, where you see like more of like that arched kind of look. But yeah, I mean, that farmhouse is still around, but I don't think it's quite as prevalent in everybody or in all of the art. Like, yes, like Highland cows are cute and the goats are cute, but we have it mixed in with more contemporary stuff. So I do feel like things are shifting in that trend and it's getting a little bit more niche back to those. You know manufacturers who have always done that and it's kind of going back that way, which is just refreshing to see.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Well, and in my heart i'm just happy, but if. farmhouse we deeply love and respect that you're here, like I said. let's also speaking of textures oh I hate to say the word shag what are we seeing are we see it like i'm like pastor die shag die tell me all the things die shag yeah. shag
Diana Rushton
yeah so it's not just. in the like an accent rug anymore, but it's like in the chair, like the chair looks like a sheep and it's awesome. And it's not like, you know, a little pile. It's not like a one inch pile. Like it's not just like beep. It's like, girl, like this is a throw that you just sewed on your chair. And it's awesome. Cause they're cozy. And I feel like going into fall and winter, like those pieces just make everything just feel like home. but it's like next level shag. It's not just like, oh, that's fuzzy. It's like, oh, this, you have a sheet. Okay, it's great.
Katie Decker-Erickson
She has legs in the form of a chair. And I feel like for so long, we saw that in accessories. We saw it in pillows. We saw it in all these things, but it seems like all these things we've been dabbling in from a design standpoint. Now we're just blowing it out and going in with the full sofa, the full chair, the full fixture. Art. What did, how did you feel about art, you mentioned plaster for the lighting or there are a lot of different mediums being teased out in the art world, I know we've done canvases for so long and canvases are great I mean they're classic for a reason they're a good price point, but what else did you see floating around out there in the art world.
Diana Rushton
yeah besides the plaster which you, you know did see or like more of like an acrylic paint where it's like on with like you know their their specialty like little plaster knife thing like however they're getting that texture. You see that, which is great, but they're also doing a lot of like LED backlit pieces, which I thought were so interesting. So it was like when you're trying to do, you know, say 15 floors of something and you want it just not to be like campus, campus, campus, campus. Like it was nice to see that you could sprinkle in those, like those little glimmers and that little bit of glitter there so that it, your eye has something to look at. That's a little bit more of a showstopper. So. I saw a lot of that and then also like more of like a shadow box 3 dimensional so like back to that Southwest, a modern inspired like you saw some tapestries that they had like squished and so it was getting like a wave and then they were like securing that to the back of it and then putting glass so it was more of a shadow box that added a texture. But in the commercial space you wouldn't have to worry about somebody like taking it off or picking at it because it truly had like that class and
Katie Decker-Erickson
children would never. pick at a tapestry.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. Never, never, never do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah, exactly. Especially in a commercial setting. And if you want to see visuals of these, check out the show notes and follow us on the socials because we put together great reels that Di took of all of these. If you're like, I kind of see this in my head, but I really want to see it. Go follow us on the socials because you will find all of what she found there for sure. Surprises, other surprises that you were not expecting to see come out of market.
Diana Rushton
Oh man, that's such a good question. I would say, so in, in what we do, so in a commercial space, we do a lot of decor and the decor can't be like little, right? Like you can't just do like small little guys cause they're going to get lost or unfortunately they're going to grow legs and walk away. So the two, I feel like vendors that I saw that coming from brick and mortar, I didn't order a lot of because of the industry I was in is some really oversized scale for indoor outdoor. So like. a giant teak horse that had metal accents, um, like hand screwed into it, but they were just giant. Like they were like almost full size. Like, love it. Whoa. So you could really do like a showstopper in your entryway or like right in the beginning of your, your property. So that was really cool to see that I just stumbled across. That was nice. And then the second thing was just having a vendor for like your niche product. Like, so for us, what I found was coffee table books. So we do a lot of that kind of like staging so that it's very custom to wherever a client is within the country or whatever look we're going for or in, you know, in a kitchen, that kind of thing. So being able to find a vendor for our business that can help with our margin and also the ease of shipping to our receivers. So it's just, you know, in one giant box, not with a bunch of skews. I feel like business and functionality and margin -wise trying to really dig deep and find those exact things that you You wouldn't necessarily think are going to be like a margin builder, but are because the, the relationship you have with those vendors is really just going to add, add to that. And it's going to make it easier on your team and easier to execute as you're traveling around.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Totally agree. And I think what was neat out of market, just from hearing about it from you was the depth. It wasn't just all furniture. It wasn't just all, it ran the full, full scope. And even down to like, we were discussing florals huge. big, extravagant florals are back and not a cajillion of them, but back to the idea of 10 % glitter on every project, there was a 10 % glitter quotient in the form of these really beautiful show -stopping, large oversized florals. Is that a fair assessment?
Diana Rushton
Yeah, because what I, I mean, we always have like love of floral, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like a little bit of plant always.
Diana Rushton
Exactly. It brings it to life, but I feel like they're. I just started to look at it from a different eye. So it's like, if I was looking at this vignette and this display, if I took out that floral, how would this look? And it was just like, oh, it wouldn't quite be as much because it wasn't just like a tiny little like succulent. It was like, we put a big pot on this beautiful table and then put these beautiful like individual stems that look custom created, but it wasn't like overwhelming. It was just like five or six picks, but like done really well. And so it really created that like.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Wow factor or the draw me in. Yeah. I love, I feel like everything needs something like that, regardless of the size of the space. I think it's easy in smaller spaces too. I mean, we obviously designed for bigger spaces, but in smaller spaces too, there still needs to be something that captures the eye that ropes us in. That is that unique moment of that's beautiful. And it just makes the space and it doesn't, I think sometimes we either fall into the it's too cookie cutter and too much of the same thing. Right. Or we're trying to make everything super special. And I think a lot of times that happens with residential clients. They want the most amazing wall color and the most amazing art. And then the most amazing furniture. When you're done, you're like, that's so much amazing. I can't breathe. Right. Yeah. I remember back when I started in residential design, which was the first three years of our business explaining to clients, Hey, your room is a canvas. We're going to build on top of it, but starting with a white background is not a bad thing. We're going to add in color strategically. We're going to layer this out. And getting to those showstoppers that become the 10 % at the very end that are just it doesn't take a lot of glitter to quickly go from gorgeous to tack right.
Diana Rushton
Exactly.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And so just the sprinkle of that and the sprinkle that floral or the sprinkle of whatever becomes that showstopper for that space. It's just it's it's the make or break it.
Diana Rushton
Yeah, it really is. Because I mean, even too, if you're looking at from like a budget standpoint, it's like. how can I get you the best bang for your buck here? Because like, what's the most important to you? Like when you walk into your house or your, your property, like what feels like what you feel like would like truly express your mission statement or your home values, that kind of thing. And so that life and that color from the floral or from the arrangement, I really do feel like expresses that sense of like feeling and like, this isn't just somewhere where I work or where I live, but this is truly my home or like what I'm really passionate about in my business. and bringing in all those colors, like you're saying from the art or from the paint, it's like, that's how we're going to bring it and tie it all together in a really like impactful way that isn't overwhelming to the eye. Because when you start to do that everywhere, like you're saying, it's like, am I breaking the break? Like it's too much.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Too much. Well, I think too, it's such a good reminder for us as designers to always remember, it's not about our vision. It really is about understanding the client's vision. The client wants the relationship and what is it that they want to see? in their space when they, what is the feeling they want back to ontological design, but what is the feeling that they want when they walk in that space? How is that space designing them back in a productive, creative, meaningful way? What else did you see at market besides the show stopping florals that you feel like it would be a good takeaway for all the designers listening to this, as far as what they can incorporate into their business through the fall and winter months, that it's just that little extra something that makes their designs relevant. on point adds value to the client without being a budget, a budget breaker.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I think it just kind of goes back to like your core values of your business and the, the hope for your client, like what is their end result? Like what are they getting at? So I would just encourage anyone who's a going to market because they are so wide, they have furniture, they have accessories, they have like gift to you, but like what's your signature as a designer. So like whether I'm going to do a custom, you know, like. I don't even know like basket every time I do this, but like whatever it is like finding like your signature point. So that when you walk away from it, even though you're not branding it with like designed by color works it's like oh, I think color works has been here because I see you know.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I see a footprint that looks really familiar that shows up everywhere.
Diana Rushton
Exactly like they always like you know. do like a really fun pillow accent or they always do like a multimedia art that's right in the entry way, you know, like whatever it may be for your business, but going to market and just having that, like the thought of what can I niche down, especially coming from e -commerce, like the more you can niche down in that kind of thing, the better you're going to be able to get yourself in alignment with the right client.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So true. And I think that's the thing. I always love to say, If you're trying to meet everyone's needs, you're meeting no one's needs. You have to know your target market. What do they want? What do they need? And how do you deliver it? And once you drill in on that, run with it. Yeah. Run, run, run and run hard. And you'll, it'll, you'll be amazed at where your business ends up.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. So once you decide on that, when you go to market, it's amazing how those things will start to pop out at you and go, Oh yeah, I see that in all of these different vendors. And so that you've truly built those relationships to build margin and make it easier for everybody at install.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I love that. Let's talk about future trends. Forecasting is always dangerous. Everyone hates to forecast it. Everyone chickens out and goes, Oh, but I don't have a, I don't have a glass ball. I'm like, I know you don't, but if you were guessing going into the spring based on what you're seeing, what do you, what would you know feet to the flames? And we're not going to judge you if you're wrong. I need to give lots of disclaimers to this, but what do you think are going to be some of the things we're going to be seeing more of in the spring that you're like, Ooh, I'm catching glimpses of this. I bet we see more of that.
Diana Rushton
I feel like that plaster is going to come. big into mass market for lighting. So it's going to be a little bit heavier than what you're seeing. I feel like that's going to come. I really think the chocolates are going to come in really aggressively through a while. So it'll be in the spring as like its base color, like paired with like more of like that seventies inspired like greens. So I feel like those color palettes that we're seeing now are going to transition into spring. And then like the fur and like the really heavy texture. I just think it'll be a finer one time spring, but I don't think it's going away. Um, so, and, and you'll see that like the odes to the fashion of the nineties, I feel like have started like in a lot of the accessories, like that. Live through the nineties sometimes like the smiley faces that you're seeing in fashion and all that, like you started to see it in the accessories. So I feel like the biggest thing is going to be in home and furniture and decor. Like you're going to start seeing some of the bigger manufacturers do. more of those like nineties princess styles, probably not quite as, um, aggressive as the fashion side, but you're going to see it because I started to see it trickle in and it was, I mean, yeah, I was raised in the nineties and so I'm like, Oh no, I don't know how I feel about this. Do I want to look at this? Like, but it's kind of a fine glitter. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
What's going to happen in the world of design. I can't do mom. I'm just not there. And I'm okay saying that I'm not the stage in life. I'm just fine with that. Just say it. Um, quick tips for people who've not been to Vegas market specifically, cause you, we were in Neo con in Chicago, which by the way, if you missed that, that was episode one, go back and snag that. Um, that was, we don't be at Neo con. Was that in July? No, June, June. So if you want to know commercial trends, go back and listen to our episode on that recap. That would be super duper fun. Um, Di was also at high point earlier in the year and back in the spring. So going to Vegas specifically, now that we're on market number three of the year, what do designers who say, yeah, I've been to high point, but I've never been to Vegas. Why should I go to Vegas? And what do they need to know about Vegas specifically?
Diana Rushton
I really, really enjoy Vegas. Um, because a logistically it's easier to get to than high point, um, high point, if you don't know, is in North Carolina in high point, North Carolina, and you fly in and then you have to drive and then you'd have to stay like lodging. It's just outside. And then the way they have it set up is more of like, um, a city block, um, kind of like you go outside and you go to each individual one, which is a lot of fun, like, don't get me wrong. But if you're like, I only have two days to do this and to see as many things, it's quite not quite as streamlined. So with this, because that furniture market, like you said, doesn't just have furniture, it has accessories. It also has some, um, like fixtures, like bath and light. There's ton of lighting. Um, So, and it's, it's set up in like three really tall buildings that's in Las Vegas. It's not on the strip. It's just off so you can stay on this strip. You there's shuttles usually that you can take for free from your hotel to the place. And it's so much easier. And then it's just in the buildings and then there's breeze ways. So you can truly get into a building, see what you need to see, map it out. They have a great app. It's just more efficient. I think. And because of what we do, it's just nice to see some of that stuff in person. And I feel like the smaller vendors are going to Vegas over high point. And then Neocon is its own, like its own very specialty commercial where that's like. Yeah, it's, it's just a little bit different, but I personally really like Vegas. It's easier. Um, the, everything is organized really well. Most of, most of our vendors are there and it's kind of fun to like go to Vegas because there's great food. Like for me, I'm all about the food. I'm like, well, after I'm done like walking 12 miles today, I'm going to go to sushi Samba and get some sushi. And it's just going to make it all worth it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I'm not going to worry about those carbohydrates in that rice. No, I'm not. I'm going to today. It's fine. I feel was that favorite meal while you were out there.
Diana Rushton
Sushi Samba every time I'm such a time for the win. Just love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know we had sushi at Neoconto and I just could have sat there all night and eating more sushi and more sushi. And I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to bother with the rice. I just want pure sashimi. Like, yeah, I just want a little broth. And you can just leave me alone. And if that repels you, I totally understand and respect that as well. For those of us sashimi people, oh my gosh, I just post camp there. Yeah. So post camp there. Any last things we're missing on Vegas before we go into our rapid fire round?
Diana Rushton
No, it was really great. I feel like if you've never been to a market and you want to like test the waters, this is a really good first one to start with.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Um, just to kind of understand the process for drinking out of a fire hydrant, I feel like Vegas feels much harder. Yeah, I agree. Okay. What is the rapid fire? Number one, what is the book that most changed your life business or both?
Diana Rushton
This is a hard one. Cause I feel like every book I read, I'm like, never going to be the same after this. Um, I would say personally, the book that changed my life would be untamed by Glennon Doyle. I read that in a season of life where I was really needing some courage. So. That one still sticks with me and I tend to buy it for everyone.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Birthdays, baby showers you're getting.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. That's what you're getting from Die, another book, surprise, surprise. Whether you want it or not. And then for my business, there's probably two. The first one was building a brand story by Donald Miller. So that one just helped me really understand my vision for my business and for the projects I was working on, how to really like clearly defined how I wanted to project that to the client and to, you know, the world. So I really enjoyed that one. And then scaling up was not an easy read. It is a meaty y 'all. It was a lot, but it really did help me understand to the back end of the business of like, whatever I'm doing right now, if my goal is to grow business, how can I do this? Well, so I'm not doing double work or kicking myself when I bring on another team member or we on onboard someone else and it scares them away because it's not done well. So it just reminded me to take a pause. What is your actual plan here? So that. we can scale correctly and it's fun and not like, oh, this is, this didn't go well.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah. And I would say that's one thing we try to do is we try to keep it fun. I think fun is important. Not that it's not hard, not that it's not gritty and not that we don't have challenges back to Di's introduction, talking about puzzle pieces. We try so hard to still have fun and let people do what they love to do, whatever that is, whether it's. it like creating the space, whether it's designing the space, whether it's executing the space, whether it's doing all the ordering for the space, whatever it is, plugging the right people into the right position. So the bus rolls forward. I think it's so important. We will have all of these links in our show notes, by the way. So don't worry about scribbling them down. Or if you're in the car, just know that you can hop over to our show notes and we'll have all the hyperlinks there. Number two, what piece of advice would you have told yourself when you were 20?
Diana Rushton
That's such a good one too. I would say to really have the freedom to invent and create your own life. Because when you're 20, people are telling you what you should be doing and how this works and how the world works. But friendly reminder, like that was all made up. So you can make it up on your end too. And if something doesn't feel good to you that you are getting a lot of pressure about or from, whether that's where to go to school, what career to have, what color your hair should be, what you should be wearing. et cetera, like if that doesn't feel good in your soul, don't do it because you get to make this up. And like this life is too short to be doing something that you think you should be doing, but do you actually want to do it? And the game changer for me was when I was in my, like had just turned 30 was like, Nope, I'm redesigning this. I'm not, I'm not doing this anymore. And it was when I finally took that leap and was like, I'm going to do exactly what feels good to me that my entire world opened up. And so when you're 20, it's hard to say that because you're 20 and you don't really know anything, right? But invent your life.
Katie Decker-Erickson
No offense. All the 20 year olds listening.
Diana Rushton
Yes. Just invent it. Like no one knows what they're doing. Everyone's Googling everything. So just do what feels good.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And we're chugging PT the bigger questions of life. Yes, I totally agree. And then three, your best time management hack.
Diana Rushton
I started probably about a year ago, setting a timer. So if I have. A project that I need to be working on that I'm like, Oh my gosh, I need to focus because we do, we do so many things in a day. Right. I set a timer. Like I have 15 minutes to get this done at when the timer goes off. Then I can move on to the next thing. Or after this 15 minutes, I can go get lunch or go get a coffee, but it's amazing that like I'll finish a project and I'll have like 13 minutes left or like, it'll be 13 minutes off to left. And I'm like, in two minutes, what can I get done? And it's amazing in two minutes, like, because I can't stop until that timer goes off. That I get so much done in two minutes when I'm like, well, I have to sit here for two more minutes before I can go get ice coffee. So guess I'll go through these emails. Like, but it's really has helped because power of a moment. Like if you can take care of it in the moment and it's out of your brain, I just feel like I love my entire life. That way is just set a timer power of a moment, get it done. So we can get onto the fun stuff.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Cause there's always, there's always other stuff around the bench. That's the thing that procrastination is you end up missing out on so much. because there's always going to be something else new and exciting around the corner. So get this done so you can prove the space to do that is what I'm hearing you say. Love it. Okay. That's a wrap. Thank you for joining us for another insightful episode of colorful conversations with Katie. I hope you've enjoyed our discussion today with Di. We've loved having her on our team and found valuable insights to help you thrive in your design business and life as we try to merge them all right here. To all our listeners, thank you for joining us on this journey of learning and growth. your enthusiasm and dedication to honing your business skills as design professionals. It inspires me to keep bringing you valuable content. So remember to subscribe to our podcast. So you never miss an episode. If you have any questions or even better yet topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes, feel free to reach out. I don't have all the answers, but we're going to find the people that do. If you would like one -on -one time with me, I'd love to discuss your firm, your plan for intentional. steps for growth, success, stumbling blocks, wherever you're at, you can book a call with me on our website at www .colorworks .coach. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep designing, and mastering the art of running a successful interior design business that scales to your life. This is Katie Erickson signing off for now. Bye bye.
Is the Las Vegas Market on your travel list of dreamy design destinations? Wondering how this market compares to others like High Point or even NeoCon? Ready to untangle the trends of 2023? You’re in for a treat because we’ve got everything designers need to know—and then some!
Diana Rushton of Color Works Design joins us once again to share her firsthand observations of the 2023 Las Vegas Market! This conversation is full of furniture, texture, lighting, and color trends designers and consumers alike can expect to see in 2023 and beyond. Is farmhouse here to stay? Did someone say “plaster?” And… shag? We’ve got lots to discuss, so let’s jump in!
What trends were revealed at the Las Vegas market
Color stories and trends to look for
Textures we’re going to see more of
What’s happening with farmhouse
What to expect with… shag?
What’s trending in art, furniture, and lighting
Other surprising trends designers will love
How Las Vegas market compares to High Point market and NeoCon
Think you’ll be visiting the Las Vegas market? Excited (or shocked) by what’s trending? Find us and tell us on Instagram!
Project Manager and Assistant Designer, Color Works Design
Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes that the partnership between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. Diana feels she's found her true calling with 15 years of experience in brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, residential, and commercial design. She strives to create beautifully inspired work with each project while bringing transparency to the process. You'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible when she's not designing or managing projects.
Building a Brand Story by Donald Miller
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
Book Your Coaching Strategy Session with Katie!
Business Coaching for Interior Designers
Welcome to “Colorful Conversations with Katie”! Join us for a vibrant webcast where we seamlessly blend the realms of design and business in a fun and professional setting. Available on YouTube or any of your favorite podcast platforms!
Hosted by the dynamic Katie, a seasoned expert with nearly 20 years of experience in both fields, this engaging series promises to ignite your creative spark and sharpen your entrepreneurial acumen. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability.
Whether you’re a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go-to source for inspiration, insights, and a dash of lively conversation. Tune in and let your imagination, business and life take flight!
This post may contain affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on my site at no additional cost to you.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Welcome to Colorful Conversations with Katie. From exploring the latest design trends to uncovering strategies for building successful ventures, we dive deep into the colorful world where aesthetics meet profitability, all while balancing work with life. Whether you're a budding designer or a savvy entrepreneur, this webcast is your go -to source for inspiration, insights, and hopefully a dash of lively conversation.
Today's guest is Diana Rushton. Diana specializes in project management and interior design. She likes to say that the partnerships between project management and design work fulfills her lifelong love of art and puzzles. With 15 years of experience in brick and mortar, e -commerce, residential and commercial design, she feels she's found her true calling. With every project, she strives to create beautifully inspired work while bringing transparency to the process. When she's not designing or managing projects, you'll probably find her sipping iced coffee or petting as many puppies as possible, which I absolutely love. So welcome, Di, we're glad to have you back.
Diana Rushton
Thank you, hi.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know I couldn't decide whether to title this episode, like what happens in Vegas should never stay in Vegas. So we're bringing it to you or what was, I had another one floating around in my head, but yeah, I was like, Oh, it's so good to have her back. Like, Oh, it was die goes to Vegas. So you don't have to.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I mean, I feel like for this one in the summertime, that's the truth.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like, Oh, it was so hot. We had Diana Phoenix the week. prior or the couple of days prior, it was all part of one big bundle. And oh my gosh, it was like a hundred,
Diana Rushton
hundred and 22. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Oh yeah. Just a cool one. 22. Cool. One 22. Just cool enough that you can't get off the runway sometimes. So yes, let's talk all things market. First of all, lots of new trends, lots of stuff coming out of Vegas market. What caught your eye?
Diana Rushton
I feel like the biggest thing was the color story that we saw. With the rich chocolates the mochas those kinds of colors that are really coming back are no longer just in the accessories, which I feel like we saw at the last furniture market because it's. Like production wise and manufacturing wise, I feel like it is a little bit easier to do some of those accessories, but now we're seeing it in like the sofas and like the Merlot granites and that kind of like more substantial pieces are seeing seeing those color palettes which is really nice and that. with like the paint that they're using in their showrooms really creates like that inspired look that is bringing it all together. And it was just nice not to see as much gray. You know, I love gray or white. Yeah, but like, come on, like it's nice to see the coppers and you know, more of those like rich Browns.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So rich Browns, are we also getting into say some of those like terracotta colors and some of the oranges and like everything in that warm kind of burnt family is what we're saying.
Diana Rushton
Totally.
Katie Decker-Erickson
let's talk textures to what are we seeing what did I know you said plaster and I said what die plaster.
Diana Rushton
You kind of and you're like no like plaster it's awesome so it's more of a texture thing so it's not just like why feel like when you say plaster like people think like drywall and like. Totally. wall and construction, but it's like artistic artisanal artisanal plaster better words. So. Yes, yes. yeah it's like a. it's that a lot of light fixtures actually so independence and the table lamps in the floor lamps and it is mixed with color sometimes but then there's also just like that neutral palette of more of like a stone color that it's like neutral, but the texture is awesome so just is perfect.
Katie Decker-Erickson
it's beautiful we've seen so much farmhouse and I know we don't specify farmhouse typically at all and i'm I just. I just want farmhouse to move on and that's just me. And if you're listening to this and you're going, I love farmhouse. What is Katie even talking about? I totally do really love and respect you. Most of them ever. I really feel like farmhouses had its day in the sun. How much farmhouse were we seeing at market? How much more like the mid -century that I feel like everything's pushing that mid -century more contemporary direction in general, but is farmhouse still out there? Is it still a thing?
Diana Rushton
It's still out there, depending on the manufacturer, the vendor that you're going to. There are certain companies that will always do farmhouse because they're just Southern. That's what they do. That's what they do. And I can appreciate that look. And it definitely had its time in the sun. But I think too, as designers, we see it so often that we're just like, okay, we would like to design something else besides that, especially in the residential side. But in commercial, it's the contemporary Southwest style, kind of like you were saying, that kind of Bohemian is like, with the plaster and with those color palettes is really like coming into the furniture too, where you see like more of like that arched kind of look. But yeah, I mean, that farmhouse is still around, but I don't think it's quite as prevalent in everybody or in all of the art. Like, yes, like Highland cows are cute and the goats are cute, but we have it mixed in with more contemporary stuff. So I do feel like things are shifting in that trend and it's getting a little bit more niche back to those. You know manufacturers who have always done that and it's kind of going back that way, which is just refreshing to see.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Well, and in my heart i'm just happy, but if. farmhouse we deeply love and respect that you're here, like I said. let's also speaking of textures oh I hate to say the word shag what are we seeing are we see it like i'm like pastor die shag die tell me all the things die shag yeah. shag
Diana Rushton
yeah so it's not just. in the like an accent rug anymore, but it's like in the chair, like the chair looks like a sheep and it's awesome. And it's not like, you know, a little pile. It's not like a one inch pile. Like it's not just like beep. It's like, girl, like this is a throw that you just sewed on your chair. And it's awesome. Cause they're cozy. And I feel like going into fall and winter, like those pieces just make everything just feel like home. but it's like next level shag. It's not just like, oh, that's fuzzy. It's like, oh, this, you have a sheet. Okay, it's great.
Katie Decker-Erickson
She has legs in the form of a chair. And I feel like for so long, we saw that in accessories. We saw it in pillows. We saw it in all these things, but it seems like all these things we've been dabbling in from a design standpoint. Now we're just blowing it out and going in with the full sofa, the full chair, the full fixture. Art. What did, how did you feel about art, you mentioned plaster for the lighting or there are a lot of different mediums being teased out in the art world, I know we've done canvases for so long and canvases are great I mean they're classic for a reason they're a good price point, but what else did you see floating around out there in the art world.
Diana Rushton
yeah besides the plaster which you, you know did see or like more of like an acrylic paint where it's like on with like you know their their specialty like little plaster knife thing like however they're getting that texture. You see that, which is great, but they're also doing a lot of like LED backlit pieces, which I thought were so interesting. So it was like when you're trying to do, you know, say 15 floors of something and you want it just not to be like campus, campus, campus, campus. Like it was nice to see that you could sprinkle in those, like those little glimmers and that little bit of glitter there so that it, your eye has something to look at. That's a little bit more of a showstopper. So. I saw a lot of that and then also like more of like a shadow box 3 dimensional so like back to that Southwest, a modern inspired like you saw some tapestries that they had like squished and so it was getting like a wave and then they were like securing that to the back of it and then putting glass so it was more of a shadow box that added a texture. But in the commercial space you wouldn't have to worry about somebody like taking it off or picking at it because it truly had like that class and
Katie Decker-Erickson
children would never. pick at a tapestry.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. Never, never, never do that.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah, exactly. Especially in a commercial setting. And if you want to see visuals of these, check out the show notes and follow us on the socials because we put together great reels that Di took of all of these. If you're like, I kind of see this in my head, but I really want to see it. Go follow us on the socials because you will find all of what she found there for sure. Surprises, other surprises that you were not expecting to see come out of market.
Diana Rushton
Oh man, that's such a good question. I would say, so in, in what we do, so in a commercial space, we do a lot of decor and the decor can't be like little, right? Like you can't just do like small little guys cause they're going to get lost or unfortunately they're going to grow legs and walk away. So the two, I feel like vendors that I saw that coming from brick and mortar, I didn't order a lot of because of the industry I was in is some really oversized scale for indoor outdoor. So like. a giant teak horse that had metal accents, um, like hand screwed into it, but they were just giant. Like they were like almost full size. Like, love it. Whoa. So you could really do like a showstopper in your entryway or like right in the beginning of your, your property. So that was really cool to see that I just stumbled across. That was nice. And then the second thing was just having a vendor for like your niche product. Like, so for us, what I found was coffee table books. So we do a lot of that kind of like staging so that it's very custom to wherever a client is within the country or whatever look we're going for or in, you know, in a kitchen, that kind of thing. So being able to find a vendor for our business that can help with our margin and also the ease of shipping to our receivers. So it's just, you know, in one giant box, not with a bunch of skews. I feel like business and functionality and margin -wise trying to really dig deep and find those exact things that you You wouldn't necessarily think are going to be like a margin builder, but are because the, the relationship you have with those vendors is really just going to add, add to that. And it's going to make it easier on your team and easier to execute as you're traveling around.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Totally agree. And I think what was neat out of market, just from hearing about it from you was the depth. It wasn't just all furniture. It wasn't just all, it ran the full, full scope. And even down to like, we were discussing florals huge. big, extravagant florals are back and not a cajillion of them, but back to the idea of 10 % glitter on every project, there was a 10 % glitter quotient in the form of these really beautiful show -stopping, large oversized florals. Is that a fair assessment?
Diana Rushton
Yeah, because what I, I mean, we always have like love of floral, right?
Katie Decker-Erickson
Like a little bit of plant always.
Diana Rushton
Exactly. It brings it to life, but I feel like they're. I just started to look at it from a different eye. So it's like, if I was looking at this vignette and this display, if I took out that floral, how would this look? And it was just like, oh, it wouldn't quite be as much because it wasn't just like a tiny little like succulent. It was like, we put a big pot on this beautiful table and then put these beautiful like individual stems that look custom created, but it wasn't like overwhelming. It was just like five or six picks, but like done really well. And so it really created that like.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Wow factor or the draw me in. Yeah. I love, I feel like everything needs something like that, regardless of the size of the space. I think it's easy in smaller spaces too. I mean, we obviously designed for bigger spaces, but in smaller spaces too, there still needs to be something that captures the eye that ropes us in. That is that unique moment of that's beautiful. And it just makes the space and it doesn't, I think sometimes we either fall into the it's too cookie cutter and too much of the same thing. Right. Or we're trying to make everything super special. And I think a lot of times that happens with residential clients. They want the most amazing wall color and the most amazing art. And then the most amazing furniture. When you're done, you're like, that's so much amazing. I can't breathe. Right. Yeah. I remember back when I started in residential design, which was the first three years of our business explaining to clients, Hey, your room is a canvas. We're going to build on top of it, but starting with a white background is not a bad thing. We're going to add in color strategically. We're going to layer this out. And getting to those showstoppers that become the 10 % at the very end that are just it doesn't take a lot of glitter to quickly go from gorgeous to tack right.
Diana Rushton
Exactly.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And so just the sprinkle of that and the sprinkle that floral or the sprinkle of whatever becomes that showstopper for that space. It's just it's it's the make or break it.
Diana Rushton
Yeah, it really is. Because I mean, even too, if you're looking at from like a budget standpoint, it's like. how can I get you the best bang for your buck here? Because like, what's the most important to you? Like when you walk into your house or your, your property, like what feels like what you feel like would like truly express your mission statement or your home values, that kind of thing. And so that life and that color from the floral or from the arrangement, I really do feel like expresses that sense of like feeling and like, this isn't just somewhere where I work or where I live, but this is truly my home or like what I'm really passionate about in my business. and bringing in all those colors, like you're saying from the art or from the paint, it's like, that's how we're going to bring it and tie it all together in a really like impactful way that isn't overwhelming to the eye. Because when you start to do that everywhere, like you're saying, it's like, am I breaking the break? Like it's too much.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Too much. Well, I think too, it's such a good reminder for us as designers to always remember, it's not about our vision. It really is about understanding the client's vision. The client wants the relationship and what is it that they want to see? in their space when they, what is the feeling they want back to ontological design, but what is the feeling that they want when they walk in that space? How is that space designing them back in a productive, creative, meaningful way? What else did you see at market besides the show stopping florals that you feel like it would be a good takeaway for all the designers listening to this, as far as what they can incorporate into their business through the fall and winter months, that it's just that little extra something that makes their designs relevant. on point adds value to the client without being a budget, a budget breaker.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. I think it just kind of goes back to like your core values of your business and the, the hope for your client, like what is their end result? Like what are they getting at? So I would just encourage anyone who's a going to market because they are so wide, they have furniture, they have accessories, they have like gift to you, but like what's your signature as a designer. So like whether I'm going to do a custom, you know, like. I don't even know like basket every time I do this, but like whatever it is like finding like your signature point. So that when you walk away from it, even though you're not branding it with like designed by color works it's like oh, I think color works has been here because I see you know.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I see a footprint that looks really familiar that shows up everywhere.
Diana Rushton
Exactly like they always like you know. do like a really fun pillow accent or they always do like a multimedia art that's right in the entry way, you know, like whatever it may be for your business, but going to market and just having that, like the thought of what can I niche down, especially coming from e -commerce, like the more you can niche down in that kind of thing, the better you're going to be able to get yourself in alignment with the right client.
Katie Decker-Erickson
So true. And I think that's the thing. I always love to say, If you're trying to meet everyone's needs, you're meeting no one's needs. You have to know your target market. What do they want? What do they need? And how do you deliver it? And once you drill in on that, run with it. Yeah. Run, run, run and run hard. And you'll, it'll, you'll be amazed at where your business ends up.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. So once you decide on that, when you go to market, it's amazing how those things will start to pop out at you and go, Oh yeah, I see that in all of these different vendors. And so that you've truly built those relationships to build margin and make it easier for everybody at install.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I love that. Let's talk about future trends. Forecasting is always dangerous. Everyone hates to forecast it. Everyone chickens out and goes, Oh, but I don't have a, I don't have a glass ball. I'm like, I know you don't, but if you were guessing going into the spring based on what you're seeing, what do you, what would you know feet to the flames? And we're not going to judge you if you're wrong. I need to give lots of disclaimers to this, but what do you think are going to be some of the things we're going to be seeing more of in the spring that you're like, Ooh, I'm catching glimpses of this. I bet we see more of that.
Diana Rushton
I feel like that plaster is going to come. big into mass market for lighting. So it's going to be a little bit heavier than what you're seeing. I feel like that's going to come. I really think the chocolates are going to come in really aggressively through a while. So it'll be in the spring as like its base color, like paired with like more of like that seventies inspired like greens. So I feel like those color palettes that we're seeing now are going to transition into spring. And then like the fur and like the really heavy texture. I just think it'll be a finer one time spring, but I don't think it's going away. Um, so, and, and you'll see that like the odes to the fashion of the nineties, I feel like have started like in a lot of the accessories, like that. Live through the nineties sometimes like the smiley faces that you're seeing in fashion and all that, like you started to see it in the accessories. So I feel like the biggest thing is going to be in home and furniture and decor. Like you're going to start seeing some of the bigger manufacturers do. more of those like nineties princess styles, probably not quite as, um, aggressive as the fashion side, but you're going to see it because I started to see it trickle in and it was, I mean, yeah, I was raised in the nineties and so I'm like, Oh no, I don't know how I feel about this. Do I want to look at this? Like, but it's kind of a fine glitter. Yeah.
Katie Decker-Erickson
What's going to happen in the world of design. I can't do mom. I'm just not there. And I'm okay saying that I'm not the stage in life. I'm just fine with that. Just say it. Um, quick tips for people who've not been to Vegas market specifically, cause you, we were in Neo con in Chicago, which by the way, if you missed that, that was episode one, go back and snag that. Um, that was, we don't be at Neo con. Was that in July? No, June, June. So if you want to know commercial trends, go back and listen to our episode on that recap. That would be super duper fun. Um, Di was also at high point earlier in the year and back in the spring. So going to Vegas specifically, now that we're on market number three of the year, what do designers who say, yeah, I've been to high point, but I've never been to Vegas. Why should I go to Vegas? And what do they need to know about Vegas specifically?
Diana Rushton
I really, really enjoy Vegas. Um, because a logistically it's easier to get to than high point, um, high point, if you don't know, is in North Carolina in high point, North Carolina, and you fly in and then you have to drive and then you'd have to stay like lodging. It's just outside. And then the way they have it set up is more of like, um, a city block, um, kind of like you go outside and you go to each individual one, which is a lot of fun, like, don't get me wrong. But if you're like, I only have two days to do this and to see as many things, it's quite not quite as streamlined. So with this, because that furniture market, like you said, doesn't just have furniture, it has accessories. It also has some, um, like fixtures, like bath and light. There's ton of lighting. Um, So, and it's, it's set up in like three really tall buildings that's in Las Vegas. It's not on the strip. It's just off so you can stay on this strip. You there's shuttles usually that you can take for free from your hotel to the place. And it's so much easier. And then it's just in the buildings and then there's breeze ways. So you can truly get into a building, see what you need to see, map it out. They have a great app. It's just more efficient. I think. And because of what we do, it's just nice to see some of that stuff in person. And I feel like the smaller vendors are going to Vegas over high point. And then Neocon is its own, like its own very specialty commercial where that's like. Yeah, it's, it's just a little bit different, but I personally really like Vegas. It's easier. Um, the, everything is organized really well. Most of, most of our vendors are there and it's kind of fun to like go to Vegas because there's great food. Like for me, I'm all about the food. I'm like, well, after I'm done like walking 12 miles today, I'm going to go to sushi Samba and get some sushi. And it's just going to make it all worth it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I'm not going to worry about those carbohydrates in that rice. No, I'm not. I'm going to today. It's fine. I feel was that favorite meal while you were out there.
Diana Rushton
Sushi Samba every time I'm such a time for the win. Just love it.
Katie Decker-Erickson
I know we had sushi at Neoconto and I just could have sat there all night and eating more sushi and more sushi. And I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to bother with the rice. I just want pure sashimi. Like, yeah, I just want a little broth. And you can just leave me alone. And if that repels you, I totally understand and respect that as well. For those of us sashimi people, oh my gosh, I just post camp there. Yeah. So post camp there. Any last things we're missing on Vegas before we go into our rapid fire round?
Diana Rushton
No, it was really great. I feel like if you've never been to a market and you want to like test the waters, this is a really good first one to start with.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Um, just to kind of understand the process for drinking out of a fire hydrant, I feel like Vegas feels much harder. Yeah, I agree. Okay. What is the rapid fire? Number one, what is the book that most changed your life business or both?
Diana Rushton
This is a hard one. Cause I feel like every book I read, I'm like, never going to be the same after this. Um, I would say personally, the book that changed my life would be untamed by Glennon Doyle. I read that in a season of life where I was really needing some courage. So. That one still sticks with me and I tend to buy it for everyone.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Birthdays, baby showers you're getting.
Diana Rushton
Yeah. That's what you're getting from Die, another book, surprise, surprise. Whether you want it or not. And then for my business, there's probably two. The first one was building a brand story by Donald Miller. So that one just helped me really understand my vision for my business and for the projects I was working on, how to really like clearly defined how I wanted to project that to the client and to, you know, the world. So I really enjoyed that one. And then scaling up was not an easy read. It is a meaty y 'all. It was a lot, but it really did help me understand to the back end of the business of like, whatever I'm doing right now, if my goal is to grow business, how can I do this? Well, so I'm not doing double work or kicking myself when I bring on another team member or we on onboard someone else and it scares them away because it's not done well. So it just reminded me to take a pause. What is your actual plan here? So that. we can scale correctly and it's fun and not like, oh, this is, this didn't go well.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Yeah. And I would say that's one thing we try to do is we try to keep it fun. I think fun is important. Not that it's not hard, not that it's not gritty and not that we don't have challenges back to Di's introduction, talking about puzzle pieces. We try so hard to still have fun and let people do what they love to do, whatever that is, whether it's. it like creating the space, whether it's designing the space, whether it's executing the space, whether it's doing all the ordering for the space, whatever it is, plugging the right people into the right position. So the bus rolls forward. I think it's so important. We will have all of these links in our show notes, by the way. So don't worry about scribbling them down. Or if you're in the car, just know that you can hop over to our show notes and we'll have all the hyperlinks there. Number two, what piece of advice would you have told yourself when you were 20?
Diana Rushton
That's such a good one too. I would say to really have the freedom to invent and create your own life. Because when you're 20, people are telling you what you should be doing and how this works and how the world works. But friendly reminder, like that was all made up. So you can make it up on your end too. And if something doesn't feel good to you that you are getting a lot of pressure about or from, whether that's where to go to school, what career to have, what color your hair should be, what you should be wearing. et cetera, like if that doesn't feel good in your soul, don't do it because you get to make this up. And like this life is too short to be doing something that you think you should be doing, but do you actually want to do it? And the game changer for me was when I was in my, like had just turned 30 was like, Nope, I'm redesigning this. I'm not, I'm not doing this anymore. And it was when I finally took that leap and was like, I'm going to do exactly what feels good to me that my entire world opened up. And so when you're 20, it's hard to say that because you're 20 and you don't really know anything, right? But invent your life.
Katie Decker-Erickson
No offense. All the 20 year olds listening.
Diana Rushton
Yes. Just invent it. Like no one knows what they're doing. Everyone's Googling everything. So just do what feels good.
Katie Decker-Erickson
And we're chugging PT the bigger questions of life. Yes, I totally agree. And then three, your best time management hack.
Diana Rushton
I started probably about a year ago, setting a timer. So if I have. A project that I need to be working on that I'm like, Oh my gosh, I need to focus because we do, we do so many things in a day. Right. I set a timer. Like I have 15 minutes to get this done at when the timer goes off. Then I can move on to the next thing. Or after this 15 minutes, I can go get lunch or go get a coffee, but it's amazing that like I'll finish a project and I'll have like 13 minutes left or like, it'll be 13 minutes off to left. And I'm like, in two minutes, what can I get done? And it's amazing in two minutes, like, because I can't stop until that timer goes off. That I get so much done in two minutes when I'm like, well, I have to sit here for two more minutes before I can go get ice coffee. So guess I'll go through these emails. Like, but it's really has helped because power of a moment. Like if you can take care of it in the moment and it's out of your brain, I just feel like I love my entire life. That way is just set a timer power of a moment, get it done. So we can get onto the fun stuff.
Katie Decker-Erickson
Cause there's always, there's always other stuff around the bench. That's the thing that procrastination is you end up missing out on so much. because there's always going to be something else new and exciting around the corner. So get this done so you can prove the space to do that is what I'm hearing you say. Love it. Okay. That's a wrap. Thank you for joining us for another insightful episode of colorful conversations with Katie. I hope you've enjoyed our discussion today with Di. We've loved having her on our team and found valuable insights to help you thrive in your design business and life as we try to merge them all right here. To all our listeners, thank you for joining us on this journey of learning and growth. your enthusiasm and dedication to honing your business skills as design professionals. It inspires me to keep bringing you valuable content. So remember to subscribe to our podcast. So you never miss an episode. If you have any questions or even better yet topics you'd like me to cover in future episodes, feel free to reach out. I don't have all the answers, but we're going to find the people that do. If you would like one -on -one time with me, I'd love to discuss your firm, your plan for intentional. steps for growth, success, stumbling blocks, wherever you're at, you can book a call with me on our website at www .colorworks .coach. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep designing, and mastering the art of running a successful interior design business that scales to your life. This is Katie Erickson signing off for now. Bye bye.
Here's What listeners Are saying...
insightful conversations & super RELATABLE!
Excited for a podcast directed towards interior designers that covers the business and creative mindsets needed to run a successful firm. Throwing in life balance to every conversation makes this super relatable. Great conversations.
Colorful Conversations is like having a fun chat with your artsy friend who also knows how to create success! Katie's podcast is a must-listen for folks who love design and want to make money from their creative passions. She keeps you in the loop about the latest design trends while dropping priceless tips on turning your creativity into a successful business. Whether you're a design enthusiast or a budding entrepreneur, Katie's show is a goldmine of ideas and inspiration. So, tune in and get ready to blend style and success with her friendly and informative episodes – you won't want to miss it!
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