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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast

350: Belinda Nihill: Building A Full-Service Design Firm by Niching in Nursery Decor

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Business, Design, Arts

4.8786 Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2018

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to the show! We have the pleasure of introducing you to an Australian designer today, Belinda Nihill, the principal of Nest Design Studio. After the birth of her first child, and working as a qualified interior designer for more than fifteen years, Bel started a blog focused on children's spaces. On the show today she explains how her really small, niche blog, Nest, progressed to becoming a really successful boutique design firm with clients in Australia, USA, France, Ireland, Dubai, Canada and many more places around the world. Listen in today to discover how Bel managed to really set herself apart from other Australian designers. Nest Design Studio was founded in 2010 and is known for its classic and creative style. Recognised both nationally and internationally, Nest has been featured in more than 25 magazines worldwide and has also been profiled on a number of other media outlets. Nest was included in the House and Garden Top Fifty Rooms of 2015 and in 2016 Bel released her first book, Beautiful Babies Rooms. Building on her reputation for being a leader in the children's interior field, and due to demand from her clients, Bel has now extended Nest to include residential and commercial interiors as well. Bel is a member of the Design Institute of Australia. Listen in today to find out more. Show highlights: How Bel's blog was born, soon after the birth of her child. How Bel went about creating her blog. Bel has completed nearly 500 nursery and children's room projects in the eight years that she's been in business. What helped Bel's blog to grow and feed her business. What Project Nursery is all about and how it helped Bel to grow her business. Finding what you're really passionate about as a way to grow your business. It took about six months for Bel's blog to gain some traction. Some of the things that really helped Bel grow her blog. What prompted Bel to start doing e-designing. How Bel worked out how much to charge for e-design. What Bel has learned about systems in the eight years since she's been in business. What Bel learned from the episode with Chaney Widmer (#327). Bel explains how her business has grown. The kind of budget that Bel works with for children's rooms. What's to be found in Belinda's book. Belinda's plans for the future. The steps that Belinda is taking towards her future plans. How Belinda sources her products. Belinda's advice for new designers. Some tips for building community on Instagram. Some of the challenges Belinda has faced with running her business out of her home. Other episodes mentioned on the show: Cheryl Janis #41 Laurel Bern #342 Chaney Widmer #327 Christina Perry #05 Rachel Moriarty #55 #214 To register to become an Article trade member go to Well Designed Article. Well Designed Article If you would like to be in Luann's mastermind, email her assistant at [email protected] to set you up for a chat.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Have you heard about the exciting new exhibit by the Black Artists and Designers Guild,

0:05.6

which was commissioned by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City?

0:11.1

Big news, right?

0:12.6

The Cooper Hewitt's exhibition is called Making Home, Smithsonian Design Triennial.

0:18.2

Now, the batch designers exhibit is titled the Underground Library,

0:23.8

inspired by the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is the clandestine network

0:28.6

established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans

0:33.6

traveled in search of freedom. This library installation represents a 21st century sanctuary surrounded by art, objects,

0:43.5

artifacts, and books of black legacy.

0:46.9

In reimagining and repurposing the Andrew Carnegie Personal Library,

0:52.7

badge invites you to examine the power of home libraries

0:56.1

and the significance of literacy, remembering that African Americans were denied the right to read

1:02.3

under slavery. I'm honored to share that Window Works in Livingston was asked by badge to create

1:08.7

the flat panels for the windows. We used a custom design fabric

1:12.5

by badge members, and the fabric was fabricated by Stacey Garcia's team at Libatex. So please make a

1:20.0

point to visit this inspired space the next time you are in New York City. The exhibition runs

1:25.5

from November 24 all the way through August 10th,

1:30.0

2025. So you have plenty of time to get this on your calendar. We will put links in the show notes. Welcome to a well-designed business.

1:50.8

My name is Luann Nygaara, and I'm so glad you found this podcast.

1:54.6

Together with my husband, Vince, and our partner, Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks from the ground up.

2:00.3

So I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business.

2:06.6

I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success.

...

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