November Spotlight: Design Laws, Education & Market Moments
Photo: Wendy Estela, a Kahan Kerensky Capossela LLP attorney
The Art of Creating an Effective Contract
“Information is a negotiator’s greatest weapon.” – Victor Kiam, American Entrepreneur and TV Spokesperson
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to the portion of our industry that many of us don’t exactly like dealing with—negotiating contracts.
Contracts are essential to our success, though. They guide our principals on a project, help clients understand the timeline regarding design and purchases, lay out the details in writing that we don’t always keep tucked in the back of our minds, and so much more. They are our guiding light, so to speak.
Because of the details in a contract, we always want to ensure that each contract is written efficiently and successfully. That’s where the help of an attorney who specializes in interior design contracts may come in handy.
Wendy Estela, a Kahan Kerensky Capossela LLP attorney, began working exclusively with interior designers about a decade ago, helping write and negotiate contracts for their projects. She’s also been essential in streamlining designer contracts, making them more digestible for designers and their clients.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Estela recently. We invited her to share more about her legal experience working with interior designers and what led her to focus on our industry. She also shared some constructive tips on what elements of a contract are essential when working with a client. Read more below.
A New Milestone in Interior Design Education with DSA
"It has been a 24-year journey to realize this goal. Providing affordable education for interior designers is more than a victory—it is an investment in creativity and opportunity. It ensures that talent, not finances, shapes the future of design, inspiring a new generation to turn their dreams into reality."Natasha Lima Younts, DSA's President
Designer Society of America is thrilled to announce a landmark achievement in interior design education, marking the organization’s largest partnership to date in residential interior design education through colleges nationwide. This collaboration opens a groundbreaking, affordable pathway for aspiring designers across the globe, highlighting DSA’s commitment to guiding students through every stage of their career journey.
As the largest initiative of its kind in residential interior design education, this program offers students immersive, hands-on coursework that fosters both technical skill and personal style. Through the DSA Student Membership, students gain exclusive access to a wealth of DSA resources—templates, design tools, and software—crafted to enhance their learning and prepare them for real-world success.
The Residential Interior Designer Education Course and the RIDQC certification represent a significant step forward for DSA, underscoring the organization’s dedication to accessible, high-impact design education. This milestone sets a new standard in interior design education and highlights DSA’s role as a vital resource for professionals committed to lifelong learning and achievement.
"I’m incredibly proud that we’ve collaborated on this course offering, equipping interior design students to take progressive steps toward success in this evolving field. By creating an educational path that adapts to industry changes and integrating external resources through the DSA Student Membership and RIDQC certification, we give students every opportunity to thrive. We eagerly anticipate welcoming each and every student into the DSA Community, and we’re excited to see the innovative designs and ideas that will emerge. Together, we grow stronger as a community!"
Emily Allen Burroughs, DSA's Director of Interior Design Education
The Residential Interior Designer Education Course and the RIDQC certification represent a significant step forward for DSA, underscoring the organization’s dedication to accessible, high-impact design education. This milestone sets a new standard in interior design education and highlights DSA’s role as a vital resource for professionals committed to lifelong learning and achievement.
DSA is proud to stand by its members at every stage of their careers, providing resources, education, and support as they reach new professional heights. Thank you for being part of our vibrant community and your commitment to advancing interior design!
Inside High Point Market: Highlights from DSA’s Fall 2024 Experience!
If you were at High Point Market this October, you know it was buzzing with creativity, connections, and the excitement of what’s next in interior design. As North America’s largest furniture trade show, High Point always brings together the best in the industry, and this season was no exception. Here’s a look back at our favorite moments—and maybe a little inspiration for next time!
One of our favorite talks was hosted by our DSA friend,
Jenna Gaidusek, who led an engaging panel with Breegan Jane, Antonio DeLoatch, and Denise Wenacur on “Maximizing Potential: How AI Can Elevate Your Design Business.” Jenna and her panel unpacked how AI can streamline parts of the design process, from project management to marketing, freeing up more time for creativity. It was inspiring and a reminder of the exciting ways technology can help elevate your design business without taking away from your craft!
We’re so grateful to everyone who joined us for our cozy DSA coffee meet-up. We also enjoyed a memorable VIP DSA dinner and connected with wonderful friends, both new and familiar, throughout the event. We can’t wait to see even more of you next Market!
No High Point experience would be complete without showroom adventures, and we found some serious gems this season. Dovetail impressed us with their beautiful finishes, Hinkley Lighting brought fresh inspiration to illumination, and Currey & Co. dazzled with unique pieces perfect for bold design statements. Walking through these showrooms reminded us why High Point is truly the designer’s playground!
Haley Hinson, our Marketing & Operations Coordinator, summed it up perfectly: “Not only is High Point the place to see what’s trending and to hear insightful talks from industry pros, but it’s also the place to meet new friends and catch up with peers!”
Just when we thought we couldn't squeeze in more joy and laughter...
On Monday, October 28,
Currey & Company hosted a spectacular social gathering honoring the Interior Design Community with Laurie Laisure and Nile Johnson. The event was a smash hit! We smiled, hugged, and shed a few happy tears. We are so thankful we had attended.
We’re already counting down the days until the next Market, and we’re excited to reconnect with all our DSA friends and explore the latest innovations in design together. See you next time!
Elements to Successfully Negotiating a Design Contract
By Lindsay Field Penticuff
After working as in-house counsel for companies in the construction industry for nearly 15 years, Wendy Estela, a partner at Kahan Kerensky Capossela LLP, switched gears so she could support interior designers with their design contracts.
“I worked for an elevator company and a general contractor that built power plants—managing a lot of subcontracts,” says Estela, who has been practicing law for 24 years—10 working exclusively with interior designers—and has her license in Connecticut, New York and Utah. “It was all great and it was good training for me, but it never quite clicked. I learned very good basics for contracts, subcontracts and trades, coordinating trades and all of that.”
Parallel to that, she had an interest in design and made many friends in the industry throughout the years.
“A very good friend is an interior designer and she’d be venting to me about some of the experiences she is having. It just sort of naturally evolved into me helping her with a contract and her telling her other friends about me. I really liked working with them and they appreciated the guidance I was giving them,” Estela says.
She felt like that was an opportunity to represent a group of professionals who didn’t seem to have guidance in the way of legal support.
“I had all this experience that fit with my friend group that became my clients, and it’s a circle— friends who become clients and clients who become friends,” she says. “I really love it … and I think it’s the right fit because of my personality type.”
Below, learn more about Estela’s background in law and how she’s supporting interior designers in our industry, and be sure to review the essential elements she believes should be included in design contracts to help strengthen client relationships and protect designers from potential legal disputes.
Given your experience in contract negotiations and disputes, what are some common legal challenges that interior designers face, and how do you advise them to navigate these issues effectively?
In the relationship: “Even though everyone calls me for their contract, it never comes down to the piece of paper—ever. It comes down to the relationship. Listening to your client, paying attention, and watching body language and good communication … those are the things you can never overlook. When you’re negotiating, you have to actively listen and understand not just what the client wants out of the design, but what are their interests and why do they want these things. I think designers do a really good job of asking questions like, ‘How do you want to use your space?’, but you have to understand what they want out of this deal and when you start understanding the interests at play, it’s a lot easier to start negotiating the specifics of the project. It rarely comes down to negotiating over the number.”
In the contract negotiation: “The most important things to negotiate are holding the money upfront, having some sort of cash flow. Beyond the relationship, you have to know how to protect yourself. Making sure the cashflow is there, making sure the disputes stay out of court if they happen (happen through arbitration) and when there’s a dispute, no one is disparaging each other (online reputation protections), tapping your legal liabilities (if you as a designer massively screwup, you want to make sure the most you’re getting screwed for is your design fee and you can write that into a contract). … Holding the money upfront is the No. 1 thing I tell people, because most disputes are under $40,000, and if you’re under $40,000, it not worthwhile to go to court, because you’re going to pay $20,000 to a lawyer, and you might settle and get $30,000, and most of that goes to your lawyer. It’s always important to hold any amounts that you’re owed on a month-to-month basis.”
You’ve mentioned your commitment to supporting minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses. How do you approach legal counsel differently for these clients, considering their unique challenges and goals?
“I understand that the business and a person are very much intertwined, and I understand that with businesses owned by women, minorities, LGBTQ+ and veterans, there are a lot of issues where our self-esteem may not quite be where it should, because we deal with imposter syndrome. I have an element like a coach, where I am telling clients all the time, ‘You have to know your worth.’ I coach them how to negotiate a contract or deal. They often need that encouragement. Anyone who has been on the outside before struggles to stand up for themselves at times, so I spend extra time in that role as a coach verses not just an adviser. I really try to do a lot of the face to face, because it’s important to get to know others as people, and that’s the difference. You have to connect on a human level.”
Continue reading the article HERE!
Be sure to keep up with Wendy via her socials and learn more here.
Some Thoughts On … Modernity
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I am in the process of developing a new book proposal on modernity in interior design, a concept that is often misunderstood.
When discussing modernity, there are so many tropes floating around in the cultural soup: minimalism, the less-is-more aesthetic espoused by Mies van der Rohe; simplicity, and the
form follows function concept developed by Louis Sullivan; and humble, authentic materials, such as stone, wood and textural fabrics.
And yet, what’s considered “modern” is as difficult to define as describing the color of falling rain.
The designer and architect Alan Wanzenberg wrote an excellent definition of modernity in my book “
Interior Design Master Class: 100 Lessons from America’s Finest Designers on the Art of Decoration.” He said, “Modernity is more than an attitude. It is a look at the world that incorporates all its myriad elements into life in an essential way, giving pleasure and meaning. Modernity demands an edit of all that’s available, paring the choices down to what’s necessary. It’s not about novelty or trend. It can be about what’s contemporary, but that is not its preoccupation; it is about determining how and with what we live. It is the here and now. To possess modernity, one must live in the present.”
With that definition, Wanzenberg separates the ubiquitous midcentury modernity from any other period in the decorative arts because, in the end, modernity is experienced in the now.
For example, the organic, flowing lines of Art Nouveau, which lasted 20 years between 1890 and 1910, were considered modern. The Arts & Crafts Movement from 1880 through the early 1920s was a modern break from the Victorian period. The list goes on to include the Bauhaus movement, Art Deco, The International Style and Memphis Design.
Read the full article
HERE!
About
Carl Dellatore & Associates – provides designers, architects, and creatives with writing, editing, and copyediting services by an established team to effectively reveal your story.
Your Hub for Design Inspiration and Insight
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Stay up to date on the latest from us! We’re thrilled to keep you connected with all things design. Our Passport to Design series, hosted by Christina Richardson, is the perfect destination for discovering inspiring stories from designers around the world. Dive into engaging interviews that explore innovative perspectives, design journeys, and global trends—whether you’re a student, a seasoned designer, or a design enthusiast, there’s something for everyone!
Explore our Design Viewpoint area, where we regularly update you with educational articles, insightful Q+As, and industry news. This section covers everything from emerging design trends to in-depth professional tips, making it a must-visit for anyone looking to grow their design knowledge. And don’t miss Carl’s Some Thoughts On series—Carl Dellatore’s take on the evolving world of design is always fresh, entertaining, and thought-provoking.
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Interior Designers, are you seeking credentials?
Eligible DSA members receive a discounted rate for the RIDQC certification. RIDQC is the most prestigious residential interior design certification offered nationally through colleges and universities.
DSA members, increase your credentials at a discounted registration rate!
If you qualify, contact us to save over 60% on registration.
Do you qualify?
Meet one of the two criteria requirements listed below:
- Designers with four or more years of interior design experience.
- Designers who have completed interior design educational programs may submit their completion certificates or diplomas for RIDQC approval. Email support@ridqcexam.org
Residential Interior Designers, the RIDQC is part of your professional journey. This exam was created with you in mind.
RIDQC Certification registration includes a 250-page online manual with over 300 images. The exam is taken online through a proctoring service and scheduled at your convenience through the student RIDQC console.
