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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast

1007: Lauren Li: Interior Design Blogging to Interior Design Book Deals

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Business, Design, Arts

4.8786 Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2024

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today With Lauren Li: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Many designers dream of getting a book deal, but aren’t sure where to start.  My guest today is interior designer and author Lauren Li, sharing her journey from blog posts to book deals. Lauren, the founding director of Melbourne-based interior design studio Sisällä, has recently published two books with Thames & Hudson: "The New French Look" and "Beachside Modern."  Lauren emphasizes the importance of putting your expertise out into the world and reveals how becoming an author can elevate your design business and attract high-quality clients. She shares insights into how consistent content creation can lead to unexpected opportunities and the realities of the book writing and publishing process, along with strategies for developing an authentic writing voice. Of course, we discuss the business side of publishing, too, including contracts and image rights. Whether you're harboring dreams of writing your own design book or simply looking to expand your professional reach, Lauren's experience offers valuable lessons for designers at all stages of their careers. LuAnn Nigara and Lauren Li's Ah-Ha Moments “You don't really make a lot of money from books. It's more of a marketing thing.” - Lauren Li “I like to write like I'm speaking to someone — like talking to a friend. So that sets me apart.” Lauren Li “Be prepared to be lucky.” - LuAnn Nigara “A lot of people are serious people with serious knowledge. But putting that serious information on a pen to paper is a whole different animal.” - LuAnn Nigara More About Lauren Li With an innate ability for translating the client’s personality into an interior space, Lauren skillfully applies texture and color to create atmospheric spaces. No two projects are the same. Lauren Li is the founding director of the interior design studio, Sisällä, based in Melbourne, Australia. She has more than 20 years of experience across the residential, retail, and commercial sectors, and holds a Bachelor of Design, Interior Design (Honors) from Swinburne, and a Diploma of Arts, Interior Design & Decoration from RMIT. Lauren founded sisällä in 2012 with a passion to create beautifully rich spaces reflective of her clients’ context, lifestyles, and individual desires. The studio’s name sisällä, meaning ‘inside’ in Finnish, is both a tribute to Lauren’s ancestors and her fondness for Scandinavian inspired interiors merging beauty with functionality. Connect with Lauren Li Website Instagram  Book: The New French Look on Amazon Book: Beachside Modern on Amazon The Design Society: workshops, courses and mentoring for interior designers What’s new with LuAnn Nigara The Power Talk Friday Tour Watch the Docuseries! http://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Resources Mentioned: Join us for our free Pre CEO Conference Zoom open house! Go to mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness and get 20% off your first three months! Other Shows Mentioned: AWDB #381: Power Talk Friday: Julie Broad: Write a Book to Market Your Interior Design Business AWDB #840: Jean Stoffer: Work in Harmony Through Every Season of Life AWDB #844: John McClain: Turn Failure into Success AWDB #862: AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy of the Black Family Home

Transcript

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0:00.0

Have you heard about the exciting new exhibit by the Black Artist and Designers Guild, which was commissioned by the Cooper Hewitt's Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City?

0:11.0

Big news, right?

0:12.5

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

0:18.1

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

0:23.7

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

0:28.5

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

0:40.5

surrounded by art, objects, artifacts, and books of black legacy. In reimagining and repurposing

0:49.6

the Andrew Carnegie Personal Library, Badge invites you to examine the power of home libraries

0:56.0

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

1:02.2

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

1:08.6

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

1:12.4

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

1:19.8

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

1:25.0

runs 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.

1:49.8

Welcome. Welcome to a well-designed business.

1:53.7

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

1:59.7

Together with my husband, Vince, and our partner, Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks from the ground up, so I know and I understand the

2:02.1

challenges you face in running your interior design business.

2:05.6

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

2:10.6

So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business. But make no mistake about it,

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