Turn Conversations into Paid Clients - for Interior Designers
Turn Conversations into Paid Clients - for Interior Designers
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How do you turn a great conversation into a great client?
Whether you run your own design studio, freelance, or work in the industry, building strong client relationships is an essential part of a successful career. But knowing how to move from “It was lovely to meet you” to “Let’s work together” can be surprisingly difficult.
In this practical and candid panel discussion, we’ll explore how to make meaningful connections, spot opportunities, communicate your value and turn conversations into potential paid work — without feeling overly salesy.
We’ll discuss what makes clients remember you, how to follow up without being pushy, how to build relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals, and how to approach conversations with confidence whether you’re looking for your next client or simply want to become better at working with the ones you already have.
OUR SPEAKERS:
Lucinda Rowan-Mayberry
Lucinda Rowan-Mayberry is the founder of Mayberry Interiors, and Housing Social Impact. She is a colourist, painter, writer, marketeer, speaker and advocate/ campaigner.
After graduating from University of Brighton in fine art/painting, her career in the decorative arts began as assistant decorative artist to Richard Bagguley before hiring her own studio in Bath and launching her first decorative accessory and fine art business ‘Objets d’art’. She soon extended her clientele to include interior decorating and launched Mayberry Fine Decorating.
Over the course of twenty years her career developed as a specialist decorator, colour consultant/ designer as she built a successful business in Bath whilst working in the Southwest and London.
"I never stop foraging for opportunities to speak to people in passing, whether I’m shopping, dining, travelling, in a queue. I recently turned a ‘hello’ into a paid business commission in a field of work that I had never done before."
Susie Rumbold
Susie is the Founder and Creative Director of Tessuto, a successful, multidisciplinary design studio, based in London, and a Past President of the British Institute of Interior Design.
Susie is regularly approached for expert commentary on interior design issues and appears
frequently in the national and trade media. She is also in-demand as a speaker on interior
design, hosting a monthly podcast on interior design industry issues, lecturing to degree students,
giving talks and chairing discussions at design events across the country.
She is a judge for the British Homes Awards, the Northern Design Awards, the BIID Interior Design
Awards and the CEDIA Technology Awards.
In 2022 Susie published the BIID Interior Design Project Book, commissioned by the RIBA to be the
industry standard text for professional practice in interior design in the UK.
Most recently she has been working with a trailblazer group to establish the first UK, degree level,
interior design apprenticeship to further inclusivity within the profession.
Adam Knight
KLC alumnus Adam Knight, founder of Nefarious Interiors, has been recognised by Country & Town House as one of the “50 Finest Interior Designers in the UK of 2026/27.
After graduating in 2012, Adam built experience across leading studios including Salvesen Graham and Nicola Harding, before gaining valuable commercial experience working in-house on international restaurant projects for Jamie Oliver. In 2020, they established their own studio, Nefarious Interiors, with a focus on creating interiors that bring joy.
"The word “nefarious” means “to be wicked,” and we embrace that by breaking rules, challenging conventions, and turning negatives into positives within the spaces we design. Whether working with commercial or residential clients, our goal is to make interior design accessible to everyone."
Caroline Nicholls
Caroline has been Director at Slightly Quirky for 10 years. She is alumni from KLC School of Design and draws on her previous 10 year experience in property sales and private development projects. She brings a great design acumen, creativity, imagination and business sense; as well as knowledge of how to add value to a property.
Location
Dilke House, 1 Malet St, WC1E 7JN