In this episode of Hospitality Design Talks, designer and host Rachel Larraine Crawford breaks down why hiring an interior designer isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a core business strategy for hospitality owners. From saving time and avoiding costly mistakes, to translating your brand into a sensory guest experience, Rachel shares the top reasons bringing a designer onto your team can directly impact your revenue, reviews, and repeat guests.

She also pulls back the curtain on one of her recent projects, Aura Gardens, where she designed the brand and the space from the inside out, down to custom watercolor wallpaper and bespoke table colors, all aligned with the guest experience and the owner’s vision.

If you’ve been wondering whether working with a designer is “worth it,” this is your sign.

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Hello there.

Welcome back to Hospitality Design Talks.

I am your host and designer, Rachel Lorraine Crawford.

Today I am coming on to share with you all about why you need to hire a designer.

Because design is not a luxury, it is a business strategy, especially for those of you that are hospitality business owners.

Before I recorded this podcast I actually wrote out a full script and I tried reading that.

This is probably take, I think around take 11, which proves that I cannot read a script.

So I'm just going to be speaking to you all here.

I do have my notes, so you're going to hear that.

And of course this episode is unedited and raw, so you get the real deal.

Alrighty.

For number one reason why you need to hire a designer for your space is that time is your most valuable asset.

We all know this.

I know you, being a business owner, your time is getting pulled in a million directions with permits, hiring, marketing staff, training, your guest, communications, the list goes on.

You are never stopped.

And I know that having a designer is going to help you get clarity, speed and relief.

If you are designing your own space, you are having to spend hours outside of your day to day searching Pinterest, contacting contractors and you're just stressed out.

And honestly, you don't have time to learn a whole nother skill.

I know that you need to get open immediately and delegation, delegation is mandatory, so don't try to go through this yourself.

I've been doing this for decades.

Let me join your team or at least get a designer on board to help you.

You relieve all the stress that you're going through.

Number two is that you're hiring years of experience.

So design is not just about choosing nice furniture, it's about knowing how people move in space, what they notice, and how a space actually feels good and works.

Well, I've been doing, I've been in the interior design industry for over 25 years, so I understand what is working.

And every project builds my mental archive of what works, what doesn't work, and of course what beautiful surprises prizes we can give your guests in the best way possible.

I'm looking at all these things I'm trained with ADA compliance, durability, scale, acoustics, lighting, all the things that could go wrong that you don't realize until they actually do.

And it's just foresight that I have that you will not get by creating a mood board on Pinterest.

It really comes from hands on experience, which is what you get by hiring a professional.

Number three is that you get access to trade only resources by going through a designer.

So designers have access to things you just cannot get on your own.

We work with trade only vendors.

This means that I can source furniture, lighting, textiles, artwork, things that you are not going to find in regular retail stores or online.

And these are often higher quality products.

They're much more customizable and they better align with your brand store strategy or your brand story.

So definitely want to work with a designer to get access to all of those resources.

Number four is creative problem solving.

So every single project has challenges.

It could be a weird shaped room, a limited budget, which seems to be the case, always a branding element that needs to be translated into the physical space.

And this is what I love doing.

I love finding creative solutions that are functional, beautiful.

And of course, on brand design is not just about aesthetics.

It's a complete puzzle and it's problem solving.

And I've learned how to solve those puzzles in a way that's not only efficient, but it often is more imaginative than you could have expected.

And of course, I have the experience of solving those problems.

Number five is that we design for the guest experience.

And in hospitality, we know that experience is everything.

When I'm designing a space, I'm thinking about how someone is going to feel from the moment that they walk in the what they're going to see first, what they smell, what textures are going to invite them in to stay a little bit longer, and where we need to rest the eye and how to make the body relax in the space.

For me, design is sensor, sensory.

In hospitality, those moments equal emotional memories.

And this is what's going to make guests come back and they're going to recommend their friends.

So being trained in classical Feng shui and being a Reiki master, I understand energy and I know how these things work and how the subconscious is going to react to a space, which is huge.

Number six is translating your brand into the built environment.

I want to share with you a little bit about our recent project that opened this year in August, and that is with Aura Gardens.

This is one of my favorite projects because I wasn't just designing the space.

I was designing a brand experience from the inside out.

We started with their brand concept and we worked alongside the client to develop the visual identity, and we extended that into every single detail of the interior.

This is one project that I got to have full control of the brand and the design, which was really, really cool.

I even created a custom watercolor wallpaper that I made myself.

I taught myself how to watercolor.

I had a very distinct vision in my mind of what I wanted this to look like.

And I took my watercolor painting and I created wallpaper with it which was inspired by the brand's natural brightness, the elevated vibe.

And I wanted something that no one else had.

I really wanted to make this piece custom.

It's a mural in the space and of course the wallpaper is vinyl, so you can wipe it off.

But we didn't stop there.

I developed their custom color palette which translated into their custom color tables.

This is one of those vendors that I had access to that was able to specify the exact color tone of those tables, the exact sizes I wanted.

So that just added to this richness to the space that you don't see everywhere else.

I also personally installed the faux plant installation in the soffit and toward the back.

I also applied these plants to light fixtures which really created a mood and it was a vibe that the guests could really feel and connect with.

And then after install, I'm still involved.

I curate their in person events and I help them with their marketing.

So I make sure that the brand is completely aligned in their space and socials and how they're being seen.

This is stuff that a designer can do for you that is very deep and is integrated so you don't want to miss out on those opportunities.

Number seven is that we have a Rolodex of reliable trades and vendors.

This is where I was kind of tapping into on those tables, but also with that wallpaper.

Behind me is a team that I have spent years building a network of trusted vendors, fabricators and installers who gets things done.

They know how I work, I know how they work.

Our relationships are huge.

And like I said, they're built over decades so you don't have to go on Google guessing your way through finding a wallpaper installer or a custom upholsterer.

I have the people for you.

I have a huge network that I share and can manage with you.

Number eight is that project management is part of my design, my design package.

So it's not just about inspiration.

Design for me is about the logistics.

When you're running a business and you're running, managing timelines, deliveries, all of those things, I am on the back end with design and I'm managing the timelines for installation, I'm managing the backorders, the punch lists, the install days, the chaos that goes on that you don't need on your plate.

So I project manage that piece that is through my procurement services where we take care of all those things so that you don't have to run another business designing your space.

Number nine is that we are working with more sustainable design choices and technologies.

So we are looking at things that we know are going to be safer for the planet, they're going to be safer for your guests.

And we're prioritizing these non toxic materials and energy efficient lighting and long lasting finishes.

So we're looking at everything on a holistic level.

And then our last reason why you need to hire an interior designer, of course, is your return on investment.

We know that beautifully designed holistic spaces allows you to charge more, it increases your bookings, it raises your average check size and improves customer retention.

It even affects your reviews.

Because when people feel good in your space, they want to say so, they want to share.

They're going to share it online and they're going to share it with their friends and family.

If you have a poorly designed space, it's going to get skipped, it's going to get forgotten, it's going to get criticized.

Your space is your first impression and you want people to come in.

People are looking for experiences.

They're not looking for, you know, eat and run type of thing.

They want something that they're gonna linger in.

They're gonna be really intentional about where they're spending their time.

So to sum it up, hiring a designer isn't just about making your space prettier.

It's about being smart.

It's about making a space that's more functional and more aligned with your brand and your brand goals.

It saves you time, it protects your budget, and of course, it enhances the guest experience and in the end, of course, increases your revenue.

So if you've been wondering whether or not to hire a designer, if it's worth it, the answer is absolutely yes.

Especially when it comes to hospitality.

If you can't hire a designer fully, even just getting a consultation with a designer, that's something that you can do with me.

I highly recommend just getting another set of eyes on your project.

So thank you so much for this sort of short, sweet episode.

I know that your time is valuable.

I'm trying to keep these episodes on the shorter side so that you can kind of get in, get what you need, get your tips and run your business.

So I just want to thank you so much for taking the time to tap into this episode of hospitality design talks.

And if this resonated with you, please share with another business owner who is dreaming of their next business, big space.

And if you want to learn more, you can also see behind the scenes and photos of Aura Gardens and of course, other projects through our newsletter.

You can sign up in the show notes.

Our newsletter is called behind the Veil, so we share all the behind the stuff with all of you.

And until next time, remember that good design isn't just what you see, it's what your guests feel.

And that feeling is what keeps them coming back.

Until next time, take care.