When people think about interior design, they imagine beautiful mood boards, curated furniture, soft lighting, and perfectly styled spaces.
Interior designers imagine creativity.
They imagine aesthetics.
They imagine glamour.
What they don’t see is the emotional labour behind the scenes.
And for me, the hardest part of being an interior designer isn’t budgets, deadlines, or even design disagreements.
It’s taking up a project… and later realizing it was the wrong one.
The Cost of Ignoring Red Flags
Over the years, I’ve learned something the hard way.
Sometimes the real challenge isn’t bad clients, greedy contractors, or poor workmanship.
Sometimes the challenge is your own decision to ignore what you already sensed.
There have been projects where, in the very first meeting, I could feel something was off.
A dismissive tone.
Unclear expectations.
Contractors cutting corners.
People negotiating in ways that felt uncomfortable rather than collaborative.
And yet, I chose to proceed.
Not because I couldn’t see the red flags.
But because I thought:
- Maybe I’m overthinking.
- Maybe it’ll smooth out once work starts.
- Maybe I can manage this.
It didn’t smooth out.
It escalated.
When the Project Costs More Than Money
As an interior designer working independently in Pune for the past decade, every project is personal to me. It’s not just work — it’s my name, my credibility, and my emotional energy on the line.
When a project goes wrong, the loss isn’t just financial.
It costs:
- Time that could have gone into better work
- Energy that drains your creativity
- Mental peace that lingers long after the site is closed
I’ve dealt with:
- Clients who shifted goalposts constantly
- Contractors driven purely by margins, not integrity
- Labourers whose workmanship compromised the design vision
But the most frustrating part?
Knowing I sensed the problem early on.
It’s Not About Judging People Poorly
I used to wonder — am I just bad at judging people?
But that’s not true.
Most of us can sense misalignment very quickly. We know when intentions don’t feel right. We know when respect is missing. And we know when something feels transactional instead of collaborative.
The real mistake isn’t misjudging.
It’s overriding your instinct for the sake of opportunity.
Especially when you run your own practice, the pressure to say “yes” can be strong. Every project feels important. Every opportunity feels like something you shouldn’t let go of.
But not every project is meant for you.
The Biggest Lesson of the Last Year
The past year has been a turning point for me.
I’ve learned that saying no is a design decision too.
Now, if I sense wrong intentions, lack of respect, or values that don’t align with mine, I step back.
Not because I can’t handle difficult people.
But because I don’t want to build beautiful spaces at the cost of my own peace.
Design is collaborative. It requires trust, mutual respect, and shared vision.
Without that, even the most luxurious materials and the most stunning concepts fall apart.
The Real Hardest Part
The hardest part of being an interior designer isn’t designing.
It’s choosing the right people to design for.
Because at the end of the day, we don’t just create spaces.
We build relationships.
And no aesthetic upgrade is worth compromising your sanity.
If you’re in a creative profession, you’ll understand this deeply — sometimes growth isn’t about expanding your portfolio.
It’s about refining your boundaries.
