The Real Business Behind Interior Design | TUT

In this episode, I sat down with Julie Abner, Principal Designer & Owner at Julie Abner Interiors, an award-winning full-service interior design firm based in St. Louis. Julie has been building her firm for nearly 20 years, with work featured in publications like St. Louis Magazine, Sophisticated Living, and St. Louis Homes + Lifestyles. We talked about her early creative influences, how her parents helped recognize her interest in design, and the path that took her from Southern Illinois to Chicago and eventually to St. Louis. Julie also shared how she transitioned from working under other designers into building a firm of her own. We also got into the real business behind interior design: earning client trust, managing process, building vendor relationships, avoiding trends that do not last, and creating spaces that feel personal rather than copied. Julie broke down how she reads a client’s inspiration images, why five photos can be more useful than 100, and how she balances a client’s vision with budget, scale, materials, and long-term livability. She also shared practical design ideas for elevated spaces on a budget, her view on AI in the design process, and the unwritten teaching she would pass on: value yourself, trust your instincts, stay focused, and do the work. Connect with the Host Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠  / ⁠⁠   Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠  / itsrajtut   Connect with the Guest LinkedIn:   / julieabnerinteriors   Website: https://www.julieabnerinteriors.com/ Instagram:   / julie_abner_interiors   Timestamps for Key Segments 00:00 Design hacks for an elevated look on a budget 00:42 Storyboard Living multifamily acquisition note 01:13 Introducing Julie Abner and her 20-year design career 02:15 Growing up creative in Southern Illinois 04:21 Choosing design instead of a traditional path 05:33 Chicago, St. Louis, and the next career goal 06:49 Learning the business before starting her own firm 09:35 Moving from home office to The Hill studio 10:48 Wearing every hat in the early years 13:03 The first award and early validation 15:34 How Julie earns trust with clients 16:44 Balancing client vision with professional experience 19:09 What designers see inside inspiration images 21:33 Design lessons for commercial real estate spaces 25:08 Budget-friendly ways to elevate a home or apartment 27:37 Avoiding one-signature-style design 30:02 Timeless design versus trends 34:44 Staying current without copying what is overdone 37:19 What separates great vendors from average vendors 38:40 How AI fits into interior design 41:06 Lessons from year one to year twenty 43:49 Building a team, reputation, and confidence 45:52 Julie’s goals for the next decade 51:09 Rapid-fire design opinions 54:18 Julie’s unwritten teaching This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile:   / storyboard-living   #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #InteriorDesign #StLouisDesign #JulieAbnerInteriors #LuxuryResidentialDesign #DesignBusiness