Why Do I Feel Stuck as an Interior Designer?
06 juli 2025 
2 min. read

Why Do I Feel Stuck as an Interior Designer?

This article is for experienced interior designers who feel stuck — not because of a lack of talent, but because their business no longer fully reflects who they’ve become.

You’ve built something.
Clients know where to find you.
Your portfolio speaks for itself.
And yet… it doesn’t feel fully like you.

You keep going. Because that’s what you do.
But quietly, a part of you wonders:

  • “Why doesn’t this feel easier?”
  • “Why does every project still take so much energy?”
  • “Why do I feel like I’ve outgrown my own studio?”

Interior designer staring at screen with quiet doubt, asking herself difficult questions about her studioYou’re not alone.
This is the in-between zone that so many talented designers enter.
Not burned out. But not fully at home in your own interior design studio either.

From the outside, you’re doing great.
But inside, it feels like you’re designing with the handbrake on.
You have the skills, the taste, the drive — but not the clarity to make it feel unmistakably yours.

The real reason you feel stuck?

It’s rarely about your design talent.
And it’s not because you’re “not good at business.”

The truth is: most interior design studios are built project by project, client by client.
Not with a clear strategy, but with good intentions, late nights, and a lot of figuring-it-out-on-the-go (something we often see).

You improvise. You adapt. You deliver.
But in the process, you sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture:

  • 👉 Who am I as an interior designer?
  • 👉 What do I stand for — and what do I no longer tolerate?
  • 👉 What kind of projects energize me, and which ones quietly drain me?

That’s where the friction begins.
Not loud. Not dramatic. But persistent.

And over time, that quiet misalignment becomes heavy.

3 common reasons interior designers feel stuck in their studio

Visual breakdown of common struggles interior designers face in their business: positioning, philosophy, and process

What’s going on internallyWhat it feels like day-to-day
You’ve outgrown your original positioningClients still see you as “that” designer — even though you’ve evolved
You’ve never clarified your true design philosophyEvery presentation feels like a negotiation
Your studio runs on intuition, not structureProjects flow… until they don’t

Sound familiar?

So — what now?

You don’t need to blow everything up.
You don’t need a rebrand, a new logo, or a wild pivot.
Just a clearer foundation beneath your creativity.

What you need is perspective.

A way to see your interior design studio as a system.
And to find the one point of tension that’s currently weighing it down.

Preview of the Beyond Interior Design Quiz showing how designers discover their archetype and studio frictionWe created the Beyond Interior Design Quiz exactly for that.

It’s not about judgment.
It’s not a personality test.
It’s a diagnostic tool built by interior designers — for interior designers.

In just 4 minutes, it shows you:

  • Your dominant archetype (what drives you, where your strength lies)
  • Your current point of friction (where you unconsciously hold yourself back)
  • Clear feedback per domain (what’s flowing, what’s stuck)
  • Actionable insight you can use — starting now

✨ And yes, it actually feels like someone finally gets you.

You’re not behind.

You’re just ready for your next chapter — one that feels fully yours.

Start the Beyond Quiz now
It’s free. Just for you. And it might change everything. The Beyond Interior Design Quiz is designed to help interior designers gain clarity, structure, and flow — even if their business feels stuck.

About the author
Sven van Buuren (1980) is an interior architect and the founder of the Beyond Interior Design Club and the Beyond Interior Design LinkedIn Group (245,000+ members). With a clear eye, calm energy, and sharp thinking, he helps interior designers make stronger choices — in business, in positioning, and in life.Sven lives what he preaches. He shaped his own freedom with a studio for high-end residential design, the Beyond Club, and a lifestyle that lets him continuously travel the world.Driven by quiet optimism and fierce loyalty, he keeps asking: What does it take to build a studio that truly fits the way you want to live?
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