From the outside, being a luxury interior designer might look like days filled with beautiful fabrics, glamorous showrooms, and champagne at installations. While there are moments like that, most days are a delicate balance of creativity, precision, and managing countless moving pieces to bring a vision to life.
Here’s a peek behind the scenes at what a day in the life of a luxury designer really looks like:
Morning: Setting the Tone
The day usually starts early — with coffee in hand and a quick review of emails, schedules, and project updates. Mornings are often spent on client communication and vendor coordination. This could mean confirming a delivery timeline for custom furniture, clarifying millwork details with a fabricator, or preparing notes for an upcoming presentation.
Design inspiration is also part of the morning rhythm. Reviewing new textile collections, sketching ideas, or mood boarding keeps creativity sharp.
Midday: Site Visits & Studio Collaboration
Midday often involves being out of the studio. Luxury design projects require site visits to ensure every detail is unfolding exactly as planned. On-site, we’re checking proportions, reviewing finishes in natural light, and solving problems before they become costly mistakes.
Back at the studio, the team collaborates on drawings, selections, and workflows. Studio hierarchies and processes keep things running smoothly — allowing me to sneak away to record a podcast for Charm & Circumstance or to go teach a class at my alma mater, the University of Kentucky's College of Design.
Afternoon: Creative Deep Work
Afternoons are often devoted to design development:
Finalizing layouts and floor plans
Pairing fabrics, finishes, and furniture
Crafting presentations for clients that feel both inspiring and practical
This is the part of the day where the artistry comes alive — translating a client’s story into a tangible design concept.
Evening: Client Meetings & Inspiration
Luxury design often extends beyond 9-to-5. Evening hours may be spent meeting with clients in their homes, presenting proposals, or attending industry events. Inspiration can also come from unexpected places — a dinner in a beautifully designed restaurant, a gallery opening, or even travel planning for sourcing trips locally and abroad.
The workday winds down with notes for the team, updates on project timelines, and yes, a little dreaming about the next big creative challenge.
Being a luxury designer is more than curating beautiful spaces — it’s balancing vision with execution, artistry with logistics, and personal connection with professional expertise. No two days look exactly alike, and that’s what makes this work both challenging and deeply rewarding.
✨ Are you ready to experience the difference of working with a designer who manages the details, so you can enjoy the results? At Ashley Morgan Interiors, we bring creativity, precision, and passion to every project. Let’s start your journey today.
About the Author: Ashley Bruggeman leads the Ashley Morgan Interiors team with over 20 years of experience in the interior design industry. A Lexington, Kentucky native, Ashley combines her deep local roots with a refined eye for timeless, livable luxury. Her passion lies in creating elegant spaces that feel as welcoming as they are beautiful. Learn more here.
