Are You Too Available to Your Clients? How to Set Boundaries as an Interior Designer

Ever feel like you're permanently on-call for your interior design clients?

As if you're a doctor on emergency duty, only instead of saving lives, you're fielding late-night texts about scatter cushions and wallpaper samples?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Far too many interior designers fall into the trap of being constantly available, thinking it’s a mark of excellent service. But here’s the truth: being too available isn’t just exhausting, it’s actually damaging to your business and your creativity.

And the worst part? It doesn’t even help your clients in the way you think it does.

The Hidden Cost of Being Over-Available

Let’s be honest, when a client texts you a photo of a pendant light at 10pm on a Sunday, wanting immediate feedback… that’s not collaboration. That’s dependency.

I once spoke with a designer whose client sent her dozens of photos from a lighting showroom in real time, asking for instant approval on each one. She couldn’t enjoy her Sunday lunch, let alone switch off. Sound familiar?

When you're fielding constant interruptions, you’re mentally switching between different projects, budgets, styles, and personalities all day long, and that kind of task-switching is exhausting. It saps your focus and compromises the quality of your work.

But the cost isn’t just professional. It’s personal too.

When clients know they can reach you at any hour, it eats into family time, your evenings, your mental bandwidth. And before you know it, you’re burnt out, resentful, and wondering why you ever got into this business in the first place.

The ironic part? The more available you are, the more they expect from you. Especially those clients who like to overthink or second-guess every decision, they’ll run every single doubt past you, day or night.

So What’s the Solution?

It’s all about setting, and sticking to, healthy, professional boundaries.

I use a simple three-part framework that I teach all the designers in The Interior Designers Hub, and it changes everything. If you implement it properly, you’ll protect your time, your energy, and your creativity, and your clients will still get brilliant service.

Let’s break it down.

1. Set Clear Boundaries from Day One

This starts before you take on a client. At the very first consultation, outline your working hours, preferred methods of contact, and your standard response times.

Are you available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm? Do you prefer email over WhatsApp? Will you respond within 24 hours on business days? Whatever works for you, be clear about it.

This isn’t about being inflexible, it’s about creating the conditions you need to do your best work.

And frame it positively! Instead of saying, “I don’t work evenings,” try something like:

“I work to set hours so I can give each project my full attention and maintain a high standard of work. That way, you’ll always get the best of me.”

2. Put It in Writing, Always

Boundaries aren’t just a polite conversation, they need to be reflected in your contract.

Include a clear section on communication: how clients should contact you, during what hours, and how quickly you’ll respond. Also outline your revisions policy, this is so important for avoiding scope creep later down the line.

For example:

“Communication will be via email during working hours (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm). We aim to respond within 24–48 hours. Revisions beyond the agreed scope of work will be charged at £X/hour.”

Setting this out clearly ensures everyone is on the same page, and if a client questions it later, you’ve got it in black and white.

3. Enforce Your Boundaries Consistently

This is where most designers struggle, because it feels awkward at first.

But here’s the thing: your boundaries are only effective if you actually stick to them.

So if you say you don’t respond at weekends, don’t reply to weekend messages, even if they seem urgent. If a client pushes for extra design changes outside the agreed scope, politely point them to your revisions policy and quote accordingly.

“I’d be happy to explore that option with you. As it falls outside our original scope, the additional cost would be £X. Would you like me to prepare a quote?”

Remember, each time you bend the rules, you train your client to expect that you’re always available. It doesn’t help them, and it definitely doesn’t help you.

Handling Pushback (Without the Guilt)

If a client pushes back, stay calm and professional.

“I understand you're excited about the project, and I want to give your ideas the attention they deserve. Let’s book in a proper time to discuss this during working hours so I can be fully focused.”

Clients who respect your boundaries tend to respect your expertise too, they’re the dream clients we all want. The ones who push back on every policy? They may not be the right fit.

Ready to Take Action?

Here’s what to do next:

1. Draft your communication policy.
Define your hours, contact methods, and response time.

2. Update your contract.
Make sure it outlines boundaries around communication, design revisions, and what happens if a client wants to change direction mid-project.

3. Practise your boundary-setting language.
Write down a few phrases you can use when discussing this with clients. Keep it positive, professional and confident.

4. Start fresh with new clients.
It’s far easier to implement boundaries at the beginning of a relationship than to try and undo bad habits later. Start as you mean to go on.

And if you'd like our professionally written contract template, which includes all of this wording and more, click below to take a look!

Remember, your clients want you to be at your best. That means rested, focused, and creatively energised, not exhausted and stressed out because you’re glued to your phone 24/7.

Setting boundaries isn’t unkind. It’s one of the most professional things you can do.

Until next time,
Kate x