Turnkey Design Talk
Hosted by interior designer Adam Scougall, Turnkey Design Talk is a podcast for solo interior designers and decorators who want to run calmer, more controlled businesses — and finish projects properly.
The show focuses on what actually makes the difference in a design career:
how projects are led, how boundaries are set, how decisions are made, and how work is brought to a confident, photo-worthy close.
This isn’t about trends or overnight success.
It’s about taking responsibility for the outcome — from the first client yes through to the final reveal.
If you care about delivering beautifully finished homes, creating genuine wow moments for your clients, and building a business that works on your terms, you’re in the right place.
https://www.instagram.com/adamscougall
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Episodes
40 episodes
5 Ways Interior Designers Are Actually Making Money in 2026
Episode OverviewWhat do you do when the projects slow down—and the income feels uncertain?In this episode, I’m breaking down five practical, real-world ways interior designers are making money right now in 2026. These aren’...
Interior Design Fees 2026: What Designers Are Really Charging (And Why It’s Still Not Enough)
I spend a fair bit of time speaking with interior designers and decorators — not just for content, but to really understand what’s happening in the industry right now.And here’s the truth… not much has changed since 2024.In this 2...
Is an Interior Design Career Right for You in 2026?
Interior design looks like a dream career from the outside — beautiful spaces, creative freedom, and meaningful work with clients.And it absolutely can be.But there’s a side of this industry that doesn’t get talked about enough…
From Busy to Profitable: 3 Essentials Every Designer Must Master
In this episode of Turnkey Design Talk, I’m sharing the three essentials that have made the biggest difference in my interior design business — not overnight, but over years of learning, refining, and sometimes getting it wrong....
The Reality of Starting an Interior Design Business Later in Life
Interior design is a popular second career. Many people enter the industry in their 40s or 50s after working in other professions, often drawn to the creative side of design.But running a design business is very different from studying i...
Why Interior Design Is NOT My Full-Time Career — And That’s Intentional
For years, I believed something many designers are told early in their careers: that the ultimate goal is to quit your job, go “all in,” and make interior design your full-time profession.So at one point, I did exactly that.In thi...
The White Kitchen That Didn’t Belong
In 2015, I was invited into a home because something didn’t feel right.The renovation had already been completed. The kitchen was brand new. Modern. Crisp. Completely aligned with what the industry was promoting at the time.But th...
The IKEA Problem: Why Design-Only Services Undermine Your Authority
In this episode of Turnkey Design Talk, I unpack what I call “The IKEA Problem” in interior design — the dangerous gap between delivering a concept and delivering a completed space.Many designers operate in a design-only ...
How I Run a Successful Interior Design Business (as a Solopreneur)
Episode Overview – Turnkey Design TalkIn this episode of Turnkey Design Talk, I speak directly to interior designers and decorators who are already in the game — busy running projects, managing clients, and delivering on ...
How to Start (or Restart) an Interior Design Business That Makes Money
In this episode of Turnkey Design Talk, I speak directly to interior designers and decorators who are already in the game — already working, already busy — but quietly wondering why the numbers still don’t stack up.This isn...
Do You Really Need a Design Degree? A Real-World Perspective
In this episode of Turnkey Design Talk, I address one of the most common doubts I hear from interior designers and decorators — the belief that not having a design degree is the reason confidence feels shaky or clients question your ex...
Episode Zero: You're Not Behind-You're Building
Welcome to Turnkey Design Talk.In this episode, Adam explains why the podcast has evolved — and why this season is focused on designers and decorators who are already working but feel stuck with unfinished projects, unclear bounda...
Trailer
From First Yes to Final RevealHosted by interior designer Adam Scougall, Turnkey Design Talk is a podcast for solo interior designers and decorators who want to run calmer, more controlled businesses — and finish projects properly.
Ep # 27 How to set your trade partnerships up for success
Have you wondered how you can work successfully with your trades? Not so much just ‘on the job’ but so they keep you top of mind for client referrals rather than you continually bringing work to them? I want a share an experience from ...
EP# 26 Why You Should Be A Guest On Other Peoples Podcasts
Have you wondered how you can create a higher reach than juts plugging away with mood boards and stories on Instagram? Today I want to talk about how you can spread the good word about what you do on other peoples podcasts. Let’s discuss.
EP 25# Hindsight: What I'd Do Differently if I Was Starting Again
Hindsight is a powerful concept. If you look up the definition online, it says that it’s ‘the ability to understand and realise something about an event after it has happened, although you did not understand or realize it at the time’Wel...
Ep # 24 How To Get Clients By Speaking About What You Love
Design biz in a tizz? Take my quiz and get your action plan over adamscougall.com/quizIt’s time for a question. Are you confident enough to speak passionately about what you do? Why not consider doing an event where you speak to your id...
EP#23 How to be more effective with your marketing efforts
It’s time for a question. Are you confident that your marketing efforts are hitting the mark? Did you know that most solopreneur interior designers I speak with say that their marketing efforts are falling way under the mark? The proof as to wh...
EP# 22 The benefits of creating a Podcast
Let me ask you a question? Have you wondered about Podcasts and what they do for the person who created it? Have you considered starting a podcast? Today I want to walk you through why I did this and 3 reasons you could consider st...
EP#21 How to create a winning lead magnet
Let me ask you a question? Do you have a lead magnet currently in your business? What is a lead magnet anyway? A lead magnet is a free, helpful resource that you can offer potential future customers to get them on your email list.Hey guy...
Ep #20 Three reasons you need to start an email list
Is your new design Biz in a tizz? *Get clarity, and take the quiz over at adamscougall.com/quiz Let me ask you a question? Have you heard a fair bit of discussion about starting an email list and wondered why you need to do this at all?...
EP# 19 Should you choose a design 'niche?'
Have you heard the noise lately about 'niching' down in your Interior Design business? What is a niche anyway? Why do you need to consider this when you love to do so many design styles and want to be available for the majority of people?
EP 18# Getting Referrals right with Stacey Brown Randall
Do you have a less than stellar track record of generating quality business referrals? Does that all elusive 'new client' fail to show up time and time again, even though you have told everybody you know that you are ready to serve? Bring...
EP 17# Am I too old to be an Interior Designer?
Let me ask you a question? Have you been considering getting into the design industry, but worried that you are too old? In today's episode, I want to speak with you about this topic and provide some much needed clarity on the value of st...
EP# 16 Nightmare client? How to spot and deal with them
Let me ask you a question? Have you always thought that if you secured a client who had a project in a luxury postcode, and they had chosen you as their designer-you had made it? They might have some odd demands, maybe even be a little co...