We recently connected with Brooke Bundy and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I feel like getting to this point (which to be clear is me as co-owner with my twin sister of a still very young interior design business) has been years in the making. I would love to be able to say that there was one big lightbulb moment and I suddenly knew that I was going to start an interior design business and I knew what kinds of services I would offer…but it wasn’t like that at all. It’s been more like a procession of tiny lightbulbs, like Christmas lights-size, one by one over the years coming as ideas in my mind, and then me following them. I had to build up a lot of confidence just to feel open to starting a business, which actually has always sounded fun to me, but for a long time felt too intimidating to actually move forward with. I started with a blog, then an Instagram account, and finally a business.

The idea for our main service, called a Planning Session, came from the types of requests for decorating help that I would get before even having an actual business. After a couple years of blogging I started getting requests to take a look at a person’s space and basically, tell them everything I would do to it if it were mine. I did that for a few years whenever anyone would ask (I wasn’t advertising design services at that point), and it seemed like every time a follower of my blog would reach out for help, it was always for that same request. Once I decided to start a business, I took that request that I had gotten from those very first clients, and developed it into a more comprehensive service.

Today we have several interior decorating services, that all fit into a step by step process. But the Planning Session, which is step one in the process, is my very favorite. And the fact that the idea for it really came from my first clients makes me love it even more.

Brooke, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Basically, we help clients make smart decisions with their home furnishing and decorating budget. It’s why I love the Planning Session so much. We create a highly personalized plan for our clients to follow when decorating and furnishing their home. The plan includes furniture, lighting, rugs, artwork, window treatments, and accessories- all the things you need to really finish a room. And many of the items have connections to our clients’ life experiences and hobbies. It feels very personal to them because that’s how we want their home to feel. I meet with them (either in person or virtually) to walk the room and talk through all the ideas and how to arrange everything. Clients are then able to purchase the items themselves so they can go at their own pace. I’ve learned that this helps to stretch people’s budgets more because they can save up between purchases so that they can buy more high-quality items. And they can purchase with confidence knowing that everything works together. I can’t say enough how much I love this service- it is so valuable. And also a ton of fun to do!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My design blog ended kind of abruptly, with the end of a pregnancy. I had grown it to a level that, although to super successful bloggers wouldn’t seem like much, to me was really exciting. I was proud of how I had created it and worked on it, and how after a while it was getting me actual interior decorating clients even though I wasn’t seeking them out. Then when a very hoped for pregnancy ended, all of my motivation to write and design went with it. I stepped away from blogging and working with clients for a few years, and it was actually really healing to have that break. Sometimes I wonder how much further along I could be if I’d never stopped the momentum I’d had with the blog, but then I remember how much I needed that time away. “Coming back” happened really gradually, with a decision to start an instagram account to share things I was already working on in my own home. Then the idea to start a business started popping into my head more and more regularly, and I decided to go for it. I’m happy about how one thing has kind of led to another, because it feels like each step I’ve taken has gotten me ready for the next one, even during the times when I wasn’t moving forward very fast.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

This one is easy- she’s my twin sister! It didn’t take long after moving forward with starting a business to realize that there’s a lot about being an actual business that I didn’t know how to do, and Googling my millions of questions was sucking up a lot of time! Joan was thankfully very excited to join me, and she got all of our ducks in a row. It is so nice to have her to share the ups, downs, irritations, and excitement with. I feel like we are a perfect team!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brookebundydesigns.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/brookebundydesigns/
• Other: www.instagram.com/joan_brookebundydesigns/

Image Credits
Chad Holder Photography Brooke Bundy