Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dennis Duffy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dennis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

While I was still in design school at Parsons in NY, I did an apprenticeship for a residential design firm. One day, while accompanying the principal of the firm to a client presentation / meeting, we stopped to pick up something. He went inside and left me to take care of his car as it was a very busy street (they are all busy in NYC!). I saw an interesting facade detail on a neighboring building and since I had my camera with me (I always travelled with it – before smart phones), I decided to jump out of the car to take some photos. When I exited the car, with the motor running, and closed the door, it automatically locked!! Not only were the keys inside, but also all of the materials needed for the client presentation!! Needless to say, the designer was not very happy with me!! Many years later, upon seeing the film Devil Wears Prada, it definitely brought that memory back to me! And, I alway remember it when a member of my team makes an honest mistake…

Dennis, 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?

As I stated before, my entry into the interior design field was accidental, but I was quickly hooked. My training in science coupled with my family history of people in artistic fields, is what made interior design so appealing to me. I love the process of solving space design challenges; forming a design concept that reflects the personality (residential) or branding (commercial) of the client; and the implementation of that concept in a specific architectural envelope. Over the years, there have been such great advances in the technological tools available to me as a designer. I’m especially fascinated with lighting and it’s role in the development of a project. I believe strongly in creating a unique design solution for each project and I believe that my work exhibits that. I’ve honed my ability to draw out the aesthetic and functional goals of my clients, even when they aren’t sure that they know them and realize those goals in a 3-dimensional format.
I am, at heart, a modernist in my approach to space and objects within that space. BUT, I believe that artistry and comfort are key to successful design. I look for unique materials and objects to incorporate into each design and am drawn to marrying natural beauty with man-made artistry.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

I started my design business in 1988, in a small windowless office located in a storage cooperative in New York City. Over the past 35 years, I’ve experienced several economic downturns. Two were especially impactful to my business, The first occurred in the early 1990’s and while it was neither a deep nor long-lasting recession, it affected me greatly because I was still a young business. I hadn’t invested in any form of marketing at that point, and hadn’t developed a strong clientele yet. I learned from that the need to market my business, even when I had projects, in order to ensure future work – something that wasn’t part of my design curriculum. The more severe economic downturn occurred in 2008. At that time, I had 6 employees in my design studio. I had also just opened a separate business, after several years of planning. It was storefront design atelier, open to the public that featured bespoke pieces of upholstery and casegoods, designed by me and produced in local workrooms. Along with these, were included 20th century vintage items that I sourced in Buenos Aires and Paris and some contemporary furnishing lines from Europe and South America. I had invested my entire 401k plan into this venture. While the store garnered great editorial response, it was an agonizing financial struggle to keep it viable in the recessionary climate. I finally had to close it four years later, even though it had weathered the worst of the “storm”, because I just didn’t have enough capital. My interior design studio survived, but with a greatly reduced staff. One of the hardest things that I had to do during that time was to let people go, especially knowing how difficult it would be for them to find employment at that time!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I have always believed that the most valuable commodity that any business can have is its reputation! Not only does this reflect in referrals from past and current clients to new clients, but more recently in the age of digital information sharing and social media, in the form of client testimonials and endorsements.

As I said before, I believe strongly in making each design project unique to that particular client. That starts at the beginning of the project by asking the right questions and listening to not only the client’s responses, but also noting what they don’t say that could have an impact on the design process. As each project progresses there are always circumstantial challenges and it’s vital that my clients know that I have their back and will do my best to solve every situation.

Equally important is the implementation of the project. It’s very true that a design concept is only as good as the execution. That requires skill in project management, a conscientious work ethic and most importantly, assembling the best team. I’ve worked hard to establish relationships with various trades and crafts people whose work I can trust and with whom I know will care as much about the project as I do. I think that my reputation with my “team” is just as important as my reputation with my clients. I make sure that they know how much I value them and their contributions.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.duffydesigngroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duffydesigngroup_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DuffyDesignGroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duffydesigngroup/details/recommendations/?detailScreenTabIndex=2

Image Credits
Greg Premru Richard Mandelkorn Sam Gray