In my first year of business, I worked with over 50 clients and completed more than 100 projects. At the time, I did not really understand why I was able to achieve that level of success so quickly, but looking back, it was down to my previous career in architecture.
I had spent 15 years working in practice, developing a deep understanding of how projects run, how decisions are made and how to move through projects professionally. That experience became the foundation for all the success that followed, even though, at the time, I felt I was a big failure.
That’s because, when I started my design business, I couldn’t use the title of architect because my Australian qualifications were not recognised in the UK. In an office situation it didn’t matter because I was doing the job of an architect and was sheltered by my workplace, but as soon as I went out on my own, it felt like everything I had worked towards was gone. I had the experience, but I could not present it in the way clients expected. I had no portfolio I could legally share, no established reputation and no choice but to start again from scratch.
Financially, it was a difficult period. We had just relocated, we had a mortgage to pay, both me and Darius were starting our businesses from zero and there was no safety net. I had to find a way to make my design business a success – no matter whether I could call myself an architect or not! In the end, I called myself an architectural and interior designer and it created my new identity… which took off!
The reality is that most interior designers do not start with high-end, luxury projects. Just like I did, they start with everyday clients and modest budgets – the projects that most established designers turn down because they believe they’re not profitable. But I saw something different. Having worked on hundreds of projects across a range of scales, I understood that the way a project is run should change depending on its size and complexity.
This is where everything changed for me. Instead of trying to apply a large-scale project framework to small jobs, I developed a different way of working. I began structuring projects based on their scale, adapting my process, deliverables and time investment accordingly. This became the foundation of what I now call my SML Project System, which stands for Small, Medium, Large.
At the time, I did not have a name for it. I was simply trying to survive and make projects profitable. But over the years, it has evolved into a clear, structured system that I’ve been teaching designers to work effectively and profitably on projects of all scales.
Because I had no portfolio, I took on a high volume of smaller projects when I first started my business. I worked on hundreds of E-design and low-budget projects in those early years. It was pretty crazy and looking back, it was not a sustainable way to work long term. But it gave me something invaluable. It gave me clarity! I could see patterns. I could see what kind of clients bought specific services and how to deliver results without overextending myself. That is what allowed me to build a six-figure interior design business so quickly!
The key was not working more hours. It was working differently. I was able to offer design only services that people actually saw the value in without having to give everything for nothing. I could design quickly, make confident decisions and move projects forward without getting stuck in unnecessary detail. I also understood how to structure my fees in a way that aligned with the client’s budget while still delivering huge value.
This is where most designers struggle. They try to apply a one-size-fits-all process to every project, which leads to inefficiency, burnout and low profitability (everyone gets burned by it so they think the client or the project is the problem… it’s not… it’s the way you’ve been taught to run projects!)
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Over time, I began teaching this approach to other interior designers through my mentorship programmes. I worked with hundreds of designers who were either starting their careers or trying to build sustainable businesses. The biggest challenge they faced was not creativity or talent. It was understanding how to actually run projects. There is a gap between what designers learn and how projects work in reality. That gap is what holds so many people back!
The more I taught, the more I realised that the best way to learn interior design is by doing. You learn by working on projects, making decisions, solving problems and seeing how everything comes together in real time. But the challenge is that many aspiring designers cannot access that experience. They cannot get jobs because they do not have experience, and they cannot get experience because they cannot get jobs.
This realisation led me to rethink everything I was doing. I had built a successful mentorship programme, but it was only accessible to a small number of people due to its price point. I began to question whether I had unintentionally created the same barriers that exist in traditional education. That is what pushed me to evolve what I was teaching and create something more open and accessible through IntoDesign.
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that while interior design varies by location, the way we run projects is fundamentally the same. The process does not change. What changes is the scale. Yet most education focuses on large, high-budget projects that do not reflect the reality of most designers’ work. This is why understanding how to approach small and medium projects is so critical. It is where most designers spend the majority of their time and it is where profitability is often lost.
Looking back, the volume of work I took on in those early years was extreme. It is not something I would recommend as a long-term strategy. But it was necessary for me at that time, and it gave me the experience I needed to build a system that works. That experience, combined with my background in architecture, allowed me to bridge the gap between large-scale thinking and small-scale delivery.
That is ultimately what the SML Project System is about. It is about understanding that not all projects are the same, and they should not be treated the same. It is about giving designers a way to work confidently and profitably, regardless of the project size. And it is about making the industry more accessible by providing a clear, practical pathway into interior design.
Building a six-figure interior design business in my first year was not about luck or talent alone. It was about experience, adaptability and a willingness to rethink the way things are done. It was about recognising that the traditional approach does not work for every situation and having the confidence to create something better.
Jo Chrobak
