Interior Design
Candid Company: A Q&A With the MD of Decus Interiors
Alexandra Donohoe Church of Decus Interiors speaks honestly about deadlines, deal-breakers and designs with a difference
In this interview with leading industry professionals, we pick the creative brain of Alexandra Donohoe Church, founder and managing director of Decus Interiors, and discover how she built her successful and highly sought-after business from the ground up.
What distinguishes your work?
We like to create a design that’s a little unexpected in every space.
We like to create a design that’s a little unexpected in every space.
How did you enter this field of work?
I started a Landscape Architecture degree, then did a pivot and moved to Interior Architecture a year later, graduating in 2007.
I started a Landscape Architecture degree, then did a pivot and moved to Interior Architecture a year later, graduating in 2007.
When did you start Decus Interiors?
After I graduated, I registered Decus Interiors as a business in 2009.
At first, I had one client (whose house was being built by Luigi Rosselli). I had to consult at other design firms to bolster my workload and income. Then I got another little project, and another, and slowly gathered momentum.
In my second year of business I hired a part-timer who eventually became full-time, then I hired another part-timer who also became full-time. Now we have 10 staff, including myself.
After I graduated, I registered Decus Interiors as a business in 2009.
At first, I had one client (whose house was being built by Luigi Rosselli). I had to consult at other design firms to bolster my workload and income. Then I got another little project, and another, and slowly gathered momentum.
In my second year of business I hired a part-timer who eventually became full-time, then I hired another part-timer who also became full-time. Now we have 10 staff, including myself.
How has your business changed?
For the first two years I worked at my kitchen table then, when I hired my first part-timer, I leased a shared space.
We moved into our first premises about five years into the business, when there were three of us. We then moved again when we were seven or eight years in. We’ve since doubled in size in the last two years.
Initially, I used to work through the night, but in the past three years I’ve found a good work/life balance. It was around the fifth year when things started to turn.
For the first two years I worked at my kitchen table then, when I hired my first part-timer, I leased a shared space.
We moved into our first premises about five years into the business, when there were three of us. We then moved again when we were seven or eight years in. We’ve since doubled in size in the last two years.
Initially, I used to work through the night, but in the past three years I’ve found a good work/life balance. It was around the fifth year when things started to turn.
Can you identify a turning point for your company?
The first professional website we created definitely gave us a little traction, but only a bit.
We then jumped on to social media (which I had rejected initially) and gradually built up followers on Instagram. After that, people started to know who we were. Instagram works in our field because it’s image driven and it has helped catapult us in front of some media.
The first professional website we created definitely gave us a little traction, but only a bit.
We then jumped on to social media (which I had rejected initially) and gradually built up followers on Instagram. After that, people started to know who we were. Instagram works in our field because it’s image driven and it has helped catapult us in front of some media.
Then we got a couple more jobs professionally photographed and put them up on our website. All of a sudden what used to be the occasional media request to feature a project became a full-time job. Today, my assistant gets so many requests from publications and international titles that we almost need a communications manager.
In the past six months we’ve had people approach us after seeing our work in the media. We’ve never spent any money on advertising per se, we have only invested in the website and a catalogue or portfolio to give to clients.
We’ve also had some great clients who have referred us by word of mouth; referrals have definitely been the most commonly cited reason for finding us until recently.
In the past six months we’ve had people approach us after seeing our work in the media. We’ve never spent any money on advertising per se, we have only invested in the website and a catalogue or portfolio to give to clients.
We’ve also had some great clients who have referred us by word of mouth; referrals have definitely been the most commonly cited reason for finding us until recently.
What has proven the greatest professional challenge?
Some circles are moving towards an unnecessarily litigious or fractious approach. It’s understandable because people want to protect themselves, but it’s a shame that’s the way it’s heading. I’d happily do everything on a handshake, but the world isn’t like that anymore. Learning to navigate those waters has probably been the greatest challenge.
The second biggest challenge is learning how to juggle motherhood with running a business.
Some circles are moving towards an unnecessarily litigious or fractious approach. It’s understandable because people want to protect themselves, but it’s a shame that’s the way it’s heading. I’d happily do everything on a handshake, but the world isn’t like that anymore. Learning to navigate those waters has probably been the greatest challenge.
The second biggest challenge is learning how to juggle motherhood with running a business.
What have you learnt about your industry that you wish you knew when you started?
You have to fake it ’til you make it. You have to back yourself. It’s hard to do that in the early days when you haven’t had much experience.
The more confident you are with what your services are and who you are, the better. I don’t think I did that in the early days, I was always second-guessing myself. Backing yourself is really important; it wasn’t even a consideration when I was starting out, I was just thinking about how to get the jobs done and the invoices paid.
You have to fake it ’til you make it. You have to back yourself. It’s hard to do that in the early days when you haven’t had much experience.
The more confident you are with what your services are and who you are, the better. I don’t think I did that in the early days, I was always second-guessing myself. Backing yourself is really important; it wasn’t even a consideration when I was starting out, I was just thinking about how to get the jobs done and the invoices paid.
When choosing sub-contractors, what do you look for?
When we’re working with sub-contractors, we always go with the people who deliver what they say they’ll deliver. Managing expectations is really important.
When we’re working with sub-contractors, we always go with the people who deliver what they say they’ll deliver. Managing expectations is really important.
What are the deal-breakers that make you reluctant to work with sub-contractors?
For us, it’s a red flag if someone says they’ll have, for example, a fee proposal to us by Friday 5pm and we don’t get it until Monday or Tuesday. If you can’t get your paperwork out the door on time, how are you going to get everything else out the door on time? That’s the biggest deal-breaker.
I know that what often happens, particularly with small contractors who are one-man bands, is that they’re doing twelve jobs – they’re doing their accounting, they’re doing the actual job, they’re cleaning the truck, they’re doing it all – and they overcommit. In reality, they can’t do it this week, but they might be able to do it next week. I think it’s really important to be honest with people about your capacity.
For us, it’s a red flag if someone says they’ll have, for example, a fee proposal to us by Friday 5pm and we don’t get it until Monday or Tuesday. If you can’t get your paperwork out the door on time, how are you going to get everything else out the door on time? That’s the biggest deal-breaker.
I know that what often happens, particularly with small contractors who are one-man bands, is that they’re doing twelve jobs – they’re doing their accounting, they’re doing the actual job, they’re cleaning the truck, they’re doing it all – and they overcommit. In reality, they can’t do it this week, but they might be able to do it next week. I think it’s really important to be honest with people about your capacity.
Best advice you can offer about managing a team?
First, delegate. Second, get a business coach, they’re worth the investment. When most small businesses start, you’re doing everything and you gradually have to move out of that into delegating. There’s a big shift you have to make, and there’s a general up-skilling involved.
I’ve had a business coach for three years now and she’s excellent; we see her fortnightly and she helps with troubleshooting. We also hold a bi-annual day-long workshop for our team in the office. We all look at the next six months, the vision, ask what type of projects everyone wants to be working on, look at what’s working and what isn’t, and ask how everyone’s work/life balance is. It’s about empowering people and giving everyone in our team the opportunity to share what they think is important.
First, delegate. Second, get a business coach, they’re worth the investment. When most small businesses start, you’re doing everything and you gradually have to move out of that into delegating. There’s a big shift you have to make, and there’s a general up-skilling involved.
I’ve had a business coach for three years now and she’s excellent; we see her fortnightly and she helps with troubleshooting. We also hold a bi-annual day-long workshop for our team in the office. We all look at the next six months, the vision, ask what type of projects everyone wants to be working on, look at what’s working and what isn’t, and ask how everyone’s work/life balance is. It’s about empowering people and giving everyone in our team the opportunity to share what they think is important.
How do you plan to grow or maintain your level of success?
Our goal for Decus Interiors is low volume, high quality – doing fewer jobs but larger projects that are highly detailed and specified. At the moment we might have 20 jobs on a year, though I’d rather keep that to ten.
Our goal for Decus Interiors is low volume, high quality – doing fewer jobs but larger projects that are highly detailed and specified. At the moment we might have 20 jobs on a year, though I’d rather keep that to ten.
Any recommendations for software or apps that help you run your business well?
A couple of our designers use Todoist and we find that to be a good tool for managing projects, in terms of timeframes and deliverables, day by day, and week by week.
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A couple of our designers use Todoist and we find that to be a good tool for managing projects, in terms of timeframes and deliverables, day by day, and week by week.
Tell us
If you found this story interesting, like it, save it and join the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the Comments below.
More
Read more Designer Profiles
I am an interior designer and the founder and managing director of Decus Interiors in Sydney. We essentially consult with our clients to tease out aspects of their personalities that we then imbue into the spaces they spend their time in.