Integrating Architecture + Interiors for Better Client Experiences With Sarah Broughton

Interior Design Business Podcast, Interior Design Career Podcast, Interior Design Business Mentor

What if the best interior design solutions don’t come from having all the answers, but from being curious enough to ask better questions?

In this episode with Sarah Broughton of Rowland+Broughton, the Colorado-based architecture and design studio, what really stood out to me was the way Sarah approaches design: not as a collection of separate specialties, but as a holistic, collaborative practice.

She describes this approach as convergent design—bringing architecture, interior design, landscape, makers, products, and other creative disciplines together rather than treating them as isolated pieces of a project.

And at the heart of it all is the client. Great design isn’t simply about creating something beautiful. It’s about listening, anticipating, collaborating, solving problems, and ultimately providing a level of service that delights the person you’re designing for.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • Why curiosity makes designers better collaborators

  • How convergent design creates a seamless client experience

  • Why designers should anticipate client needs

  • How iteration strengthens the creative design process

  • Why great design is ultimately a service

    Interior Design as a Collaborative Service

    One of the things I love most about interior design is that we get to create something deeply personal for another person. That means our work is never just about our own creative vision. It is about learning how to collaborate, listen, anticipate, communicate, and serve.

    Here are a few lessons from Sarah that I think every interior designer can carry into their own design process.

    1. Let Curiosity Take You Beyond Your Specialty

    Sarah repeatedly came back to one word: curiosity.

    In an industry that increasingly pushes designers toward specialization, she believes there is enormous value in understanding what happens outside your immediate discipline.

    At Rowland+Broughton, architects are encouraged to become curious about interiors, while interior designers are encouraged to understand the architecture, core and shell, lighting, and other aspects of the project.

    That curiosity is what allows a team to collaborate more effectively. It also creates designers who can see the bigger picture rather than focusing only on their individual piece of it. Sarah acknowledges that this approach requires effort, particularly when the industry encourages specialization, but it has been an intentional part of their practice for more than two decades.

    For me, this is such an important reminder: you don’t have to know everything, but you should be willing to learn. Ask questions. Get involved. Understand what the other people on your team are doing. That curiosity can make you a much stronger designer and collaborator.

    2. Design for the Whole Experience, Not Just the Pretty Picture

    Sarah’s description of convergent design really resonated with me because it puts the client experience at the center of the process.

    When architecture and interior design are considered together from the beginning, practical decisions can be made with the entire experience in mind. Where does the furniture go? How does someone move through the room? Does the architecture support the way the space will actually be used? Does a window placement create a problem for the interior design later?

    Those questions matter.

    Sarah explained that clients appreciate being able to think about their projects holistically rather than having architecture and interior design operate as disconnected services.

    That is a valuable lesson whether you are working in luxury design, residential design, hospitality design, or on a much smaller project. Your client doesn’t experience your work as a series of separate disciplines. They experience the finished space as one environment.

    The more we can design with that complete experience in mind, the more valuable our service becomes.

    3. Anticipate What Your Client Needs Before They Ask

    One of Sarah’s favorite parts of the work is that euphoric feeling when a client walks into a meeting, and the design moves you anticipated are exactly what they needed.

    To me, that’s one of the clearest examples of interior design as a service.

    Sarah talked about how her team spends significant time internally reviewing projects, bringing multiple voices and different levels of experience into the process. They use visualization, VR, drawings, site measurements, and detailed reviews to anticipate potential problems before those problems reach the client.

    This is especially important when you’re working on highly customized luxury design projects, where expectations are high, and the margin for avoidable mistakes is small.

    But I don’t think anticipation belongs only to luxury design. It’s a professional habit that can benefit every designer.

    Measure carefully. Review your drawings. Think through the furniture. Ask yourself what the client might question. Look around the corner. And when you see an opportunity to make the project better, bring it forward thoughtfully—with the budget and schedule clearly communicated.

    That is service.

    4. Don’t Wait for Perfect—Practice the Iterative Design Process

    Sarah shared advice that I think every creative professional needs to hear: don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.

    Interior design is an iterative process. You need to be willing to put ideas on the table, get feedback, change direction, and keep moving. Sarah encourages her team to print out progress, share ideas internally, and practice responding quickly to questions or uncertainty.

    That ability to think on your feet is something you can develop.

    And if you’re early in your creative career, don’t underestimate the importance of practicing before you’re in front of a client. Try ideas with your team. Sketch different solutions. Ask someone else what they see. Learn how to receive feedback without becoming attached to your first idea.

    Sarah also offered another wonderful creative reset: when you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of beautiful design surrounding us, step away from Instagram and get back to basics. Pick up a pen. Sketch. Use trace paper. Let your own imagination take over instead of constantly consuming someone else’s work.

    5. Remember That You Are Serving Your Client

    Perhaps the most important lesson in our conversation was Sarah’s distinction between design school and professional practice.

    In school, she explained, you are being served. You pay for the education, and the experience is structured around you as the student. In professional practice, the relationship changes. You are serving your client.

    That doesn’t mean abandoning your creativity or becoming a designer without a point of view. It means understanding that your expertise has value because it helps your client achieve something they couldn’t necessarily achieve on their own.

    Your job is to bring massive value as a service provider.

    That means being responsive. Being curious. Being willing to pivot. Bringing ideas forward. Listening carefully. Anticipating needs. Solving problems. And continually looking for ways to make the project better.

    When you think about interior design this way, client service isn’t something that happens after the design. It is part of the design.

    Final Thoughts

    I loved Sarah’s reminder that we are incredibly fortunate to do work that combines creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and service. Whether you’re working in architecture, residential design, hospitality, product design, or building your own interior design business, there is so much joy in staying curious and continually learning.

    Sarah also reminded me that the client relationship can be reciprocal—we can learn from the people we serve just as much as we guide them.

    The goal isn’t to have every answer before you begin. It’s to keep asking questions, keep collaborating, keep growing, and keep finding ways to create something meaningful for your client.

     

    Meet Sarah Broughton

    Sarah Broughton is a principal and co-founder of Rowland+Broughton, an Aspen- and Denver-based architecture and design studio she founded with her husband, John Rowland, in 2003. A licensed architect and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Sarah is recognized for her leadership in sustainable design and professional advocacy. Her work spans architecture, interior design, hospitality, residential projects, product design, and civic work, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, place, wellness, and artistic integration. She and John have built a multidisciplinary practice that embraces a convergent approach to design and actively mentors the next generation of designers.

     

    Connect With Sarah Broughton

    Website: Rowland+Broughton
    Instagram: @rowlandbroughton
    Book: Designing Aspen: Houses of Rowland+Broughton

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