A COMMUNITY OF DESIGNERS FOR DESIGNERS
Design Insider members are...People looking for a simple way to buy furniture with trade discounts.
Go-getters and DIYers building, remodeling, or redecorating on their own.
Designers with room to grow their budding small business or side-hustle.
Interior design students and new grads getting set up for success.
Seasoned designers who want better business support and more time to be creative.
MEMBERSHIP FEATURES
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No more endless internet searching! Save your time and energy by filtering our curated list of vendors by product category, style, or price range to create a collection of shopping resources that is personalized to your needs.
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By providing a pathway to purchasing with trade discounts, we make it easy for you to earn your membership fee back quickly — and then some. See below for a few examples of just how beneficial trade pricing can be.
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Access professional administrative, accounting, and bookkeeping support services as little or as much as you need them, or reach out for design coaching during those moments where you might feel a little stuck.
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Through our Journal Pages – a blog meets mood board meets editorial spread – we keep you updated on the latest design trends and share stories that both inspire and prompt discussion between our members.
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Connecting with other Design Insider members allows you to access and leverage a network of like-minded support as you grow your skills and your business. Here you can join or start a discussion thread that embraces designers of all levels.
A GLIMPSE INSIDE
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Unceasing global exploration keeps Four Hands connected to how the world is shaping products and the way we decorate our dwellings. From early backpacking trips through Southeast Asia to continued exploration of the world’s cities, villages and back alley markets, Four Hands is on an endless quest for inspiration. Their tenacious curiosity ensures that no design opportunity is missed as they merge the cultures, experiences and materials of their travels into the wide range of styles for which they are known.
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Four Hands is very well known in the professional interior design space for budget-friendly furniture and decor items that have a global contemporary feel with a lot of clean lines and warm materiality. It’s a good place to shop for wooden furniture, like side tables and cabinets, and also for interesting lounge chairs that won’t break the bank. One thing to keep in mind is that you cannot even browse the Four Hands inventory without a trade account. Their website requires a customer number and password to log in. They also cannot deliver to residential addresses, so you must have a commercial address or ship to a storage unit in order to receive their products. If you live locally in Austin, you can also arrange to pick up items in person at their warehouse.
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To sign up for a trade account, click “to the trade” on the website header.
You will complete the “become a customer” application;
The application will ask the following:
Business type, are you part of a firm, do you have a storefront, business address information, and contact information.
Once submitted, the vendor will review your application and be in touch in three business days.
Once approved, you’ll receive a confirmation email, which gives you 24/7 secure online access to shop and manage your orders.
FOUR HANDS
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PURCHASE FURNISHINGS
Have you always wished you could buy your favorite furnishings at interior designer prices? Well, now you can! Design Insider has made it possible for you to purchase all the things on your wish list at discounted prices. You can either sign up for your own trade accounts by following our step-by-step instructions (don’t worry, you can even hire us to set up those accounts for you!) or you can simply purchase directly through Design Insider and split the discount with us.
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Overwhelmed by the process of setting up trade accounts? We'll make it easy for you and purchase your desired items directly through our trade accounts and split the discount with you.
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Once you have trade accounts set up and in place, our team will place orders on your behalf using your discount.
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You tell us what accounts to create and we set them up using your business info. Then you’re off to the races to start shopping!
The best part? We have made our Discount Sharing service available to non-members so you can get in on the savings before signing up for a full membership!
EXPLORE SUPPORT SERVICES
Whether you are looking for some advice, or you just need your time back, our a la carte services for accounting and bookkeeping, administrative work, and design consulting give you support where and when you need it. Become a member to sign up and pay for these specialized support services individually whenever you bump up against a roadblock. With Design Insider you’ll never have to go at it alone, nor do you have to commit to hiring your own team of specialists on a long term basis. We don’t want your lack of expertise or lack of time to be the reason you don’t get started on the design project or the design career of your dreams.
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Some of you might have questions about setting up an interior design business, or perhaps you don’t fully understand sales tax rules. Access an hour or two with our accounting support and get your business accounting in order with minimal work and cost on your end.
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Whether that is selecting the right bookkeeping software, setting up a chart of accounts or learning how to enter and code expenses properly, our Bookkeeping Support has got you covered. Our goal is to meet you where you are at and support you one step at a time.
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Our Design Coaching sessions can cover everything design related – from helping you establish a style, to offering vendor considerations that fit your aesthetic and price range, or making suggestions on how to better balance a room or a budget.
THE JOURNAL PAGES
01. WHITE PAINT COLORS
02. MARBLE
03. ORGANIC MATERIALS & SHAPES
We believe design is more subjective than it is objective and that there is no “correct” design approach. Think of The Journal as a reflection of this ethos – a blog meets moodboard meets editorial spread – aiming to share stories that both inspire and prompt discussion between our members. The Journal is a place where we will also be sharing gritty success stories from our own members, as we encourage our design insiders to submit their personal project summaries or burning journal topic questions so we can get them in our Journal queue.
THE DESIGN INSIDER COMMUNITY
Connect with other Design Insider members to access and leverage a network of like-minded support as you grow your skills. Gone are the days of designing in isolation or needing to earn your way into a design community. Our private Slack community offer a fresh, transparent take on exchanging design expertise and sharing ideas. Whether you are looking for a second opinion on paint colors or want to bounce a draft client contract off of other designers, you can join or start a discussion that embraces designers of all levels – ask and answer away!
Below are just a few of our community discussion channels on our Slack channel to give you an idea of what we are chatting on –
PAINT – throw me a paint chip life raft, I'm drowning in colors.
CONSTRUCTION TERMS – building construction terms for design dummies.
DESIGN FEEDBACK – before I show this to a client, would you swipe left or right?
INSTAGRAM DETECTIVE – help! I saw a photo of something I love on Instagram and I don’t know where to buy it.
LIGHTING – don’t get left in the dark: lighting styles, placement, and bulb color temps.
MARKETING – styling, photo shoots, and social media – we’re just here for the likes.
TAX – tax numbers: I’m not an accountant, but I play one on Slack.