164 | Turning Remodel Problems Into Design Opportunities With Julie Stevens

164 | Turning Remodel Problems Into Design Opportunities With Julie Stevens

We’ve all been there — you start a remodel excited and full of vision, and then reality hits. A wall isn’t where you thought it was, a material is delayed, or something totally unexpected pops up once construction begins. Suddenly, your dream design feels like it’s slipping away.


In this episode, I chat with the multi-passionate designer and entrepreneur Julie Stevens, whose creative journey spans interior design, product design, and entrepreneurship. Julie has designed everything from high-end interiors to patented products and even launched an award-winning cocktail brand, BeTini Spirits. What makes her story special isn’t just her creativity, but her resilience and mindset when things don’t go according to plan.


If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by design challenges or wondered how to stay calm and creative in the middle of chaos, this episode will help you reframe those tough moments. You’ll learn how to approach setbacks as opportunities, balance multiple creative passions, and design spaces that are truly functional, personalized, and full of purpose.


Featured Guest:

Julie Stevens is a designer, inventor, and entrepreneur who’s built a career around merging beauty with function. From creating custom furniture and consumer products to launching her award-winning cocktail brand, BeTini Spirits, she continues to inspire with her creativity and innovation. Her latest passion project, River Sound, is a historic theater-turned-music venue designed to nurture creativity in her Colorado community. Recognized by JP Morgan Chase as one of the 100 Women to Know in America, Julie embodies what it means to lead with imagination and purpose.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✳️ How to develop a mindset that thrives through design challenges

✳️ Why creativity thrives when you combine beauty with function

✳️ How to turn design roadblocks into fresh opportunities

✳️ The key to balancing multiple creative passions without burning out

✳️ Why listening deeply to your clients transforms your designs

✳️ How dual-purpose design can make spaces more functional and beautiful

✳️ The mindset shift that helps you grow through every project (not just survive it)


Read the Blog >>> Turning Remodel Problems Into Design Opportunities

NEXT STEPS:

🎯 Join the waitlist for Launch Your Business Bootcamp


Check out our Designer's Playlist!

*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey

*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer

*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:

📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design

🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career


Connect With Me:

📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com

🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign

🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com


Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction & Guest Bio

1:48 Julie’s Creative Beginnings and Early Influences

2:49 Transition Into Interior Design and Product Design

3:48 Inspiration and Design Process

7:31 Designing Dual-Purpose Furniture Pieces

10:18 Balancing Multiple Design Projects

13:39 Challenges Faced During COVID and Lessons Learned

15:19 The Right Mindset for Unexpected Remodeling Challenges

17:30 Advice for New Designers Entering the Industry

19:27 Eco-Conscious Design and Her Upcoming Creative Projects

Episoder(185)

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176 | A Modern Approach to Feng Shui for Interior Designers With Amanda Gibby Peters

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175 | Design Skills Series: 6 Skills Interior Designers Need (That Aren’t Taught in Design School)

175 | Design Skills Series: 6 Skills Interior Designers Need (That Aren’t Taught in Design School)

If you’ve ever wondered why design school didn’t quite prepare you for the real world of interior design, you’re not imagining it. I hear this all the time—from designers who invested years (and money...

26 Jan 16min

174 | Core Elements Every High-Converting Interior Design Website Needs With Elle Kwan

174 | Core Elements Every High-Converting Interior Design Website Needs With Elle Kwan

“A good website really should be qualifying your inquiries and increasing them as well.”Does your website actually do that? Or does it simply exist as a gallery of pretty images while you continue to ...

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173 | Design Skills Series: The Soft Skills That Set Successful Interior Designers Apart

173 | Design Skills Series: The Soft Skills That Set Successful Interior Designers Apart

Many interior designers spend years honing hard skills like CAD drafting, space planning, and material selection—yet still feel stuck when it comes to client relationships, confidence, or stepping int...

12 Jan 27min

172 | How Designers Build Profitable Design Businesses With Donna Hoffman

172 | How Designers Build Profitable Design Businesses With Donna Hoffman

If you’re an interior designer who feels deeply creative but secretly anxious about sales, pricing, or talking about your value, this episode is for you.Too many designers believe that great work shou...

5 Jan 36min

171 | How I Reflect, Set Goals, and Choose My Word of the Year for 2026

171 | How I Reflect, Set Goals, and Choose My Word of the Year for 2026

Every December, I sit down with a cup of coffee, my Full Focus Planner, and a quiet moment to breathe. Because if there’s anything I’ve learned in my 20+ years in interior design, it’s that the goals ...

29 Des 202515min

170 | Secrets to Effective Selling, Pricing, and CEO Mindset With LuAnn Nigara

170 | Secrets to Effective Selling, Pricing, and CEO Mindset With LuAnn Nigara

Have you ever felt uncomfortable talking about money with a client—even when you know your work is worth every dollar? Maybe you’ve said yes when you wanted to say no. Maybe you’ve underpriced a proje...

22 Des 202546min

169 | Top FAQs Answered: Launch Your Design Business Bootcamp

169 | Top FAQs Answered: Launch Your Design Business Bootcamp

Starting your own interior design business sounds exciting… until you sit down to actually do it and wonder, Where do I even begin?Maybe you’ve dreamed about launching your business for years, but the...

15 Des 202513min

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