IDS Podcast S3E1: Inside a Trade-Only Showroom & Building a Design School with Sal Campitiello

This week Brian sits down with Sal Campitiello of East End Interiors, a name just about every designer on Long Island already knows. Sal is past president of the IDS Long Island chapter and has also served on the national board, so he's watched this community grow from the ground up. In this one, Brian and Sal get into the story behind East End — a family business now 36 years in, started by Sal's mom after she trained at Parsons — and how it made the bold move from retail design to a trade-only showroom built entirely around designer success.

Sal breaks down what a to-the-trade showroom actually does for designers: multi-line sourcing under one roof, back-end order support, in-house receiving and delivery, and getting creative when a claim goes sideways. He also shares where newer designers tend to get tripped up, and why the busiest designers are usually the ones who lean on a sourcing partner so they can stay focused on their business.

The back half is all about Metropolitan Design School, East End's new venture born after Long Island's longtime design school closed in 2022. Sal walks through the four-year road to earning their New York State license, the hands-on in-person curriculum, and why a business class matters so much for creatives — something Brian learned the hard way himself.

Learn more:

East End Interiors — EastEndInteriors.com

Metropolitan Design School — MetDesignSchool.com

Follow both on Instagram, and get on East End's email list for events and open houses.

You can learn more about our host Brian Berkowitz:

Brian's Website: https://www.brianberkowitzphoto.com

Brian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianberko