Every interior designer knows that sourcing products can easily become a chore. When everything falls in place, it’s magic; you find a new fabulous brand, love all their products, and their pricing fits your project budget. But more often than not you’re muddling through Google trying to find handsome contract-grade pieces for commercial projects, or becoming deflated when you get pricing back that isn’t in the homeowner’s budget.
At DesignSpec, we’ve heard these complaints time and time again, and we decided to do something about it. We thought, “Why not build a beautifully curated online product library that designers can explore and discover right within our software? Why not select brands with an elevated aesthetic? And why not make it possible to add those products to your projects instantly?” Sourcing beautiful products is one thing, but making your workflow easier is next level.
Two years in the making, and we are proud to be launching DS Collection. Not only does this product catalog host a wide range of products from furniture, lighting, plumbing fixtures, art, accessories, and more, but it also exclusively introduces several curated collections by prominent design firms. In-house product lines by AvroKO, Meyer Davis, and Post Company are some of the unique new collections you can find here.We’ve provided a platform for designers to discover these hidden gems in the industry.
We sat down with DesignSpec co-founder Fiona Sanipelli to learn the story behind DS Collection; the initial vision for the catalog, and how it has become a beacon of both style and efficiency.
“The most well-curated online product catalog of any spec writing software. We are also the exclusive carrier of several curated collections by prominent design firms.“
Fiona Sanipelli
Q: Why did the DesignSpec team decide to embark on this quest of integrating a product catalog into the platform?
Fiona: The reasoning for creating this sourcing tool was twofold. First, we noticed that a lot of people were initially coming to DesignSpec and starting a free trial thinking we were a sourcing platform, rather than a platform for spec writing, budgeting, and procurement. They came to our site hoping to find furniture and other design products. So we could see that there was an opportunity there.
There’s also a particular pain point in the industry that we wanted to address: finding well designed, aesthetically pleasing contract grade items for hospitality and commercial projects. As a result, I often think back to my days as a designer working for AvroKO, Martin Brudnizki, and Dutch East Design. The struggle to find contract grade furniture and lighting was real; a simple Google search inevitably brought up unattractive options. Sometimes residential brands have a line of contract pieces but many designers aren’t aware of them. So we were left with designing custom pieces or sometimes specifying residential grade items hoping they would hold up.
We thought it would be an incredible resource for designers to have a catalog of both residential and contract-grade pieces, and buttons to filter on what you need. We sought out brands on both sides of that coin to satisfy a wide range of needs for various types of design studios. And rather than having countless vendor tabs open on your browser, you can access thousands of products right within DesignSpec, and easily request a quote for any product. We’ll continue to add more unique brands to the collection, particularly those from design firms.
Q: How did you settle on the brands you have represented now? Aside from a mix of contract and residential, were you aiming for a certain degree of luxury or exclusivity?
Fiona: We had the idea to contact prominent design firms who use our platform and ask if they would like to have their in-house product line featured on DS Collection. These small collections are often not heavily marketed and can be nearly invisible in the marketplace compared to really big retailers and brands. In many cases, we’re the only external place to find these collections. We love giving them exposure to thousands of designers who are actively sourcing for projects!
In terms of luxury, we are not exclusively tailored towards featuring luxury brands. Even though the products do all look very attractive and curated, we have a mix of price ranges within our collection. Not every client and project out there has a huge budget, and we are trying to appeal to as many design studios as we can.
Q: How does the workflow of sourcing on DS Collection fit into the existing spec writing software of DesignSpec?
Fiona: Our goal was to make sourcing as seamless as possible. DS Collection is fully integrated directly into the DesignSpec platform. We already streamline several phases of the design process (spec writing, budgeting, procurement) and now we’re adding yet another important step. Once you find a product, just select your desired options (finish lamping, format etc) and click “Add to Project”. All the technical details, attributes, and vendor contacts are pulled over for you!
You can also tag your favorite products to easily find them later You can even email the vendor rep directly from the product page if you need a trade quote for example, just click the “Contact Rep” button to send an inquiry.
Q: What is the vision for the future of DS Collection; how do you foresee it expanding and evolving?
Fiona: We’re hoping to expand the catalog and bring on an even more diverse collection of brands. Not just FFE, but hardware, flooring, doors, architectural lighting, and other products needed for the wide range of projects our users are designing. We’re always open to brand recommendations from our users, so feel free to reach out if you know of a great collection out there.
DesignSpec is software for professional interior designers. It incorporates spec writing, budgeting, reporting, procurement and (now) sourcing on its platform. Stay tuned for more exciting news from DS Collection as we navigate our launch!
