Explore the forces shaping interior design in 2026. Experts discuss how tariffs, trade policies, and material sourcing are impacting projects, while highlighting innovative, practical design solutions. We will be exploring and you will be sharing how technology, sustainability, and evolving client expectations are transforming workflows—and actionable strategies to keep your interior design practice competitive and ahead of the curve.
This conversation features:
Eva Hughes | Black House Beige
Rachael Grochowski | RHG Architecture
Priya Vij | hapny Home
Shelly Sandoval | Lauzon Collection
Recorded live at Design Hardware, this episode of Doctoring Up Design unpacks how designers, architects, specifiers, and manufacturers are navigating one of the most turbulent periods the industry has seen in years. The panel — Eva Hughes (Black House Beige), Shelly Sandoval (Lauzon Ltd.), Rachel Grachowski (RHG Architecture & Design), and Priya Vij (hapny Home — explores the widening communication gap between clients, trades, and vendors; the collapse of predictable supply chains; and the new demands placed on professionals in an AI-accelerated landscape.
Conversations center on language breakdown (“modern,” “wellness,” “luxury”), vendor inconsistency, shifting budgets, tariffs, fluctuating stock, and the need to reinvent specification workflows. The group also examines the role of AI — not as a threat to designers — but as an accelerant for those who learn to wield it effectively.
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Design as a Translation Problem — Why identical terms mean different things to designers, architects, clients, and showrooms.
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Vendor Volatility — Rapid inventory changes, inaccurate stock reports, dye-lot inconsistencies, and pricing fluctuations.
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Specification Reform — Early procurement, high–low budgeting, over-communication, and storage strategies.
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Expectation Engineering — How professionals are reframing client education around uncertainty.
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Two Opposing Realities — A manufacturer with stable Canadian supply vs. small businesses battered by tariffs and freight volatility.
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AI as a Multiplier, Not a Replacement — Where the panel is currently using it (renderings, ideation, room scenes) and where they aren’t (yet).
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Critical Thinking vs. Prompt Thinking — The emerging tension around new skillsets needed in design practice.
Eva Hughes – Black House Beige
https://blackhousebeige.com
Shelly Sandoval – Lauzon Flooring
https://lauzonflooring.com
Rachel Grabowski – RHG Architecture & Design
https://rhgdesign.com/
Priya Vij– hapny Home
https://hapnyhome.com
