Heidi Caillier Advice from AD PRO Design Dialogues: How She Never Designs the Same Room Twice

“I struggle with projects where clients ask for a ‘Heidi house,’” says designer Heidi Caillier. “I don’t like to design the same thing twice. I get bored.” At the inaugural AD PRO Design Dialogues summit on September 16, the San Francisco–based AD100 and AD PRO Directory talent shared a candid look into her career—which, believe it or not, she launched not much more than a decade ago—and her secrets to keeping the creativity flowing. In conversation with AD’s Global Interiors and Gardens Director, Alison Levasseur, the designer’s insights ranged from the benefits (and time commitment) of social media to how she scored the commission for Kendall Jenner’s mountain house.

Design industry staying power, said Caillier, is not only about business acumen, but also about continuously evolving. “As you grow your business, you put out work that you want to get back,” she said. “It’s so important to put out work that you love.”

Below, we’ve recapped the key takeaways from her AD PRO Design Dialogues conversation.

A remote team is a strength

One surprising fact about Caillier’s firm: her team is entirely remote. “When I started to think about hiring, it was pre-COVID, and there was not a pool [of candidates in Seattle] where I was living,” revealed the designer. “Somebody reached out to me on Instagram, and she was my very first hire. She’s still with me.” Since then her staff has grown to six, and the onetime pandemic necessity has turned into a business asset, allowing Caillier to employ top talents wherever they live. With projects across the US, it often makes site-visit logistics easier as well.

Limit the number of options you show the client

To keep clients on the right design track, Caillier implements a “limited options program.” After a deep dive into the homeowners’ inspirations, lifestyle needs, style preferences, and a three-month dedicated design process, “we present the whole scope of work in one meeting,” says Caillier. This client presentation includes budget, timeline, and construction requirements. At this meeting, she offers her vision for the whole house—and offers choices for just a few select pieces. This highly streamlined process keeps things moving, an important factor for Caillier, who designs just one project at a time. “I don’t want to marinate on sofas or fabrics for the next six months,” she explained. Stick to your guns to keep these healthy, professional boundaries, she advises: “One big rule: I don’t text with my clients.”