The journal

Notes on craft & process.

What we've learned from 2,000+ projects — rendering techniques, documentation systems and the habits that keep studios calm under deadline.

A large monitor switched off on a dark desk beside a calibration puck
Tools

Best monitor for interior design

Colour accuracy over resolution, and why calibration is maintenance.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A colour-managed desk with graphics tablet, colour chart and test prints
Rendering

Enscape vs Twinmotion for interior design

One wins on workflow, one on image and price.

September 2026 · 9 min read
An open leather document folder, fountain pen and stoneware coffee cup
Business

The onboarding questionnaire that saves you later

The questions that surface budget, decision-makers and constraints — and the ones that predict a difficult project.

September 2026 · 8 min read
A stack of finished project documents tied with linen tape, and keys
Documentation

What Goes In a Project Handover Pack

The close-out document that ends the project properly — what to include, why it protects you, and how it quietly generates referrals.

September 2026 · 7 min read
Macro detail of a graphics card heatsink and copper heat pipes
Tools

How much RAM do you need for 3D rendering?

Memory does not make renders faster. It decides whether they finish.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A printed project schedule on a dark desk with a fountain pen
Documentation

FF&E schedule or furniture schedule?

Different phases, different readers. Where the line sits and what breaks when one document does both jobs.

September 2026 · 6 min read
A studio workstation with two monitors, keyboard and graphics tablet
Tools

SketchUp vs Revit for interior designers

Two tools that answer different questions. Which one suits your work, and when you need both.

September 2026 · 9 min read
An open leather document folder, fountain pen and stoneware coffee cup
Process

How to Track an Interior Design Project

The four things worth tracking, the ones that waste your time, and why the tracker only works if the client can see it.

September 2026 · 7 min read
A colour-managed desk with graphics tablet, colour chart and test prints
Rendering

V-Ray vs Corona vs Lumion for interiors

Three engines, three different jobs.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A closed laptop and brass desk lamp on a dark walnut studio desk
Tools

Best interior design software for Mac

What runs natively on a Mac in 2026, what needs a workaround, and the one thing that never will.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A material sample board of stone, oak, brass, linen and wool
Documentation

What goes into a finishes package (spec book)

The documents, the four readers, and why a moodboard and a specification are not the same thing.

September 2026 · 8 min read
A concept board layered with fabric, stone and timber samples
Process

How to Structure a Design Concept Presentation

The order that wins approval, why the reveal should come late, and how to present options without handing over the decision.

September 2026 · 8 min read
A studio workstation with two monitors, keyboard and graphics tablet
CAD

AutoCAD vs Revit for interior designers

Why AutoCAD persists in interiors, and when Revit stops being optional.

September 2026 · 9 min read
An open leather document folder, fountain pen and stoneware coffee cup
Process

How many revision rounds should you include?

Why unlimited revisions cost you more than they win, and how to write the clause so it holds.

September 2026 · 7 min read
Macro detail of a graphics card heatsink and copper heat pipes
Rendering

GPU vs CPU rendering explained

What changed on Apple Silicon, and what to buy.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A concept board layered with fabric, stone and timber samples
Process

Moodboard vs Concept Presentation: What Each One Is For

One establishes a feeling, the other makes an argument. Using a moodboard where a concept belongs is why approvals stall.

September 2026 · 6 min read
A closed laptop and brass desk lamp on a dark walnut studio desk
Rendering

Best Mac for 3D rendering

Why unified memory beats core count, and where a Windows machine still wins.

September 2026 · 9 min read
A stack of finished project documents tied with linen tape, and keys
Business

What belongs in a client welcome pack

The document that sets expectations before anyone can be disappointed by them.

August 2026 · 7 min read
A colour-managed desk with graphics tablet, colour chart and test prints
Rendering

Best 3D rendering software for interior design

Real-time or offline — and how to tell which job you are actually doing.

August 2026 · 9 min read
An open leather document folder, fountain pen and stoneware coffee cup
Business

How to write a fee proposal that gets signed

The seven sections, how to present price without apologising for it, and the three mistakes that quietly lose the job.

August 2026 · 9 min read
A kitchen and dining FF&E schedule — seventeen items with suppliers, finishes, lead times and a room subtotal
Documentation

How to create an FF&E schedule clients can actually read

The exact columns, the six build steps, the mistakes that cost real money — and the 10% sanity check we run on every project.

Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
The studio workstation used daily for interior visualization work
Tools

Windows or Mac for interior design? 4 tested keys

Software compatibility, real rendering benchmarks, cost and workflow — the honest comparison, with sources.

Updated September 2026 · 10 min read
Grey-clay viewport beside the finished render of the same interior view — where the cost goes in 3D rendering
Rendering

How much does 3D rendering actually cost?

Real market ranges per image, what drives the price up, and how to brief a studio so you pay less without losing quality.

Updated September 2026 · 9 min read
A hand sketch beside the drafted CAD result — how a drawing handoff works in practice
CAD

Outsourcing CAD drafting: a guide for interior designers

When it makes sense, what it costs, the handoff checklist — and the red flags to avoid when choosing a partner.

Updated September 2026 · 9 min read
Rolled and flat architectural drawings with a scale rule and dividers
Process

From concept to sign-off: preparing the technical handoff

What to freeze, the six-input handoff pack, and the deliverable sequence that gets a yes in one meeting.

Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Stay sharp

One useful letter, now and then.

Notes on rendering, CAD and documentation from 2,000+ projects — the occasional template, and nothing that wastes your time. Unsubscribe anytime.

Rather talk about your project?

Start a project