Signs a designer is sourcing for their margin, not your brief

A designer who knows their craft begins by listening—asking what you live with, what draws your eye, what your daily routine actually looks like. They come back with choices that fit *your* life, not theirs. When sourcing goes wrong, it often starts with silence: you don't hear rationale, you see only finished selections that feel expensive, repetitive across clients' homes, or inexplicably bent toward luxury brands when your brief said "affordable and durable."

The problem is structural. Some designers operate on a margin model—they buy at trade price and sell to you at retail or higher—and when the incentive is to maximise profit per item, the brief becomes secondary. You might notice this early if you're watching for it, and catching it before you've signed off on sourcing can save thousands.

When the recommendations feel generic, not yours

A red flag is hearing the same suggestions from multiple designers you consult, or walking into a friend's home and recognising your "bespoke" choices. Designers who lean on a trusted roster of suppliers because the margins are comfortable—or because they've built relationships that reward volume—will naturally reach for them repeatedly. This isn't always malicious; it's just efficiency. But it doesn't serve your brief.

Ask directly: "Walk me through why you're suggesting *this* sofa over three alternatives I might expect you to consider." If the answer is vague ("it's a classic," "the fabric is lovely"), that's different from "your brief prioritises easy cleaning, and this frame takes this specific performance fabric at the weight you need; here's why the others don't tick those boxes." The second answer shows thinking rooted in your needs.

The margin trap: higher prices for familiar names

When a designer profits on each item they source, they have a financial reason to favour suppliers who offer good margins. That might mean steering you toward premium brands—not because they're the best fit, but because the profit spread is wider. You might notice this if your sourcing costs keep climbing while the design direction feels safe or conventional rather than innovative.

Some telltale signs: the designer resists showing you their cost breakdown or gets defensive about where things come from; they discourage you from shopping independently ("I can get you a better price"); or they keep using "designer-exclusive" suppliers when equally good options exist at mainstream retailers. None of this proves they're margin-hunting, but combined, it warrants a direct conversation about how they make money on your project and whether that structure aligns with your budget.

Sourcing without justifying the upcharge

Trade discounts are real. A designer with industry connections often *does* pay less than you would buying direct. But markup should be transparent and proportional, not a black box. If you're paying 40% more than retail for something you could source yourself online, that's a cost—it should come with clear added value: their eye, their time, their responsibility for quality, coordination across dozens of items, returns handling.

Before you commit, understand their model:

• Are they charging a sourcing fee (hourly or flat rate) separate from a markup on goods?
• If it's markup-only, what percentage, and does it vary by supplier or item type?
• What happens if you find something cheaper elsewhere—will they match the final cost, or do they expect you to buy through them regardless?
• Who covers returns, and how?

A designer who hesitates to answer these clearly, or who bundles costs so you can't see the breakdown, might be optimising for their margin rather than your satisfaction.

When sourcing feels closed-loop

Some designers position themselves as the sole conduit: all items go through them, invoices come to them, you never see the supplier or the cost. This can protect you (they own the relationship), but it also means you have limited visibility into whether you're paying market rate. If the designer seems reluctant for you to engage directly with suppliers, or if they become defensive when you ask for quotes from alternatives, that's worth investigating. A confident designer working in your interest welcomes comparison—they know their choices will hold up.

The strongest protection is clarity upfront. Before you sign any sourcing agreement, ask how they're paid, review a sample sourcing proposal with itemised costs and markup applied, and confirm what happens if you want to opt out of sourcing halfway through. Checking their registered status and asking for references from past clients helps too. When you find someone transparent about their incentives and firmly focused on your brief, the work moves faster and feels more honest. Strove's verified designers include their approach in their profiles; take time to compare how different practitioners frame their sourcing process.