“Interior designers have a way of screwing things up.”

It was a local builder talking, at a party I attended recently.

For 25 minutes I listened to him bellyache about how designers foil his efforts, spoil his work and “ruin the integrity” of the new homes he builds here in Colorado.

He added that he’s “never met and probably never will”  a designer with any kind of integrity, professionalism or expertise.

Should designers care about brutal words from one bitter builder?

Of course not.

But what concerns me is how many times I’ve heard other builders express similiar sentiments, in more diplomatic terms.

As “The Boss” remarked in the movie Cool Hand Luke:  “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

If builders don’t “get it, ” if they don’t understand the value that designers bring to the table, that’s not their fault. It’s the fault of designers for not educating them about that value.

If you’re an interior designer, it’s not your mission in life to keep builders happy. But it doesn’t hurt to be on good terms with at least the better ones in your area.

I know a number of designers whose success resulted from their decision to align themselves with high end builders.

Do the right kind of local builders say the right kinds of things about you? What, if anything, do they think about when they think about you?

Perhaps it’s time to look beyond residential and commercial clients in your marketing. Perhaps it’s time to promote yourself and your services to allied professionals.

Perhaps it’s time to do breakfast with a builder.