4 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Interior Design Client Gifts

'Tis the season for giving — and that means buying gifts for your clients, too. 

As interior designers, we provide a very personalized service and your client gifts should reflect that as well as the size of the project. That means a client who spent a lot more money with me will get a much larger gift than one who spent half or a quarter of that amount. 

Here are my guidelines for client gifts:

Everyone gets a Christmas card

First off, don’t be a Grinch. 

Everyone one of your clients should get a Christmas card. I order mine in advance and you can use anything from Moo to Minted to Vistaprint — whichever you like best. 

Also, try to add your logo somewhere. It shouldn’t be prominent, and the back of the card is a great option. When you sign it, make sure they know who it’s from. The return label should be your business name, too. One thing not to do: Don’t include your business card. That’s just tacky. 

These cards are not meant to be marketing-focused, but that is a secondary benefit, so take advantage of it!

Cards should not just be for your clients. Make sure you send Christmas cards out to the vendors who take such good care of you. They might just send a referral your way, but even if they don’t, it’s just the right thing to do.

Baked goods are a great option

Everyone loves baked goods, especially at this time of year. That makes them a great option to give your clients whether they’re homemade or store-bought. 

Don’t drive yourself crazy worrying about what your clients dietary preferences are such as whether or not they eat gluten. Just take them something nice. 

If you are making your own baked goods, though, do include a list of ingredients in case anyone has any allergies in the house. You don’t want to accidentally make someone with a nut allergy sick, let alone an egg or cinnamon allergy (yes, these exist). Store-baked goods should already have a nutrition label with this info.

Whether you go with homemade or store-bought try to carve out time to deliver the goodies in person. If your client or their family isn’t there, you can leave it on the front steps, but if they happen to be around it gives you a chance to chat a bit and catch up, which is always nice.

From cheeseboards to gift baskets

If you’re looking for something more to give, cheeseboards, gift baskets or even a doormat are all great options — and you give them all a personalized touch. 

For cheeseboards, you could add your client’s initials or even a small logo for your business somewhere. A doormat could include your client’s address. And I even bought a custom brand from Olive & Cocoa that I use to put on their wooden crates to deliver Christmas goodies. 

You can also create your own gift basket, where you can’t go wrong with a candle, a bottle of wine and some other fun goodies. Just remember to make sure you’re keeping your spending in line with how much they spent with you. It’s easy to go overboard fast and little items add up quickly.

It’s not just about the holidays

One last thing: Don’t wait for the holidays to send clients gifts. You should send birthday cards when you have their birthdays, and if you don’t have that information at your fingertips, just add it to your initial questionnaire or intake form for each new client. 

You can also treat your clients with little gifts over the course of the project you’re working on. The larger the project and the longer the duration means the more little gifts you work in.

Whatever you decide to give, just remember to treat your clients how you would want to be treated. Everyone loves a fun little gift, or a little sussy as we say down here in the South.