weekly design inspiration: trade secrets
Every well-designed space begins long before the first mood board is pinned or the first swatch is laid on a table. Behind the scenes, there’s a carefully honed set of tools — part instinct, part experience, and part sourcing magic. As designers, we’re constantly curating: relationships, materials, vendors, and little-known secrets that quietly shape a space from behind the curtain.
Today, I’m opening up my toolkit to share a few of my favourite sources and insider strategies — the often-overlooked elements that bring our designs to life.
custom creations
While retail has its place, the soul of a custom-designed space often comes from trade-only vendors. These are the sources most clients never see — upholstery workshops that can tailor a sofa to the inch, lighting lines with finishes you won’t find in showrooms, and boutique textile houses offering heirloom-quality fabrics.
Trade sources allow us to create something that feels personal, intentional, and unlike anything your neighbour just bought online. It’s how we layer rooms with character — not catalogues.
Source: Candace Plotz Design
Source: Candace Plotz Design
lasting relationships
Design isn’t just about objects - it’s about people. Some of our most beautiful outcomes have come from long-standing relationships with artisans, reps, and workrooms who understand our standards and share our obsession with detail.
We know exactly who to call for a hand-tied vintage rug, a perfectly scaled dining table in cerused oak, or that elusive unlacquered brass pull that will patina just right over time. These relationships mean we can solve problems faster, customize with confidence, and deliver results that feel deeply considered — because they are.
Source: Candace Plotz Design
Source: Candace Plotz Design
curated materials
There’s no substitute for getting your hands on the materials. Texture is instinctive — the way velvet absorbs the light, or how a honed stone surface grounds a glossy space. Our studio library is where we play, layer, edit, and explore. It’s where a scheme starts to breathe. From Schumacher wallpaper books to hidden-gem textile finds, this is where artistry meets curation. And yes — we obsess over every contrast welt and wood tone until it feels just right.
We’re especially excited about this right now as we get ready to move into a new, larger CPD studio — filled with natural light, extra space, and even more room to create.
When you work with a designer, you’re not just getting an eye for style — you’re tapping into years of behind-the-scenes sourcing, trusted relationships, and custom capabilities that make your space truly yours. Our “toolkit” may not always be visible. But it’s what allows us to transform a house into something layered, timeless, and deeply personal.
Source: Candace Plotz Design
Source: Candace Plotz Design