The Truth About Pieces-and-Parts Projects: Why They’re Draining You — and What to Do Instead
So many of my clients cringe when they get requests in their inboxes like:
“Can you just help me pick a paint color for my foyer?”
“I just need a new rug and a light fixture.”
“Can you just swing by for an hour or two to look at a few things?”
If those inquiries make you cringe, too, you’re not alone.
When I worked in-house for a designer local to me, we got so many of these requests that we dubbed them “pieces-and-parts projects” as shorthand for all the small, disjointed, usually unprofitable design requests that seem harmless. After all, as the prospects themselves reason, it’s just a few hours of your time, right? Until you realize they’re filling your calendar, draining your time, making you run all over town all day, and quietly eroding the business you really want to be building.
Here’s the tricky part:
Someone who hasn’t worked in an interior design firm might say, “Well, just say ‘no’ then.” But you and I both know it’s really not that simple. These requests often come from past clients you love. The ones who helped build your business. The ones who love you so much, they don’t want to make a move in their homes without you. Saying no to them doesn’t just feel impossible. It feels wrong.
And then there are the new inquiries. When your money’s tight or better leads just aren’t coming in as often as you’d like, it’s tempting to say yes to anything that brings in cash–even if it’s a far cry from the full-service projects you really want.
So let me be clear: This isn’t about shaming you for taking pieces-and-parts work. Only you can decide what’s truly best for your business. But I do want to help you reclaim control so these projects don’t define your business if you don’t want them to.
Why Pieces-and-Parts Projects Are So Draining
Here’s what I’ve seen again and again across dozens of design firms:
They require just as much client management as larger projects, with none of the pricing power. Whether it’s one window treatment for the dining room or a full redesign of the space, you have to send contracts and proposals, go out to the client’s house, communicate back and forth with the client and the vendors, handle procurement, schedule installation, etc. The only person these small projects are actually small for is the client!
They often attract micromanagers who treat the design process like a hobby. If you have a client who calls you every few months to do something for them, they’re doing this for fun. You might not have any problem with that, but just so you recognize this isn’t going away anytime soon.
They can blur your positioning and make you seem overly busy and unfocused to potential clients with large projects who want a designer who has the bandwidth to give their project the attention it needs.
They chip away at your margins without adding portfolio-level value. Don’t discount how valuable photograph-worthy projects are in your business. Because they help ‘bait the hook’ to catch more great projects like them, they’re a kind of currency in and of themselves.
They create client confusion, especially when you unintentionally give a “light” version of full-service for a fraction of the price (surprisingly easy to do without realizing it when you’re in the midst of the chaos of pieces-and-parts projects).
And perhaps most importantly…
They make it harder for your dream clients to see you as the designer who can handle their big, beautiful, full-scale transformations.
So What Should You Do?
Here’s my take (it’s nuanced on purpose because there’s no single right answer):
If a past client you adore reaches out with a tiny project…
You can say yes, but do so strategically.
Set a minimum time block for these requests.
Offer “up to” 4, 6, or 8 hours of your time, and let them know you’re happy to come in once they’ve accumulated enough items around their home for you to fill that time.
This keeps you from running yourself ragged… and protects your schedule and energy.
Pro tip: Always frame the time block as “up to” so if the project only takes 3.25 hours, you’re not stuck trying to “make up” the difference.
If you need the income short-term...
Be honest with yourself and don’t feel bad about taking the work you need to stay afloat.
But do it with clear boundaries, not apologetic scrambling. You’re still a design expert and you’re still providing them with your valuable knowledge and time.
Use the same time block strategy above.
But don’t resort to centering your marketing around these projects because you’re scared you won’t get anything else. Be patient. Position yourself as the expert you are. It will come!
If a new inquiry is starting to feel like full-service in disguise…
That’s a red flag.
Clients who want “just a few pieces” but expect you to be sourcing, coordinating, and deeply involved are often trying to get the full experience without paying full-service rates. They may not be doing so intentionally, but it’s your job to recognize what they’re actually asking for and steer them in the direction of your full service offer instead OR cut the scope they’re asking for to fit a smaller service level.
If one room or area of the home is starting to feel like a full redesign, it’s time to reframe or reset expectations entirely.
You owe it to your full-service clients not to dilute their experience by giving away that same level of care elsewhere for less.
What About Messaging?
This is where the positioning work matters.
If you’re trying to fully transition away from pieces-and-parts projects, your messaging should reflect that:
Use language like “floor-to-ceiling transformations,” “whole-room designs,” “full-service from vision through install.”
Remove anything that implies à la carte services
Thoughtfully curate your gallery to reflect the level of work you want more of
In your service descriptions, emphasize scope, process, and clarity rather than task lists or “quick fix” language
A Final Thought
As common as this issue is, there’s nothing simple about it and there's no one-size-fits-all rule to solve it.
If a small project supports your revenue goals or lets you serve a beloved client, that’s valid. But if pieces-and-parts work is quietly keeping you stuck, underpaid, overworked, and overlooked?
It’s time to shift the message.
You’re not here to be everyone’s on-call design bestie.
You’re here to lead full-scale, high-impact projects that reflect your expertise, talent, and process.
Let’s make sure your messaging says that loud and clear.
Want help writing service descriptions and messaging that create boundaries and magnetism at the same time? That’s exactly what I do. Get in touch with me here.