Sourcing Products and Samples Becoming Less Trying!

You have to love industry jargon, don’t you? Whether the appalling use of “clock it” to describe spiking a football to the ridiculous tech phrase “bleeding edge” to describe something that is “beyond” leading edge, we abuse the language at our own risk. In the design industry, our use of the word sourcing product and/or samples is a bit of gibberish which should make all of us cringe when we hear or use it.

Is the more accurate and grammatically correct phrase “sources of supply” really that difficult to use, instead? (OK, that’s enough blather on a subject most care nothing about!)

Anyway, despite the poor choice of words in the title, in a recent article at Business of Home, A designer’s guide to sourcing and sampling services, author Fred Nicolaus shares some good news about improving access to sources of supply and samples for interior designers.

First, he describes a familiar problem:

“Whether you’re building a massive resource library for your firm or just looking for a new kind of tile, sourcing materials can be a serious drag. There’s the hassle of sifting through endless options online, creating dozens of new accounts, digging up a rep’s contact information—and then keeping track of everything, all while running a business.”

Next, he offers a newly optimistic outlook for smaller design firms:

“Fortunately, there are tech-powered services that help bring order to the chaos. Typically, these sourcing platforms skew toward commercial designers (where there’s more volume of material, hence more money to be made on big orders). However, residential designers can certainly benefit, as well.”

New Tech Has Improved Access to Sources of Supply

While Nicolaus is more than happy to offer details of development and such, we prefer to focus on how these services can benefit the individual designer. From free to somewhat pricey, the four services described below should offer you enough diversity of section to get you heading in the right direction.

Material Bank – Designers create an account with Material Bank (there’s an approval process) and can then browse a library of materials. If you place an order for a sample by midnight EST, it will arrive via FedEx the next morning. Samples are packaged in a single box and come with a return label. The platform also connects designers with reps. Cost: FREE.

Source – Formerly known as KrowdSourced, this is a giant database of product information that designers can search with a variety of filters. Want to find phthalate-free white flooring options? Simple. From there, the platform connects designers with local reps, who answer questions and fill sample requests. Those tools are free. Source also has a premium tier, which assigns the customer a dedicated librarian who can perform research and make recommendations. Cost: Basic tier: FREE. Premium tier: $350/month.

SpecSimple – Designers create an online portal that allows them to centralize information from their favorite vendors, connect with reps, and request samples. The platform tracks products from a jaw-dropping 23,000 vendors, and the goal is to give designers a suite of tools that helps them narrow down what they’re actually looking for. For a cost, SpecSimple can also provide users with research support and assigned reps. Cost: FREE, with upgrades to $2000/year.

DecoratorsBest – Designers create a trade account (the site asks for membership in a trade association like the IIDA or ASID, or a design degree) and can then request samples for most of the represented brands. The manufacturers themselves actually fulfill the requests. For certain lines, designers can also request CFAs. Cost: FREE to designers (consumer samples are $5 each).

It should go without saying that, here at TD Fall, we are more than happy to help you with sourcing (Argh!) the products, samples, and services you need to best serve your business and your client’s design projects.

Further, Ted remains readily available for business consulting support to interior designers and furnishing store owners. Get in touch with TD Fall today.