How an Interior Designer Saw That Voice Tone Isn’t Brand Colour

CASE STUDY: PERSONAL BRAND OF AN INTERIOR DESIGNER

FOCUS: Voice Discovery | AUDIENCE: Experts with Ignored Brands

I helped an interior designer discover that tone of voice—not colour palette—is what creates brand differential.

The Brand Challenge

An award-winning interior design consultant wanted to elevate her personal brand and attract more premium clients for her boutique residential and commercial projects. Known for her exquisite use of natural materials and layered textures, her portfolio spoke volumes. She had invested heavily in visual identity—developing a signature colour palette of ochres, sages, and charcoals, applied consistently across her website, brand kits, and social channels.

But the written tone of voice was an afterthought. She believed her colour scheme was her brand tone—and assumed that the words simply needed to echo her visual aesthetic. As a result, her copy was filled with generic phrases like “beautiful spaces,” “curated experiences,” and “timeless design.” Prospective clients couldn’t tell what made her truly distinct. The brand looked elegant—but sounded forgettable.

The Brand Insight

When I analysed her brand communications, the insight was clear: tone of voice isn’t decoration—it’s declaration. Her visuals projected aesthetic taste, but her words failed to convey her intellectual and creative leadership. Clients hire a high-end designer not just for style, but for the clarity of her point of view—and that point of view was getting lost in bland copy.

I explained that the colour palette created atmosphere, but it was the tone of voice that needed to express her design philosophy, personality, and promise. Without that verbal layer of distinction, her brand lacked memorability and magnetism.

The Big Brand Idea

I gave her this breakthrough: “Your tone of voice is your brand’s charisma and credibility—not its colour.” Just as she layered textures and tones to create visual depth, we needed to layer her language to create verbal depth.

Together, we defined a tone that reflected her real design voice: tactile, intentional, and conversational. Her aesthetic wasn’t about glossy perfection—it was about spaces that honoured life and lived texture. The new tone would signal that philosophy: smart yet warm, discerning yet human, with language that invited clients to feel her perspective, not just view her work.

The Brand New Strategy

I guided her through a full rewrite of her core brand copy, beginning with the website. We stripped out generic, passive language and replaced it with a more sensory and confident tone. Words were chosen to evoke materiality and mood—how spaces would feel, not just how they would look. Headlines led with perspective, not platitudes.

Simultaneously, we aligned her tone across all touchpoints—emails, captions, proposals, speaking engagements—so that her voice felt consistent, deliberate, and magnetic. The new strategy ensured that when clients interacted with her brand, they heard her distinct design philosophy clearly—through the power of words, not just the power of visuals.

10 New Content Directions

Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:

Website rewrite using language that mirrored the tactile and emotional experience of her spaces—not abstract style phrases.
Headline refresh across pages to lead with design philosophy statements rather than empty aesthetic descriptors.
Blog series titled “Design Notes,” where she shared personal reflections on materials, light, flow, and how they shape daily life.
Client testimonial rewrites guided to surface the designer’s leadership, process, and human connection—not just outcomes.
Instagram caption strategy shifted from visual-only posts to micro-stories revealing her creative thinking and behind-the-scenes process.
Email signature and proposal language aligned to convey clarity and personality—not corporate formality.
Speaking engagement scripts rewritten to project confident expertise with an approachable, warm tone.
Short-form video scripts built around phrases that conveyed her unique point of view and verbal charisma.
About page rewrite leading with narrative tone—“what I believe about spaces”—instead of credentials-first structure.
Social media voice guide created for her team to ensure ongoing tone alignment across posts, comments, and outreach.

Results Within 6 Months

Website engagement improved with 43% longer average time on page.
Referral clients cited her distinctive tone and point of view as a reason they reached out.
Instagram engagement increased 2.8X, with more DMs from high-value prospects.
New premium clients closed deals faster—often referencing how her voice felt clear, confident, and aligned with her visual aesthetic.

CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.

Extra Tip for Broader Perspective

If you’re brand owner or manager seeking stronger brand performance, here’s a case study that could interest you: “How an Australian Small-Town Radio Station Cut Podcast Static.“

If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this case study I worked on may resonate: “How an Eco-Fashion Brand Wrapped Its Vision to Spark Desire.“

Take your brand from stuck to full throttle − with one bold strategic shift

"One BIG IDEA can turn brand stagnation into unstoppable movement. Spots are limited each week—book your breakthrough session now."

Shobha Ponnappa

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