I started The Little Design Corner in 2014 as a blog while working in corporate change management. Within months people were contacting me about interior design projects and within a year I'd left my corporate career to run my own residential design studio.
I spent six years building a busy studio and eventually I was fully booked and had a decision to make. Should I take on more staff and projects or find another way to grow?
I chose the second option.
Drawing on my background in education, I created my first SketchUp course back in 2019. It took off straight away and I realised how much designers needed to learn beyond what they'd been taught at design school.
That course grew into the business you see today, with SketchUp training, professional templates and practical business courses to help designers build their skills and run successful studios.
In 2020 my husband Paul left his senior corporate career to join me. Together, we've built TLDC into an eight-figure education business that's trained more than 52,000 design and build professionals worldwide.
We also have three teenage boys and our middle son Hugo is proufoundly disabled with complex medical needs.
I am the "face" of TLDC. With a PhD in business, a background in corporate education and six years running my own design studio, I bring both the creative and commercial sides of the industry to everything I teach.
My courses, templates and business systems are grounded in real experience, from designing and documenting residential projects to pricing work, managing clients and building a profitable business. I try to make my courses as fun as possible and my focus is always on getting my students the best results I can.
Paul has an Executive MBA and more than 20 years of senior commercial experience in the finance sector. He doesn't really like making content so you won't se him on socials much but he looks after all our paid advertising, operations and business growth (basically all the stuff I don't want to do lol!!). He also has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu :)
Together, we combine practical design industry knowledge with the commercial experience of building and running a multimillion dollar business. TLDC is where we share what we've learnt with the designers, architects and creative professionals who learn from us.
Clare + Paul
52,000+
Students
250K+
Instagram Community
12 Years
Teaching the Industry
$13.5 million
OUR BUSINESS REVENUE
My business templates and courses help you solve a specific business problem straight away. Instant downloads. Just plug and play.
Join 17,000+ designers and learn how to create clear, professional 3D drawings that wow clients and win projects. No technical background needed.
Join more than 250,000 others over on my Instagram page. I manage my account myself and answer all DMs personally, so please reach out to ask a question or just say hi! :)
We are more than happy for our biggest goal to be to make money for our family. One of our three boys needs lifelong, 24/7 care, which is one of the main reasons we build the way we do and why we take the commercial side of TLDC so seriously.
This business isn't a game for us, it's how we make sure Hugo will be well looked after for the rest of his life (without all of his care responsibilities falling to our other two boys).
You probably have responsibilities your work has to pay for as well. If you do you'll understand why we are proud to say we do things to make money for our family. It's ok for this to be your goal too!!
My interior design work has been featured in a number of leading design magazines and publications (including this feature in EST. living). I was also a finalist in the Dulux Colour Awards.
But these days, due to my commitment to my education business, I no longer work with interior design clients.