Design with Impact

About Design with Impact

Design with Impact is a podcast for interior designers who want to create beautiful, sustainable, and healthy spaces—while building a purposeful, profitable business. Hosted by interior designer and sustainability advocate Alex Shield, this show explores sustainable interior design, eco-friendly materials, and non-toxic homes, giving you practical tools to design with intention and reduce environmental impact. Each week, you’ll hear solo episodes and expert conversations covering indoor air quality, healthy materials, circular design, low-waste renovations, passive design strategies, and wellness-focused interiors—all broken down into actionable steps you can apply in real projects. You’ll also learn how to market a sustainable design business, attract aligned clients, and stand out in a growing industry focused on health, sustainability, and conscious living. Whether you’re new to sustainable design or ready to deepen your expertise, Design with Impact will help you design smarter, create healthier homes, and build a business that truly makes a difference. 🎙 New episodes weekly.

Publisher

Alex Shield

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Apr 2026

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   19. Beyond Sustainable Materials: A Better Approach to Waste Management in Interior Design

   Episode 19: Beyond Sustainable Materials: A Better Approach to Waste Management in Interior Design Every interior design and renovation project generates waste—but how much of it actually needs to end up in a landfill? When we talk about sustainable interior design, we often focus on healthy materials, sustainable furniture, and reducing our carbon footprint. But waste management is another critical piece of the puzzle, and as interior designers, we have more influence over it than we might think. In this solo episode of Design with Impact, I’m sharing practical strategies to reduce construction waste, reuse existing materials, and keep furniture, packaging, and building materials out of landfills. From making smarter design decisions before construction begins to planning for deconstruction, improving job-site waste sorting, and working with waste management companies, we’ll explore how to make waste reduction part of your everyday design process. Because sustainable design isn’t just about what we bring into a space. It’s also about what we choose not to throw away. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why construction, demolition, and furniture waste are major sustainability challenges for the interior design industry. How to design for waste reduction before your contractor even arrives on site. Ways to reuse, repair, refinish, and repurpose existing furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and architectural elements. Why designing for durability, longevity, and changing needs helps prevent future waste. How to move from demolition to deconstruction to salvage more materials for reuse and recycling. How to measure your project’s waste and track what is reused, donated, recycled, and sent to landfill. How waste management companies can help sort construction debris and divert more materials from landfills. Practical ways to reduce packaging waste through supplier communication, reusable packaging, and better procurement planning. How to create a waste management plan for every project and make waste reduction part of your standard scope of work. Freebie: Want to put these strategies into practice? I’ve created a free Waste Management Checklist to help you plan, track, and reduce waste on your interior design projects. DM me on Instagram at @designwithimpact_ (https://www.instagram.com/designwithimpact_) and I’ll send it to you! Website: www.alexshielddesign.com (https://alexshielddesign.com/) Instagram: @designwithimpact_ (https://www.instagram.com/designwithimpact_)

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   18. Building for Health: The 12 CORE Principles for Healthy Building Design with Brian Johnson

   Episode 18: Building for Health: The 12 CORE Principles for Healthy Building Design with Brian Johnson Description: What does it really mean to build a healthy home? In this episode of Design with Impact, I’m joined by Brian Johnson, general contractor, builder, and triple-certified building biologist and the founder and CEO of SENERGY360 and the Healthy Building Alliance. Brian brings together building science, building biology, wellness, and human health to rethink the way we design and build the places where we live. We dive into what a truly healthy home looks like—from indoor air quality and ventilation to healthy building materials, lighting, electrical systems, water quality, mold prevention, and more. If you're an interior designer, architect, builder, or other design professional interested in healthy homes, sustainable design, building science, healthy materials, and human health, this episode is packed with ideas to take into your next project. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: What a truly healthy home means and why it goes beyond choosing sustainable or eco-friendly materials The connection between building science, building biology, and human health Brian's 12 core systems for healthy building and how they work together as an integrated system Why building envelope design, insulation, air sealing, moisture management, and ventilation matter for healthy homes Why indoor air quality and properly engineered HVAC and ventilation systems are critical The role of lighting, circadian design, electrical systems, and low-voltage technology in a healthy home Why interior designers should be involved at the beginning of a project, rather than brought in after major building decisions have already been made How better communication and coordination between the project team can prevent healthy design strategies from being undermined during construction The Element healthy home community and Brian's vision for creating homes designed around health, wellness, and connection What the Healthy Building Alliance is and how it is bringing professionals across the healthy building industry together How interior designers can continue learning about healthy building and connect with other professionals in the field Connect with Brian Johnson: Website: SENERGY360.com (https://senergy360.com/) Instagram: @SENERGY360 (https://www.instagram.com/senergy360/) Healthy Building Alliance: healthybuildingalliance.org (https://healthybuildingalliance.org/) Brian is offering Design with Impact listeners one month of Healthy Building Alliance membership for $1 using the code DesignWithImpact. Element Healthy Home Community: Visit SENERGY360.com to learn more about Element, Brian's healthy home community in Arizona. Follow Design with Impact on Instagram: @designwithimpact_ (https://www.instagram.com/designwithimpact_/) Share this episode with another interior designer, architect, or builder who wants to learn more about healthy building.

3. 

   22 Sept 2026

   17. Sustainable Design, Systems & Profit: Business Lessons for Interior Designers with Rebecca Hay

   Episode 17: Sustainable Design, Systems & Profit: Business Lessons for Interior Designers with Rebecca Hay Description: What does it really take to build an interior design business that is both profitable and sustainable? In this episode of Design with Impact, I’m joined by Rebecca Hay, an interior designer, international speaker, business mentor, and founder of Designers Room. Rebecca built her interior design firm, Rebecca Hay Designs, into a seven-figure business before transitioning her focus to coaching and mentoring other interior designers. Rebecca and I talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the design industry: the connection between strong business systems and sustainable design. We explore how having the right processes in place can give designers more freedom to make thoughtful material choices, research sustainable suppliers, manage waste, and create better client experiences—without sacrificing profitability. From pricing your services and working with vintage and antique pieces to talking to contractors about waste management, this conversation is packed with practical advice for interior designers who want to build a business that works better—for themselves, their clients, and the planet. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why systems and structure can actually create more freedom and creativity in your interior design business The three foundational systems every full-service interior design business needs Why a strong supplier network can help your team make more sustainable sourcing decisions How to balance sustainability, quality, durability, and profitability when specifying products Why designers need to understand their costs and price their services for profit How strong business systems can free up time for sustainable research and better design decisions How the next generation of designers may approach sustainability, technology, and business differently Rebecca's advice for designers who want to build a profitable business while creating more sustainable, meaningful spaces Connect with Rebecca Hay: Website: www.rebeccahay.com (http://www.rebeccahay.com) Instagram: @rebeccahaydesigns (https://www.instagram.com/rebeccahaydesigns/) Podcast: Resilient by Design (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/resilient-by-design-with-rebecca-hay/id1512535682) Workshops: Rebecca offers workshops for interior designers, visit www.rebeccahay.com (http://www.rebeccahay.com) for upcoming workshops and resources. Montreal Waste Management Companies: Triobac (https://triobac.com/en/) Ramasse.ca (http://Ramasse.ca) Conteneurs Monstres (https://conteneursmonstres.com/) Connect & continue the conversation: Follow Design with Impact on Instagram: @designwithimpact_ (https://www.instagram.com/designwithimpact_/) Share this episode with a fellow interior designer Leave a review to help more designers discover the podcast

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Contact Design with Impact

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.