At the end of 2025, we launched our inaugural Annual Member Survey, polling our community on issues ranging from AI to succession planning, sourcing to hiring, budgets to business development. The results (which you can find in full here) paint a picture of the state of the current high-end design market: one that’s in flux, with new technological, geopolitical, and cultural developments requiring constant adaption, but also one that’s healthy, where budgets are holding strong even in the midst of financial uncertainty. Below, we pull out 10 of the biggest takeaways.
- Budgets are holding strong.
Despite a year of financial flux—interest rates, tariffs, geopolitical unrest—most of our members report that budgets are holding strong, with three in four participants reporting the same or larger project budgets. That said, several report increased wariness around savvy spending, and many are watching these trends closely. “The geopolitical atmosphere is very unpredictable and while this hasn't deterred our clientele yet, it could very easily if there is larger economic fallout,” says one member.
- Senior Designers are hardest to hire—and many stall before they get there.
Nearly one in three firms say Senior Designers are the hardest role to hire, followed by Project Managers. The remainder clusters around leadership-adjacent roles. Interestingly, notes our data scientist, “pay clusters are clear—Juniors $60–79k (43%), Seniors $100–149k (44%), Principals $200–299k (28%) / $300k+ (25%) —but progression isn’t. The steps up aren’t matched by equally clear ladders or progression, which may be one reason why people stall at mid-level.”
- Lighting leads sourcing.
Nearly all firms work with a wide mix of material and furniture partners, but lighting leads the way, with a whopping 95% of respondents saying they work regularly with brands in this category. Following closely behind are stone and tile (92%), hardware (87%), and window treatments and furniture (tied for 85%). 50% say they’d like to increase relationships with art & accessories vendors.
- Midsize firms are the most advanced with tech adoption.
When it comes to adopting AI-based technology, 21–50-person studios are furthest ahead, with 11–20-member firms close behind. As our data analyst explains: “The smallest adopt selectively; the largest move the slowest, possibly constrained by risk and process inertia.”
One of the biggest hurdles firms face isn’t necessarily being open to new tech; it’s the logistical work involved in implementing it. “Tools and tech keep changing, and we don’t have an internal enablement owner to keep everyone current,” explained one survey respondent.
- AI rendering is the next frontier
When asked to rank which AI tool they’re most likely to adopt next, the answer was overwhelmingly rendering tools (55%), followed by workflow assistants (38%). In terms of the tech most in use now, though, 61% of respondents currently use workflow assistants and chat-bots.
- The best thing a vendor can offer is live inventory status.
While the value of good relationships is a constant thread throughout the results, the number one thing DLN members want from their vendors is accurate information on inventory. 28% of participants listed “live inventory and lead time visibility” as the most valuable service a vendor can provide, followed by having a dedicated trade support rep (17%) and enhanced trade pricing and transparency (15%).
- Succession isn’t on the radar as soon as it should be.
On the succession front, survey participants were split relatively evenly between long-term and near-term planners. About half expect transition more than 10 years out, while roughly a third are aiming for the next 2–5 years. And yet, 82% say they’re not considering succession planning at all at the moment, and 50% “exploring options informally.” This may be risky, as the near-universal advice in our succession planning resources is “start earlier than you think you need to.”
Putting succession on the back-burner may be a result of the fact that 34% of respondants cite building a leadership pipeline as a leading management difficulty (second only to “managing performance”). Indeed, “finding or nurturing a successor” leads the challenge list (38%), followed by personal readiness (32%), time constraints (25%), and not knowing where to start (23%)—we can help with that!
- Families and empty-nesters drive most growth
While buzzwords about HENRYs abound, the reality is that the high-end residential market is driven primarily by more established clients. “Older families” are the biggest business drivers for DLN firms, with “empty nesters” second and “younger families” coming in third. The great wealth transfer expected over the next decade may change these numbers; stay tuned for how they evolve.
- Clients will splurge on kitchens, but not on sustainability.
When it comes to opening purses, clients are willing to spend on kitchen above all else (just 1% of respondents said clients are “unwilling” to spend here). Bathrooms come in second place, with 62% of respondents saying their clients are willing to spend and just 3% unwilling. While sustainability remains a key factor for many of our members and partners, it’s one of the hardest barriers to climb with clients, with 58% of respondents saying their clients are unwilling to spend there and just 5% finding them willing.
