Episode 163 - The Commercial Design Crossover with Marcy Sagel

If you’ve ever thought, “I can design a beautiful space, but commercial feels like a different language,” today’s guest is here to change that. Marcy Sagel is the founder of DesignerBank and principal of MSA Interiors, with 25 years in commercial and multifamily interiors. She helps interior designers build practical skills in Revit, Enscape rendering, and large-scale space planning using real project workflows. In this conversation, you’ll learn what truly separates residential from commercial, and how to level up fast without
guessing.
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Commercial interior design can look mysterious from the outside, but once you understand the workflow, it becomes a realistic next step for residential designers who want bigger projects and a wider career runway. We sit down with Marcy Sagel, founder of MSA Interiors and Designer Bank, to unpack what actually changes when you move into multifamily and other large-scale commercial work, and what skills help you contribute fast without feeling overwhelmed.

We get specific about the tools and the expectations. Marcy explains why so many commercial teams rely on Revit, how interior designers use it inside an architectural model, and why firms often require Revit proficiency before they hire. We also talk about the real payoff: stronger job placement, more opportunities across architecture and design firms, and the career leverage that comes from production-ready software skills. On top of that, we explore why rendering matters so much for client buy-in, plus how learning lighting, materials, and presentation techniques can make your ideas land faster.

Then we zoom out to the business side of commercial interiors: working with big teams, staying aligned through schedules and phases, doing early space planning for amenities, and handling value engineering without sacrificing the look. Marcy also shares practical marketing and PR advice for designers who want to break into commercial work locally, often starting with the same residential clients who own businesses and need offices or facilities designed.

If you’re ready to expand your portfolio and design career, subscribe, share the episode with a designer friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.
If you would like to get the links and show notes for this episode, click on the link below:​

• https://designerbank.com/
• https://msainteriors.com/

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