EP 56: AI & Product Procurement with Daniel House Club Founders

Welcome to the AI for Interior Designers podcast- Episode 56! In this episode, I’m joined by brothers Peter and Alexander Spalding, co-founders of Daniel House Club, a platform built to take the headaches out of procurement so designers can focus on what they actually love: designing. We first met in May 2024 at a design immersion retreat in Scottsdale, and since then we’ve crossed paths at multiple industry events. I’ve not only partnered with them for events like the first AI Design Tech Summit but also used their platform extensively in my own projects. This conversation takes you inside: How they transformed their own struggles running a design firm into a membership-based back-of-house powerhouse for designers. The ways AI and technology are streamlining catalog management, speeding up product requests, and making vendor data useful (even when it comes in as a messy PDF). Alexander’s personal AI workflow, from ChatGPT and Gemini to a note-taking app called Granola, and how he uses these tools for everything from HTML tweaks to marketing plans. Why brand voice training is essential for AI copywriting and how to get rid of the overused “luxury” and “elegant” clichés. The behind-the-scenes process of making product photography consistent, clean, and usable across both marketing and client-facing boards. Their vision for the future of sourcing, including real-time stock checks and image-based product search for trade-only vendors.   What You’ll Hear in This Episode The backstory: How Daniel House Club started as an internal tool to fix the least favorite parts of running a design firm and why those same pain points are shared by designers everywhere. Procurement without the burnout: How their concierge team helps designers avoid hiring extra staff for tracking orders and chasing vendors. AI in action: Vendor data extraction from PDFs, websites, and spreadsheets. AI-driven image formatting, centering products, adding white backgrounds, and creating consistent aspect ratios. Faster product requests, down from 45 minutes to 5, while keeping a human in the loop for quality control. Alexander’s AI toolkit: ChatGPT for copywriting, HTML snippets, and marketing refinement. Granola for discreet, real-time meeting transcripts and searchable notes. Deep research features in Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to dig through files, cloud storage, and vendor sites for specific data. Keeping your voice: Strategies for training AI to write in your tone (minus emojis and endless exclamation marks) so it feels authentic to your brand. Future sourcing dreams: Real-time inventory integration and a Google Lens-style search that works for trade vendors instead of sending you to mass-market retail.   Why This Episode Matters If you’ve ever: Struggled to keep vendor data clean and up-to-date. Wished product images looked consistent on boards and in client presentations. Spent hours chasing down pricing or stock levels. Wanted to explore AI but didn’t know where to start in your design business. You’ll get a ton of practical, ready-to-implement ideas from this conversation.   Resources & Links Mentioned Daniel House Club Website Daniel House Club on Instagram Daniel House Club on LinkedIn Daniel House Club on Facebook Granola Note-Taking App AI for Interior Designers™   Episode Timestamp Guide 00:33 – Meeting Peter & Alexander and the early Daniel House Club story 06:46 – Alexander’s day-to-day AI use 14:30 – Vendor data, HTML tweaks, and marketing scripts 27:43 – The AI-powered product request process 32:47 – Image formatting for catalogs and boards 35:34 – Future features: real-time stock checks and visual search 37:19 – High Point Market plans and event collaborations

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