Live Beautifully: Looking for a Fresh Design? Knock Down a Wall!

Patti Johnson loves the juxtaposition of the before and after comparison of a room when she finishes a design.

“I really like to take walls out,” Johnson told Daniel Litwin on a recent episode of Live Beautifully. “Maybe a wall could have been placed better, and we can improve traffic flow – it’s just going to help them live better.”

Johnson elaborated on her process and her motivation for her interior design career. She said that, in the past, some contractors may have pushed back or been difficult on a site. It’s important to treat contractors with respect, but to hold them accountable.

With Johnson’s company, Patti Johnson Interiors, a job starts with a client contacting her, and then she will decide which crew she will bring with her to a site.

“It’s important to have trust,” she said. “If they work with me long enough, they may know which decision I would make.”

Johnson did not start her career looking to own her own design business. Rather, her career materialized from humble beginnings when she was working as a designer at a furniture company.

Now, Johnson mostly handles renovations. She enjoys making people’s lives “more at ease” by reducing clutter and improving flow. Her motivation comes from incorporating an entire space, from the windows and walls down to the window treatment and the art – everything must work together.

“I think that I look at the entire space, even if [a client] invites me to look at just a single room,” she said. “I will assess the entire space and make a decision from there.”

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Architecture & Design Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

specialty care
A Physician Entrepreneur’s Playbook for Fixing America’s Specialty Care Gap
May 11, 2026

The U.S. healthcare system is facing a quiet but accelerating crisis: a widening gap between where specialists are needed and where they actually practice. In urology alone, there are roughly 1,100 open positions but only about 400 new specialists trained each year—a mismatch that’s only getting worse. As physician burnout rises and more clinicians…

Read More
Engineering
Engineering Education Needs to Be Human-Centered, Purpose-Driven, and Grounded in Real-World Problem Solving
May 11, 2026

Student disengagement, the rapid rise of AI, and shifting workforce expectations are pushing higher education to rethink how it prepares graduates. Engineering programs—long defined by rigor and technical depth—are now under pressure to stay relevant, improve retention, and produce graduates who can actually solve real-world problems, not just theoretical ones. And the numbers back…

Read More
Solo Stove
From Fire Pits to Outdoor Rituals: How Solo Stove Is Building a Lifestyle Brand Through Differentiation and Design
May 8, 2026

The backyard has become more than a place to grill, sit, or pass through on the way back inside. Increasingly, it is being treated as an extension of the home itself: a gathering place, a design statement, and a stage for the small rituals that bring people together. Solo Stove has leaned into that…

Read More
faith
Crafted Journey How To: Aligning Faith, Leadership and Career Purpose Without Losing Sight of What Matters Most
May 5, 2026

Professionals are increasingly questioning whether career success alone can deliver meaning, identity and long-term fulfillment. Coaching has moved beyond productivity hacks into deeper questions of purpose, faith and human flourishing, especially for leaders who want their work to create impact without becoming their entire identity. Research has consistently found a strong business case for…

Read More