About Us
B Designs is a boutique-Interior Design House, offering both residential and small commercial interior design services.
Good interior design is art but great interior design is when that art reflects your unique personality and aesthetic. We are passionate about creating spaces and homes that are unique to your personal needs. Spaces where loud dinners happen laughter is shared and memories are formed, that is what we do!
Some of our specialties include kitchen and bathroom design, lighting design, space planning and bespoke window/treatments but we love filling a home from top to bottom with beautiful furniture and decor.
B Designs Interiors, “The art of creating beautiful livable spaces and homes”
Mj Bortugno, B Designs ASID Allied, IDS
Winner Best Interior Design 2020, Albany Votes
"Best of Houzz" 2014-2025
“The art of interior design”
*2025 Winner Grace awards for best window treatment design
*On the cover; Life@Home Magazine
*On the Cover, Of Lumens.com
*Featured in Life@Home Magazine, Albany Times Union & BusinessReview
*Featured guest on the TV Show, "Schenectady Today"
How We Got Started
I have a background in commercial interior design for over fifteen years but I cut my teeth with residential, when I took a position at, Albany shower Door, as a high end Bathroom and Shower-Designer. Pretty quickly the demand for more arose and we answered the call, with bespoke window treatments along with custom, blinds, shades and shutters, almost immediately, I was hounded with requests for more privately. Eventually I had to make a decision, and B Designs was born. The phone hasn't stopped ringing since!
The products and services we offer
Recommendations Received (39)
" Beautiful work. Very easy to work with. "
"Maria is lovely to work with. Her clients happiness is her priority. "
Products & Services
All of our designs are done in a 3D digital rendering format so you can make any changes long before the purchasing and or construction begins. Som...
Certified shade and blind, specialist. Whether your problem is glare, UVA-protection, insulation, or simply the right look, we have solutions for you.
We haven't met a window we haven't liked. Whether it's a simple Roman-shade, Cafe' curtains, Pair of Draperies, or an Open-Draped-Swag, we are here...
Gallery
Recommendations Given (73)
"working with Dawn is always an artistic dream. The two of us when we collaborate can come up with..."
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"working with Dawn is always an artistic dream. The two of us when we collaborate can come up with new twists. Dawn truly has a gift for Kitchen design and when i'm stuck she comes up with a solution i'd never hae thought of. Its a rate thng to have such teamwork"
"I have used the ideal move in the past a few times for small moves including my now husbands..."
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"I have used the ideal move in the past a few times for small moves including my now husbands office, but what really sticks in my memory was a time when we had an elderly who could non longer navigate stairs so needed to move from the second floor to the ground floor. I cannot emphasize how patient, warm and kind these men were while helping us create a new space for this elderly man. They are fairly priced and do great work!"
Recent Activity
Crazy busy! Typically August is a slow month with people getting ready for back to school and family vacations, but this year it may be my busiest month. With COVID and back to school uncertain, everyone is working out of their homes and beyond focused there! Interior Designs seems to be the...
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Crazy busy! Typically August is a slow month with people getting ready for back to school and family vacations, but this year it may be my busiest month. With COVID and back to school uncertain, everyone is working out of their homes and beyond focused there! Interior Designs seems to be the COVID career to have!
The predictors are all there and if you're paying attention, technically it's already happening. Although consumer confidence has not taken a complete nose dive, prices are increasing in just about all consumer goods at alarming rates. As an interior Designer, one might say I shop for a living,...
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The predictors are all there and if you're paying attention, technically it's already happening. Although consumer confidence has not taken a complete nose dive, prices are increasing in just about all consumer goods at alarming rates. As an interior Designer, one might say I shop for a living, everything from fabrics, to tile, stone and appliances and furnishings, have increased in price, dramatically. People are getting scared and telling me they're renovating now before the prices increase further. Conversley, the housing market is also feeling the times, with low inventory and record high housing prices. Only a matter of time before it gets extremely hard to get a loan. In fact the Feds are talking about tightening up loan restrictions now. Not to mention government spending is way out of control with the deficit increasing at record and alarming rates. Tariffs have wallstreet terrified and has already bankrupted many American Farmers and Steel, now that China is no longer buying our products. The Dow is in an epic rollercoster ride because of the trade war with China. Make no mistake, once we lose these markets it's going to take years if possible at all to get them back. People are getting scared and telling me. It's time to wake up before it's too late!
I absolutely love my ACA insurance, it's actually more comprehensive than my previous employer paid insurance and only costs me $360 a month with a $250 deductible and $25 copay on specialties and zero $ for Heath screens and checkups, including vision. Wish it had dental but hey it's great!...
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I absolutely love my ACA insurance, it's actually more comprehensive than my previous employer paid insurance and only costs me $360 a month with a $250 deductible and $25 copay on specialties and zero $ for Heath screens and checkups, including vision. Wish it had dental but hey it's great! Also completely portable throughout the US. That's key if one travels.
As an Interior Designer, trade is perhaps the largest sector of our industry that affects us daily and has had an immediate but negative impact! Everything from solid surface, i.e. Stone for counter tops and tile, to furniture, appliances, accessories, lighting and textiles, all of which have...
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As an Interior Designer, trade is perhaps the largest sector of our industry that affects us daily and has had an immediate but negative impact! Everything from solid surface, i.e. Stone for counter tops and tile, to furniture, appliances, accessories, lighting and textiles, all of which have jumped dramatically in price due to tariffs. Textile prices are the largest part of my daily business and have never been cheap to begin with, now clients are actually cringing at the increased yardage price. It's a huge problem and one forcing us in the industry to lower our profit margin in order to compete.
A window shades and blinds Sale. It's a basic need for most homeowners and once I have the opportunity to meet them in there home, typically I'm asked more questions and always more questions after an installation and happy customer status
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A window shades and blinds Sale. It's a basic need for most homeowners and once I have the opportunity to meet them in there home, typically I'm asked more questions and always more questions after an installation and happy customer status
1) That too many uneducated "decorators", use the term "Interior designer" and often mess things up for the rest of us. I can't tell you how many times I've cleaned up huge design/decorating issues, from those claiming to be "interior Designers"! Often at that point, so much money had already...
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1) That too many uneducated "decorators", use the term "Interior designer" and often mess things up for the rest of us. I can't tell you how many times I've cleaned up huge design/decorating issues, from those claiming to be "interior Designers"! Often at that point, so much money had already been spent that I'm working on a much smaller budget and the client is super stressed and worried it's going to happen again. This is not to say ALL decorators are hacks, their truly is a lot of talent out there, but also a lot of mediocrity ruining it for the rest of us. Once a person gets a sour taste, it's a long road back to sweetness!
2)My other super grrr pet peeve? Boards and those who ask friends and family for advice. Nothing worse than pleasing large groups of people, all with different goals, ideas and tastes. Just NO!
3) The need for a TV in every room!
Rant over. 🤦♀️🤷♀️
1 Reply
Always tricky, but I try and educate the customer at the beginning when we sign the contract. I always explain that my price will be no higher than the retail and sometimes lower and that if their is an issue it's much easier to address it if I'm in control, since I have the relationship. And of...
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Always tricky, but I try and educate the customer at the beginning when we sign the contract. I always explain that my price will be no higher than the retail and sometimes lower and that if their is an issue it's much easier to address it if I'm in control, since I have the relationship. And of course it's part of my job and compensation, since it's my time, expertise and relationships, but again, explain that my price is not outrageous. That's generally the fear, that they'll pay too much.
A difficult question I keep asking myself? No color is ever permanently in fashion, but If you're asking if it's the "new beige"/neutral? I'm inclined to say yes. Although it won't ever totally replace beige, it does work as a neutral very nicely and I'm inclined to add it to my bag of neutrals...
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A difficult question I keep asking myself? No color is ever permanently in fashion, but If you're asking if it's the "new beige"/neutral? I'm inclined to say yes. Although it won't ever totally replace beige, it does work as a neutral very nicely and I'm inclined to add it to my bag of neutrals as well. Time will tell, as I give poplular colors about ten years and we're at year 7 or 8 now 🤷♀️. Tis when I start warning my clients about such things. I never want anyone to come back and say, "you should have told me as I may not have gone gray!"
1 Reply
This has been my busiest year to date, but it's not over and as the Itallians say, "I'll sleep while I'm dead". As an interior designer, my business is visual and people enjoy seeing updates on the various daily tasks of my work. So while I'm trudging around shops Looking for just the right...
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This has been my busiest year to date, but it's not over and as the Itallians say, "I'll sleep while I'm dead". As an interior designer, my business is visual and people enjoy seeing updates on the various daily tasks of my work. So while I'm trudging around shops Looking for just the right inspiration and decor, filling my baskets, I post photos on Instagram that are automatically shared on my FB page. Then photos as I work to complete the project. It seems to get me more business each time. Last night I posted a lovely tablescape and was immediately contacted on Messenger, inquiring about my availability to decorate a holiday party. It takes minutes to post a quick pic, but reminds people just how busy you are. I also post reminders that's I sell gift cards. It all adds up and you never know who will remember you in January. 🤷♀️
1 Reply
All of the above. It depends upon the budget and application.
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All of the above. It depends upon the budget and application.
