Scaling a Miami Design Powerhouse: How Studio 790 Grew Project Capacity 10X with Houzz Pro

Ann Lopez launched Studio 790 in 2019 after a successful career in corporate marketing. While she had the vision and drive to build a high-end design firm, she quickly realized the tools she relied on—mainly spreadsheets—weren’t built to manage a growing design business.

“I would create proposals and invoices in a spreadsheet and somehow put my logo in there,” Ann recalls.

Without a centralized system, the business lacked the structure and efficiency needed to scale beyond a handful of projects.

Determined to grow Studio 790 into a true design powerhouse, Ann began searching for a software solution that could serve as the operational backbone of the business.

Studio 790 adopted Houzz Pro in 2020, consolidating client communication, proposals, invoices, procurement, and financial reporting into one platform.

“I call Houzz Pro our director of ops, our director of finance, our director of accounting—the design operational resource. It touches every single aspect. And the efficiency comes from not having to go to six places. I get to go to a one-stop shop for everything.” Ann shares.

Key features that transformed workflow include:

• Selections & Approvals: Instead of managing endless email threads, the team now presents product options through interactive and visual selection boards where clients can easily review and approve items. Ann describes the feature as a game changer for managing product decisions and keeping projects moving forward efficiently.
  
  “I don't have to have another meeting with the client to say, ‘We have three chairs for you to choose from, and we have a couple of lights for you to choose from.’ I can just email them the selection boards, and they can see right in there their options. They love it. And then we get the response automated right to us to say okay your client has approved all of these things in that selection board. Once everything's approved, it gets converted to a proposal and then gets paid. It's just phenomenal.”

• Proposals: Studio 790 appreciates being able to track its markup internally while keeping proposals clean and simple for clients. It gives the firm clear visibility into its commission while maintaining a polished client experience.
  
  
• Budget Management in Selections: The budget tool allows the studio to manage the project budget with total transparency. "The client is going to trust you more because you're managing their money better," Ann explains.
  
  
• Time Tracking: The team utilizes the Time Tracking tools on the app to ensure every billable hour is captured, a critical component for a firm managing dozens of active projects at once.
  
  
• Online Payments: “70% of our clients are paying online," Ann explains. "It’s super seamless because we send them the invoice, they’re able to pay it, and it makes it really easy for the clients." Every payment integrates directly into QuickBooks, keeping the books in order in real-time without any double entry.

Since implementing Houzz Pro, Studio 790 has grown from managing 3 to 5 projects at a time to 30 to 40 active projects. The team also saves 20 hours per week with Houzz Pro. As Ann explains, “That’s a lot of revenue that goes back into our pockets because of the time savings.” 

She also credits the platform as a key factor behind their growth:

“I don't think it's coincidental that we have scaled. It's happening because the tool is supporting us.”

Beyond operational efficiencies, the platform has improved the day-to-day experience for the entire team. By reducing time spent on administrative tasks, the designers have more time to focus on creative work.

For Ann, the time savings also create space to lead her team and spend more time with clients and family. As she puts it, “I can spend time leading my team better. I can spend time with my clients. I can spend time with my family… It makes my job as a business owner 10 times more rewarding.”