Case study 04 — Interior design · Studio workspace

Plinth

A workspace for interior design studios. The designer curates the board on desktop, the client approves it on their phone, and an assistant does the sourcing in between.

Designer: Desktop workspace
Client: Mobile app
Assistant: Sources against the brief

PlinthProjects · Boards · Sourcing · ClientsDesigner view

Okafor Residence / Living room

Living room selection board

Heads up

The Halden 3-seat sofa is no longer available.

The maker discontinued it on Sept 29, after the client approved it. The assistant found 3 replacements.

Review alternatives

✦ Plinth assistant

Three sofas that can replace the Halden

Closest matchMarlow 86$4,120 · arrives Oct 226 of 6 brief criteria

Sorrel bench-seat$3,640 · Nov 12–26May miss install

Tolland track-arm$3,380 · in stockToo wide and tall

The challenge

A sofa the client already approved gets discontinued mid-project. Today that means screenshots, spreadsheets and a week of emails. Plinth turns it into one calm loop: find alternatives, revise the board, get the client’s yes.

Sofa unavailable → alternatives → revised board → client approvalTap a step

Designer · desktop

Heads up

The board flags it the moment it happens: the Halden sofa the client approved was discontinued on Sept 29. The assistant has already checked trade vendors against the room brief.

PlinthDesigner view

Okafor Residence / Living room

Living room selection board

Heads up

The Halden 3-seat sofa is no longer available.

The maker discontinued it on Sept 29, after the client approved it. The assistant checked your trade vendors against the room brief and found 3 replacements.

Review alternatives

Halden 3-seat sofa

Oat bouclé · 86 in

Discontinued

Fenn lounge chair

Walnut frame, rust wool

Tidewater flatweave, 8 × 10

Wool, ivory and slate

Low oval table

Travertine top, oak base

Feedback

Dana: “Love the oat bouclé. Please keep the sofa low so it does not block the window.”

You: “Noted. Keeping the back under 32 in.”

The sofa brief — how the assistant scores each optionPick a sofa

Marlow 86

Same width and back height as the Halden, in a bouclé one shade off the approved swatch. The rug, armchair and curtains all still work with it.

Brief criteria met

6 of 6

Price

$4,120

88 in wide at most, to leave room for the side table86 in wide, limit is 88 inMeets the brief
Back no taller than 32 in, so it clears the window sill31 in back, clears the sillMeets the brief
Performance fabric that stands up to the dogPerformance bouclé, cleanableMeets the brief
Warm neutral: oat or sandOat, matches the approved toneMeets the brief
$4,200 or less$4,120, under the $4,200 capMeets the brief
Delivered before install on Nov 20Arrives Oct 22, four weeks earlyMeets the brief

How the sprint shaped it

Read

One painful momentInstead of a whole platform, the sprint focused on the moment that costs studios the most time: a product falling through.

Frame

The brief is the judgeEvery replacement is scored against the room brief — width, back height, fabric, tone, budget and delivery — not taste alone.

Build

Two sides, one boardThe designer works on desktop; the client reviews on mobile — board, approvals, messages, profile and an assistant.

Answers with sourcesThe client’s assistant answers from boards, budget and delivery schedule, and shows where each answer comes from.

See it working

Swap the sofa. Get the yes.

Open the prototype → Start your sprint

Next case study Eleven →