Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Nicol.
Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always drawn to interiors, wallpaper, and design, but for a long time I didn’t think of myself as “artistic.” I was a creative kid, but I had this misconception that because I wasn’t traditionally good at art, that part of me wasn’t something I could build a career around. What I was always good at was problem-solving and working with people, even if I didn’t lead with that at first.
Before starting my business, I spent years bartending and traveling, which taught me how to connect with people quickly and comfortably. That naturally led me into sales, and eventually into project management. I worked as a technical and operations project manager, most recently at Meta in Trust & Safety, where I helped Meta products be safer. On paper, it was a good job. I was good at it. But I was deeply unhappy and burned out, and I felt disconnected from the work and from myself and my children.
I ended up taking a mental health break, and during that time I poured all of my pent-up energy into working on my home. I decided to install wallpaper myself, and the experience was honestly a nightmare. I couldn’t find quality samples, didn’t know how much to order, didn’t know which brands to trust, and felt overwhelmed by conflicting information. The process felt unnecessarily complicated and inaccessible.
That’s when it clicked for me. I realized I couldn’t be the only person feeling this way, and I started wondering why there wasn’t an easier, more personal way to approach wallpaper especially one that let people see and feel it in their own homes. The idea for my business came together pretty quickly after that. It started as a hopeful experiment, but it turned into something that felt deeply aligned with who I am: helping people, solving problems, and making beautiful spaces feel possible instead of intimidating.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like most small business owners, there’s a huge amount of vulnerability in putting something new into the world and hoping people want it. The hardest part has been getting my name out there in a meaningful way. Almost everyone I talk to immediately says, “Oh my God, I could have used you,” or “I know someone who needs this,” which is incredibly validating but turning that interest into consistent visibility and growth takes time, especially when margins are tight.
Another challenge has been figuring out how to scale without losing the heart of what I do. My business is very personal and relationship-driven, and that’s something I’m proud of. As demand has grown, I’ve had to think carefully about how to grow in a way that still feels authentic and allows me to give each client the level of care and attention I value.
There’s also been a learning curve in trusting myself. Leaving a stable corporate career to build something from scratch was scary, and there were moments of doubt along the way. But each project and each happy client has helped reinforce that this path, while challenging, is the right one for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I work with both on-site and virtual clients, helping them source, select, and install wallpaper in a way that feels approachable and fun. For on-site consultations, I bring a curated library of samples from over 35 wallpaper vendors from around the world, offering a wide range of styles, textures, and price points. We go through the samples together in the client’s home, talk about what excites them, put materials up on the walls, and really experience how everything looks and feels in their space.
For virtual clients, I work from photos of their home and essentially shop for wallpaper on their behalf. I love that part of the process it feels like solving a creative puzzle. I help clients narrow options, get excited about what’s possible, and feel confident in their choices. I also handle measuring, ordering, coordinating samples, and facilitating installation, so clients don’t have to manage a dozen moving parts.
What I’m most proud of is how easy I make the process. Wallpaper has a reputation for being intimidating or overwhelming, and I love showing people that it doesn’t have to be. What sets me apart is the hands-on, highly personalized approach. There isn’t really anything like this in Austin, and the conversations I get to have with clients seeing them light up when they find “the one” are my favorite part of the job. It genuinely doesn’t feel like work to me, and that joy shows up in the experience I provide.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The biggest piece of advice I have is to just start. It’s so easy to get stuck trying to make everything perfect before you begin, but perfection can be paralyzing. You learn so much more by taking action, being a little messy, and seeing what actually resonates.
The other thing I’d say is to lean on your community. Ask friends and family to be trial customers. Ask for feedback. Be open to hearing what works and what doesn’t. Your people are often your first champions, they’re the ones who introduce you, recommend you, and help build momentum early on.
Pricing:
- On-site consultations: $125 Includes an in-home consultation with a curated library of samples, up to three hours of design support, sourcing and selecting wallpaper, sending samples, creating mood boards, measuring, and facilitating installation.
- Virtual consultations: $75 Clients receive personalized design support, wallpaper sourcing ordering and guidance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewallpaperconcierge.com
- Instagram: @thewallpaperconcierge
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaycnicol/
- Other: https://share.google/4O63WgtH5unnT5ctz
