When designers need to buy products for their work, they often buy them through third-party middlemen. But why? Today we talk with John Dupra of Revel Woods hardwood flooring about how he works directly with designers, and how that saves them big bucks.

John Dupra is the co-founder of Revel Woods fine hardwood flooring. Growing up, he watched his dad work in the flooring business, and after leaving to work in other areas, he came back to the family business and brought some serious project management skills with him. Inspired by high-end fashion sites, Revel Woods is dedicated to making the buying process of expertly curated, high-quality hardwood flooring as easy as possible.

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As John tells Darla and Natalie, the business has changed a lot in recent years, and with consumers being able to buy directly from suppliers, that’s meant that interior designers have turned to the one cost they can control: billable hours. But that’s tough to scale.

The wood flooring industry in particular is still stuck in the stone ages. Traditionally a flooring company sells to a regional wholesaler, who sells to a flooring dealer, who sells to the consumer. And because wood flooring is a very expensive and very technical product, that structure has always stayed in place, because getting it wrong can be catastrophic for a project. So why would direct sales be worth what seems like a headache? John breaks it down for Darla and Natalie.

John said that one of the things he’s learned about working with interior designers is that it’s not always about making more money for them. Sometimes it’s about control, and being able to make the right choice the way they want. And being able to tell a client that they are going to have full control of the project from start to finish can be a big bonus. You’re able to say you’re a full-service shop with no middlemen.

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