This series contains inventory cards used by the William Pahlmann Associates to manage its inventory of interior design supplies for its various projects, including but not limited to furniture, furnishings, accessories, fabrics, wallpapers, and wall coverings. Its contents consist of 3" × 5" and 5" × 8" cards, with each card documenting an item or group of items that passed through the firm's interior design supply inventory. Many of the cards have a photograph of the item/group of items they represent attached to them. There are also a large number of cards with a rough sketch of the item/items they represent drawn on their versos preserved in this series. A significant number of inventory cards with samples attached to them, including fabric samples, wallpaper samples, and wall covering samples are found in this series as well.

The Inventory Cards Series provides insight into how William Pahlmann developed his "eclectic style" of interior design, which he popularized in the course of his interior design career. The cards document Pahlmann's practice of borrowing decorative elements from different time periods and countries, and his use of bold colors, varying textures, and a mixture of antique and modern furnishings. They also reveal that to help achieve the "eclectic look", Pahlmann and his firm maintained a sizeable and varied inventory of interior design supplies. The cards also document the extent to which Pahlmann and his firm customized interior design projects to suit the tastes of individual clients.

The Inventory Cards Series also shed light on the business practices of William Pahlmann Associates. The cards provide information about the firm's day to day management of its inventory. They also reveal that the firm operated on a retail basis and used high end interior design supplies to satisfy the demands of its affluent clientele. The cards also show which interior supply vendors were favored by William Pahlmann Associates.

The Inventory Cards Series is arranged alphabetically by group. Within each group, the cards are arranged in numerical order. Researchers should note that information regarding interior supplies used by William Pahlmann Associates also exists in other series, particularly the Clients Working Files Series, the Samples Series, and the Source Catalogs Series.