You have a natural eye for designing the perfect vignette—a chair, blanket, side table, lamp, book, and a sunny window with a bright bouquet, all arranged with the perfect 60-30-10 color scheme.
But it’s more than a skill. It’s a passion.
You love everything about homes: how they look, how they feel, and how people live in them.
You know you’d make a great designer, so why not turn it into a career?
Before diving in, it’s helpful to understand what interior designers do, what you need to learn, and how to turn your passion into your dream job.
What Is an Interior Designer?
According to the Council on Interior Design (CIDA), “interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building.” An interior designer first evaluates a space based on who will be using it, its intended purpose, and the client’s aesthetic preferences. They then use their technical knowledge and creativity to design functional, beautiful, and safe environments where people live and work.
Interior Designer vs. Decorator
Though similar, interior designers and interior decorators differ in both scope of work and educational background. Simply put, decorators focus on a room’s furnishings and visual style, but do not alter a building’s structure. A decorator specializing in home staging isn’t going to go knocking down any walls, for example. Interior decorating typically doesn’t require any formal training or license to practice.
In contrast, interior design requires advanced education. Degrees with courses like fine art, drafting, or computer-aided design (CAD) are especially helpful. Though not always required, many clients prefer designers with formal degrees. The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) maintains a list of programs that meet its educational standards.
Many also chose to sit for the NCIDQ, a certification examination by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). In states with licensure requirements, the exam is mandatory, covering topics like building codes, construction standards, contracts, and project management. To qualify, candidates need a certificate/degree and over 3,500 hours of relevant work experience.
While not otherwise required, the NCIDQ certification is recognized throughout North America, including Canada, and offers valuable networking opportunities. Not all states require a license or degree, so consult your local business bureau for current regional guidelines.
What Do Interior Designers Do?
In short, interior designers create visually appealing spaces that meet a client’s functional needs without compromising building safety regulations.
At the start of a project, designers evaluate a space’s functionality and features, considering the client's needs, visual goals, and special requirements. They use design tools like color psychology, light, texture, and shape to align with the client’s vision. Designers also manage the project team, coordinating with contractors and tradespeople to bring the design to life.
Interior designers must also be comfortable reading blueprints, as they need to consider a room’s structure and functionality. Infrastructure such as plumbing or load-bearing walls must be accounted for, as changes can significantly impact the budget.
Designers should also understand local building codes and permit regulations. Although architects and contractors typically handle this, designers should also stay informed, especially as some permits only apply if specific elements are altered. Designers must also be aware of ADA requirements in commercial spaces, as non-compliance could cause a project to fail inspection.
Build Your Portfolio
As an interior designer, your portfolio is your calling card. It’s a snapshot of past work and a preview of future potential. It’s a prospective client’s first impression, so it should represent your work clearly and professionally.
What Makes a Strong Interior Design Portfolio?
Your portfolio should be well-organized, visually appealing, and showcase a diverse range of your work. Include projects of various types and sizes, highlighting unique features or challenges. Add initial sketches, design boards, and before-and-after photos, and highlight 3D renderings or drafting skills. It should tell the story of a project, from inspiration to completion.
Layout is also important, whether organized chronologically, by project category, or another grouping. You may later create specialty portfolios to showcase specific skills, but all should maintain a consistent look and feel across digital and print formats.
Most importantly, personalize it. Include contact information and a short bio. You might also add a brief work history, design style statement, or personal touches to show clients who you are—not just as a designer, but as a person.
Tools to Create a Digital Portfolio
There are many technical options for building an online portfolio, depending on your skills and needs. You can create an interactive website, or a graphic-based portfolio published like a digital magazine. Website builders and downloadable templates can simplify the process.
Once created, regularly update your portfolio with new designs, stories, or news to show you’re active in the industry. Although most portfolios today are digital, keep a print-ready version for occasions that require hard copies.
How to Build a Portfolio Without Clients
There’s a classic Catch 22 in design: it’s hard to gain clients without experience, and it’s hard to gain experience without clients.
Hard, but not impossible.
Fortunately, there are creative ways to build your portfolio early on. Redesign a room in your own home. Offer to help local non-profits by renovating their space with donated labor and materials. You can also create mock projects for fictional clients. And you can enter interior design competitions to gain exposure and experience as well.
Get Experience
You’ve begun building your portfolio, but you still need experience to attract clients. So, where do you begin?
Entry-Level Jobs for Aspiring Interior Designers
Everyone wants to start at the top, but most begin at the bottom to earn—and learn—their way to more responsibility. Common entry-level roles include design assistants and junior designers, who support the principal interior designer(s) while gaining hands-on experience.
Internships and Apprenticeships
Though often unpaid, internships and apprenticeships offer valuable real-world experience, from client management to project logistics and planning.
While often arranged through school programs, some community groups, non-profits, and other organizations also offer mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities. Ask local firms, individuals, or groups if they know of similar opportunities.
Working Under a Licensed Designer
To take the NCIDQ exam, interior design graduates must complete a minimum of 3,520 supervised work hours under a certified NCIDQ or state/local registered interior designer. If you don’t know someone who qualifies, contact CIDQ, as they maintain a list of volunteer sponsors.
Networking
Networking is essential in any client-based business, and interior design is no exception. The more people who know your work, the more chances you have to turn their friends and neighbors into clients.
Every job, meeting, and business event is a networking opportunity. Look for local events, interior design groups, open houses, or other chapters to meet industry professionals. Carry business cards, and hand them out confidently.
Don’t forget to network with peers. Stay in touch with fellow interns and classmates, as they can become valuable contacts as your mutual careers develop.
Social Media
For new interior designers, social media is a fast way to showcase your work to potential clients. Creative hashtags and consistent posting extend your portfolio, with progress shots, before-and-after comparisons, client testimonials, and related content to build your professional image.
Online interest groups can offer discussion, problem-solving, and inspiration. And national and regional groups often host in-person and online events and networking opportunities.
Firm vs. Freelance
It’s tempting to dive right in and start your own business, but for many, joining an established firm is a better first step. Each choice has pros and cons to consider.
At a firm, you benefit from steady income, established clients, and mentoring from experienced designers. You’ll gain exposure to a wide range of projects and budgets. However, as a junior team member, your creative input may be limited at first, and less glamorous tasks will likely fall to you.
Working for yourself gives you complete creative and business control. You choose the clients and projects you take on. Your income has no ceiling, but also no guarantee unless your business is profitable. You’re responsible for attracting clients, delivering designs, and covering any support team costs.
But you’re not locked into one path. You can always switch later.
Find Your Niche
Interior design spans five primary areas: residential, commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and retail. While some niche services exist, most projects fall into one or more of these categories. Designers typically work from concept to completion.
No projects—or designers—are the same. You don’t need to be a jack-of-all-trades; you might prefer to be an area specialist. Each has charms and challenges: You may start with a broad focus, but narrow it as your interests evolve.
Residential Interior Design
Residential interior designers—perhaps the most familiar role to the public—consider the needs of everyone in the home, factoring in age, interests, and lifestyle. Their goal is to create attractive, functional, and personalized spaces.
Designs should support both current and future household needs, such as aging in place or a growing family. Storage for hobbies and specialized equipment storage also need to be considered.
Residential designers often meet clients during evenings or weekends, sometimes at off-site or child-friendly locations. Because home design is so personal, clients may react emotionally to change. Designers must also be able to handle client expectations and budget discussions with finesse—decorating on a tight budget can be more common when you’re working for an individual rather than a company.
Commercial Interior Design
Corporations, government agencies, or other large organizations hire commercial interior designers to shape their public and work spaces. Designers assess the space usage, review corporate structure and identity, and analyze organizational data to create plans that boost productivity and align with visual branding.
Commercial projects range from massive lobby designs to office refreshes. Clients may seek help for a general refresh or to solve problems in their current layout.
Timelines can be tricky to manage, so it’s important to establish decision-makers early and document their choices. Designers often navigate conflicting input, requiring flexibility and persistence to keep things on track.
Because commercial projects are large, expensive, and infrequent, there’s high pressure to get everything right the first time. Materials must be extremely durable and easy to clean to withstand heavy use.
Hospitality Interior Design
The impression you get walking through a hotel’s front door can set the tone for your entire stay. Like decorating a home’s entryway, but on a grand scale. Hospitality interior designers aim to make that first impression warm, inviting, and memorable.
The industry includes customer-facing spaces like restaurants, bars, and hotels as well as larger casinos, resorts, and conference centers. Designers strive to reflect the brand’s story while balancing atmosphere and functionality. But because hospitality spaces often serve multiple purposes, designers have to plan for flexibility.
Healthcare Interior Design
Healthcare interior designers work hard to create spaces that feel safe and welcoming while prioritizing medical functionality. Aesthetic considerations are important but secondary to patient care. Designing a doctor’s office requires considering ADA compliance, grab bar placement, privacy screens, and patient and employee statistics.
Material choices are also somewhat limited, as everything must stand up to constant cleaning, sanitization, and heavy usage.
This specialty demands a deep knowledge of subjects including hygiene protocols, privacy laws, regulatory standards, and facility operations. Designers will need additional specialist certifications, like those offered through the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID) and The Center for Health Design.
Retail Interior Design
When a customer enters a retail store, where they go next is no accident. Retail interior designers guide foot traffic in ways that encourage purchases while creating a welcoming environment. A strong retail design reflects the brand’s identity through color schemes and material choices, materials, and thoughtful product placement, and even special considerations like ambient music.
Lighting plays a crucial role, both to highlight specific product displays and enhance the shopping experience, especially with customer-flattering lighting for changing rooms.
Retail design moves at a very rapid pace, keeping up with seasonal shifts and market trends. Therefore, most designs are intended to be temporary. Modular components are easily reworked on the sales floor in different formats, allowing for easy changes that balance product displays and interior décor.
Ready to Jump Into the Design World?
Interior design is a very rewarding field. In its core, a designer’s job is to make spaces more functional, attractive, and inviting. The work they do has an immediate impact on the people and places they design, transforming lives as they transform spaces.
