Are you doubting your decision to switch careers to interior design, thinking you’ll start with a blank slate? Or are you new to the field and feel unprepared because you lack real experience?
Here’s the thing: you are not going into an interior design career empty-handed. You have a lot of skills and life experience that you can bring forward with you.
In this episode, I explore how to turn your life experiences into design gold. Whether it’s a trip you’ve taken, a movie you’ve watched, living in different homes, or even just how your home is set up, these experiences can inspire and improve your design skills, making your projects more functional and beautiful.
Don’t miss out on these insights that can help you move forward in your career with confidence. Tune in now and start turning your everyday experiences into design success!
Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode
- Learn how your daily life experiences can inspire your design ideas and help you create stunning, functional homes that clients will love
- Discover actionable advice on observing and analyzing home layouts and features so you can avoid common design mistakes
- Gain the confidence you need to switch careers and start in interior design
Check out these episode highlights
01:34 – Importance of leveraging life experiences to enhance design skills
02:04 – 3 Sources of Design Inspiration
- Travel
- Cultural experiences
- Media (magazines, books, movies, TV shows)
02:33 – How movie sets and TV shows can inspire designers
- Nancy Meyers’ films and their iconic kitchens
- Specific examples: “Father of the Bride,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “The Holiday,” “It’s Complicated,” “The Intern.”
04:51 – Learning from Various Living Environments
- Observing and analyzing details in different homes and apartments.
- Paying attention to personal and others’ likes and dislikes in home design.
- Suggestion to survey friends and family about their home experiences:
- Questions about kitchen layout, appliance placement, etc.
07:51 – Other life experiences useful as you go into an Interior Design career
1| Office work and organizational skills
Using organizational software
Conducting meetings – client, team
Making phone calls
Writing emails
Handling computer-based design work and client communication
2| Navigating difficult situations
3| Service Provider Experiences and Client Relations
Importance of punctuality and communication
Establishing trust and respect through reliable service
Returning calls within 24 hours
Confirming appointments in advance
Next Steps
- Curious about your design style? Take the Quiz: Find Your Perfect Interior Design Style
- Interior Designer!! Take the QUIZ and Find Out What Type of Interior Designer You Should Be!
Grab your freebies:
Join the Design Mentor to kickstart a successful career in interior design!
Check out the best books every interior designer should have here.
Enroll in Business of Design with Kimberly Seldon or DesignYou with Tobi Fairley today to scale your interior design business!
Email me at [email protected] if you have suggested topics
DM me on Instagram at @rwarddesign if you have a burning question
Leave me a rating and review! Click here.
Thanks for listening. I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week…