How to Become an Interior Designer: Unlocking Your Creative Potential and Exploring the Advantages of the Profession

Imagine walking into a perfectly designed home that gives you a sense of freedom—a space where you can entertain, relax, prepare nutritious meals, have a revitalizing sleep, or indulge in a pampering bath. Becoming an interior designer grants you the power to create these perfectly balanced, attractive, and meaningful spaces for people. It is an opportunity to unlock your creative potential and go beyond fulfilling the dreams of clients or end users.

Interior design is about more than just following trends; it's about understanding the needs of the client and the space itself. As Katie Malik, the Founder and Creative Director of Katie Malik Design Studio, beautifully puts it, „ Just as a perfectly designed home gives freedom; freedom of entertaining, relaxing, preparing nutritious meals, having a revitalising sleep or a pampering bath; becoming an interior designer gives freedom of creating perfectly balanced, attractive and meaningful spaces for people.

Practising interior design gives an opportunity to unlock creative potential in a multitude of ways, not just to fulfil the clients' or end users' dreams, but also to unlock the creative potential of the space itself. To become a really good interior designer we must lose the labels and go beyond what's trendy; the design becomes about the client, not about the interior designer. The details become the design, so one must have an exceptional attention to those“.

The world of interior design is constantly evolving, and the best designers are those who think outside of the box. They are the ones who dare to explore unconventional ideas and approaches. One such example is the use of GlueDown LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) flooring as a wall covering. Did you know that with an adhesive specifically designed for the application of LVT to vertical surfaces, you can achieve a look that is prettier than paint and more sophisticated than wallpaper? This innovative approach, shared by Adam Milecki, a writer for Urban Surfaces, demonstrates how thinking creatively can lead to extraordinary results: „The best Interior Designers think outside of the box. Example: Did you know GlueDown LVT flooring can make a great wall covering, too? With an adhesive made specifically for the application of LVT (2mm or thinner) to vertical surfaces, you can get a look that's prettier than paint and more sophisticated than wallpaper.“ 

Becoming an interior designer is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth and learning. Mila, the Creative Director at MILA STUDIO, rightly points out that there is no definitive moment when one becomes an interior designer because the profession encompasses a wide range of skills. It is a constant learning curve that requires dedication and perseverance: „I think there is no definitive moment when one becomes an interior designer because there are a lot of skills involved. And it is a constant learning curve. The defining moment is to start working, and then polish the skills as you go along“-  Mila Creative Director, MILA STUDIO.

To become an exceptional interior designer, it is essential to cultivate and nourish your creativity while staying attuned to the latest trends and technologies in the industry. As Boxx Design Studio highlights, developing a keen eye for detail is crucial in delivering remarkable results.

„To become an interior designer, cultivate your creativity, stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in the industry and develop a keen eye for detail.

Embrace the advantages of expressing your creativity and witnessing the transformative power of your work, but also be prepared to handle the challenges of meeting client demands and adhering to budget constraints. Being a good designer is easy without constraint but the art of being a great designer is knowing how to design within limits that are placed on you, so that the compromise is not noticeable to the outside eye“ -Boxx Design Studio.

Robert at Studio Robert Jamieson brings an important perspective to the table when he emphasizes that good interior designers go beyond the mere application of materials or finishes. They possess the ability to envision and design three-dimensional spaces that take into account the user experience as they move through the environment.

"Good Interior Designers think beyond applying materials or finishes. One needs to think about 3-Dimensional space and what the user experience is as they move through it. Good Interior Designers create a physical narrative for how users navigate and experience spaces through lighting, interplay of materials, and spatial hierarchy, engaging as many senses as possible." – Robert, Studio Robert Jamieson. 

Grays Studio offers valuable insights into the various pathways one can take to become an interior designer. Pursuing a formal education in a relevant subject is a popular route: "How can you become an Interior Designer? To become an interior designer, it can be achieved through the following: University: You could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject like, interior design, art and design, interior architecture, spatial design College: you could take a college course to get started, like, level 3 Diploma in Interior Design, level 3 diploma in Art and Design, A level in Art and Design. Apprenticeship: for this, you could do a furniture design technician advanced apprenticeship to get into Interior Design. To get an apprenticeship, you’ll need to have 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4(A* to C), or equivalent, including English and math, for an advanced apprenticeship. Work: you could start as a design assistant in a design company and take further training and qualifications on the job”- Grays studio.

David Holt, Director at 74, provides valuable insights into the expectations and demands placed on good interior designers. He highlights the importance of finding a balance between solving practical challenges and creating spaces that evoke emotional reactions. A strong interior designer is one who can effectively solve problems while developing compelling narratives that guide the design process.

„Like all good design, Interior Design is all about solving practical challenges whilst creating places and spaces that heighten the emotional reaction to where you are. Good Interior Designers have to balanced this equation.

We look for designers who can solve problems and develop strong ideas that form a compelling narrative.

We work in a fast-paced environment, on showcase projects which are often the jewel in the crown of huge developments. It is therefore important for our designers to be able to work as part of a large team and understand the complexities of development and construction.

We look for graduates in Interior Design, who have had a good education and produced not just good-looking work but strong ideas that weave themselves through a project from start to finish. The clarity of the original concept should be evident in the finished scheme.

Good Interior Designers have to be driven to achieve the very best possible, in the face of many challenges, moving the project from concept to highly technical, compliant design work.

The construction and property sectors can be hard and at times very pressurised, but the profession can also be very rewarding. Awards are great, but there is no better accolade than the users of the spaces enjoying what you have designed “- David Holt, Director at 74.

In conclusion, becoming an interior designer is a journey of unlocking your creative potential, thinking outside the box, and exploring the vast advantages of the profession. By embracing the freedom to create meaningful spaces, paying exceptional attention to detail, and seeking inspiration and knowledge from esteemed design studios, blogs, and educational institutions, aspiring interior designers can embark on a path that leads to a fulfilling and successful career. So, let your imagination soar, push the boundaries, and transform spaces into extraordinary havens of beauty and functionality.