What to Expect

Interior designers plan the space and furnish the interiors of private homes, public buildings, and business or institutional facilities, such as offices, restaurants, retail establishments, hospitals, hotels, and theaters. They also plan the interiors when existing structures are renovated or expanded. Most interior designers specialize. For example, some may concentrate in residential design, and others may further specialize by focusing on particular rooms, such as kitchens or baths. With a client's tastes, needs, and budget in mind, interior designers prepare drawings and specifications for non-load bearing interior construction, furnishings, lighting, and finishes.

Increasingly, designers use computers to plan layouts, which can easily be changed to include ideas received from the client. Interior designers also design lighting and architectural details—such as crown molding, built-in bookshelves, or cabinets—coordinate colors, and select furniture, floor coverings, and window treatments. Interior designers must design space to conform to Federal, State, and local laws, including building codes. Designs for public areas also must meet accessibility standards for the disabled and elderly.

The Interior Design Programs at most colleges are taught by industry practitioners and/or qualified educators, and structured to give graduates all the necessary skills and qualifications to step right into successful careers as residential designers, commercial designers, consultants, design specialists and more. Most bachelors degree programs take 3 to 4 years to complete and include several general education courses in addition to the core design courses. Contact the schools you're interested in for more details on required courses.

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Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

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