Interior design is the art and science of enhancing a space's interior to create both functional and aesthetically pleasing environments. It has roots that go back to ancient civilizations that would design their palaces and tombs with elaborate furniture, busts, drawings, and items. As a formal professional, interior design really took off in the 20th century with the rise of modern architecture. Today, the field is incredibly popular, influencing everything from home decor to corporate offices. As people increasingly seek spaces that reflect their unique style and meet their lifestyle needs, the need for interior design expertise only increases. Whether you’re creating a comfortable living space for a residential home or a sleek, productive workplace, interior design plays a huge role in shaping how society lives and works. In this overview, you’ll learn more about what Interior Design is, what it can do, who uses it, and how to understand it to determine how to add this skill to your professional toolbox.
A Brief History of Interior Design
Over time, interior design has considerably been shaped by cultural movements and advancements in technology. In ancient civilizations like those in Egypt, Greece, and Rome, interior design was closely tied to status. During the Renaissance, wealthy homes were decorated with intricate furniture, tapestries, and artwork symbolizing wealth and opulence. This era saw the rise of professions like Architects and other artists and designers. Since then, and with many new advancements, interior design has flourished. The Industrial Revolution brought a boom in production and efficiency in warehouses and manufacturing plants, so furniture, materials, and tools were more widely available. Between minimalist and mid-century modern design trends that rose and fell throughout the decades, many changes in the field have led to where it is now. Today, sustainable design is of utmost importance and modern design is all about balancing functionality with efficiency and aesthetics with eco-responsible efforts. Who knows where interior design will be in the next decade or century? Only time will tell. However, as the field continues to grow, it will require adaptable employees to keep the field thriving.
Why Learn Interior Design?
Learning interior design lets you tap into your creative side while also gaining practical skills that significantly affect how spaces look and feel. This field offers a chance to express yourself creatively, whether transforming a room in your home or designing spaces for a firm. However, interior design is more than just making rooms look nice -- it’s about creating environments that are functional, comfortable, and suitable for those who reside in them. If you enjoy working with design principles, solving problems, and providing a pleasant experience for the client, learning interior design could be the best path for you.
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There are dozens of ways to apply your interior design skills in the workplace. You could go down the residential route and help people turn their houses into homes that are both stylish and functional. On the other hand, you could work in commercial design, where you curate productive and inviting offices, restaurants, and retail spaces that help generate a sense of who the business is. Other interesting areas of interior design include healthcare design, which is incredibly specific and requires adhering to certain criteria. Hospitals and clinics have codes they must follow, which makes each healthcare design project challenging yet rewarding.
On a personal level, learning interior design can totally change how you approach the spaces in your home. You will know how to make your home work best for you and your needs, which includes everything from the throw pillows you choose to the layout of your furniture so you can make the most out of your space. You can turn your spare room into a productive home office space or make your living room more cozy and comforting. Interior design lets you make smart choices about furniture, color, and layout that fit your style and make your space work better for you.
What Tools and Skills You Will Need to Learn Interior Design
To learn interior design, you will need a mix of creative, technical, and practical skills, along with familiarity with various tools. From design principles and design software to project management and construction knowledge, you’ll have to adopt a wide set of skills that allows you to specialize in certain fields and complete the tasks you are responsible for. Read below to learn more about those specific skills and see what you may need to prepare for the most.
Design Principles
While studying interior design, you will quickly realize that there’s more than meets the eye regarding design tasks and responsibilities. It’s more than just picking out a pretty color scheme and moving furniture a little more to the left. Interior design requires understanding design principles like contrast, alignment, scale, rhythm, and proximity so you can create a balanced, harmonious space. By applying design principles to design projects, you can make a room feel more cohesive and organized and, therefore, more visually appealing. For instance, adding contrast to a space can make certain items pop, whether through different textures or colors. Likewise, creating rhythm within a room might include repeating certain shapes or colors to guide the eye from place to place throughout the room. Understanding these principles is like learning the rules of effective design. Once you know them, you can modify these rules to suit your creative style or that of a client.
Spatial Awareness
Being spatially aware means understanding how to use the available area in a room to make it feel comfortable, functional, and stylish. It is more than just throwing furniture into an open space and hoping it works. It’s about knowing how to plan layouts that feel spacious yet inviting. You will also need to understand how furniture arrangements, pathways, and flow impact the way people move through and experience a room. Sometimes a small room can feel expansive with the right layout, while larger rooms can feel more inviting with careful planning. Developing this skill is about learning how to make every inch of a room count, whether that involves maximizing a tiny house or filling a sprawling workspace with appropriate furniture.
Project Management
There is much more to an interior design project than the design itself. Most interior design projects are huge undertakings that require working with numerous people, keeping everything on track, and budgeting appropriately. Specifically, Interior Designers will have to communicate effectively with contractors, clients, and suppliers and ensure tasks are completed in a timely, cost-effective manner. Having strong organizational skills and the ability to delegate tasks may be essential to achieving a task. Still, it could also get you recognized as a team leader, leading to more freedom and responsibility in the future.
Basic Construction and Materials Knowledge
While interior design is often about the artistic side, you can’t forget the technical side either. A good understanding of basic construction and materials is vital. For example, you will need to know what kind of flooring will work best for different spaces and purposes. Flooring for a kitchen will be drastically different from flooring in a home gym, a bedroom, or an office space, so it is suggested that Interior Designers understand various floor types. In addition, being knowledgeable about eco-friendly materials like energy-efficient lighting and green design trends. Plus, you will have to adhere strictly to building codes and regulations that dictate how a space can be designed for safety and accessibility.
Attention to Detail
The details are one of the most important aspects of an interior design project because they add an extra level of thoughtfulness that pulls the entire room together. For instance, the lighting and textures you choose can completely change the mood of a room. Likewise, selecting contrasting elements such as a soft velvet sofa with sleek leather chairs can add balance and intrigue. Moreover, adding specific colors can create a harmonious theme. Even decorative items should vary in size, proximity, shape, and type. All these little details can make a big difference in the long run, which is why it’s important to focus on the details.
Computer-Aided Design Software
Interior Designers today learn CAD software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit to create precise floor plans and 3D models of designs. These tools help you visualize how everything will look once it’s put together. You will be able to adjust the layout and experiment with the dimensions before presenting your ideas to clients or contractors with little difficulty. Moreover, each tool offers different advantages. For instance, Revit allows you to work with 3D views of the space so you can visualize lighting, textures, and spatial relationships more realistically. Mastering these tools is essential for any Interior Designer as they are the link between idea and reality.
Design Software
Once you have the technical side down, the next step is presenting your ideas. Design software like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign are essential for creating concept boards and figuring out the ideal color palette for the room, which allows everything else to fall into place. Plus, these applications can help make client presentations easy and direct. You may also use Canva or other design applications for similar reasons or even floorplans. By learning and using these design applications, you will be able to design your client's dream space with little to no stress.
Communication Skills
At the heart of interior design is communication. Whether you are working with clients, contractors, or colleagues, you will have to learn how to effectively explain your ideas and understand clients' needs. You will also have to collaborate with others on your team or contractors who are helping build your design. Good communication means listening to understand rather than respond and being able to translate what that means in the space you are designing. Plus, it’s about managing expectations across the board, including keeping clients updated on their design progress and sharing ideas with others.
What Are the Benefits of Learning Interior Design?
There are numerous benefits associated with learning interior design, especially career-wise. You can design anything from homes and offices to restaurants and hotels. You could create sets for television and movies or take part in designing event spaces and venues. Whether you choose to work for a firm, a retail and design studio, or set off on your own, you have plenty of options. As you gain more experience, you’re likely to advance in your company and earn corresponding raises as well. Some positions also offer a commission on top of your pay, which adds an extra financial incentive to explore interior design. Furthermore, many companies and individuals hire Interior Designers, so this field has plenty of job stability.
On the personal side of things, learning interior design can help you transform your home from a drab, uninspired space to a functional, aesthetically pleasing, and unique space that suits your personality and needs. You’ll know how to pick out colors and textures that work with your color schemes and choose stylish pieces that reflect your personal vibe. You’ll be able to create a cozy, inviting space that makes you proud to call home.
Interior design also teaches you transferrable skills that are useful in other situations. For example, over time, you will become a strong problem solver and develop organizational skills that can help you in all areas of life. Furthermore, you can learn how to juggle tasks, communicate effectively, and share ideas and thoughts through various creative means. It can help you get more in touch with your expressive side and ultimately help you grow as a professional and an individual.
Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, and Cost of Learning Interior Design
Learning interior design can be as easy or as challenging as you make it; however, there are some things to consider that may determine which aspects of this field are more difficult for you. For instance, if you naturally have an eye for style and design, such as having the ability to pick out a great color scheme or appropriately textured items, then you may find the styling aspect of interior design fairly enjoyable and easy to pick up. However, you may have difficulty learning the various design software, such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, and even some Adobe Creative Cloud applications. It could also take time and practice to make a space both aesthetically balanced and functional. But overall, if you’re passionate about design and willing to put in the effort, it’s an achievable endeavor.
The cost of learning interior design can vary greatly depending on the path you choose to take. If you decide to enroll in a traditional degree program, it could cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. On the other hand, shorter programs and bootcamps are far less costly yet still focused on career development. These can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the level of depth and the length of the course. It also depends on the purpose as introductory courses are far less costly than advanced courses. Of course, there are ways to make the cost less stressful. You can earn scholarships and benefit from flexible payment plans. But overall, you can find flexible course options to fit any budget.
While interior design is the core focus, you can learn other skills that help make you a more well-rounded and trustworthy interior design professional. First, your training will substantially increase your drawing and sketching skills, both by hand and digitally. Likewise, you may leave with basic architectural and construction knowledge that will help you in all kinds of design situations. Plus, it’s useful since Interior Designers often work with professionals in these fields and more. If you are serious about building a career in interior design, learning about essential business, project management, and finance skills could be immeasurably beneficial.
Interior Design Careers
The most common career path for someone who learns interior design is becoming an Interior Designer. It is all about making spaces look great and work well for the people using them, whether it’s a home, office, restaurant, or any other kind of space. Interior Designers work with clients to figure out how to make the space they want happen. They handle everything from layout and furniture selection to lighting and color schemes. Interior Designers focus on every detail, down to the slightest decor, making sure the space is beautiful, on-brand, and functional. Whether they work with individuals in their homes or businesses with their new location, they are valuable parts of the design process. Indeed reports that Interior Designers earn roughly $69,000 per year in the United States; however, the average will vary based on experience and location. For example, Philadelphia-based Interior Designers earn closer to $84,000 while those in Miami earn slightly less than the national average of $67,000. Moreover, a junior designer could earn closer to $55,000 but could potentially work their way up and earn salaries surpassing six figures.
Interior design requires learning computer-aided design, so you could also become a CAD Designer. In this specialized role, you would use software like AutoCAD to create detailed plans and blueprints for projects in all kinds of fields, like architecture, engineering, or interior design. You’ll create technical drawings and help take projects from ideas to reality. These designers often work behind the scenes, making sure the dimensions and design elements are precise and accurate. Indeed shares that these professionals earn an average base salary of $69,000 across the United States. However, expect a range in salaries as you search for jobs. First, your location will play a role in your expected salary. For instance, a CAD Designer living in Houston can expect an average salary of $79,000, an entire ten thousand dollar difference compared to the national average. Additionally, factor in your experience. While Junior CAD Designers earn an average salary of $54,000, those in senior-level positions earn closer to $85,000.
With adequate training, you could also become an Architect and create detailed plans for building designs. This includes anything from residential homes and condos to skyscrapers and commercial properties. Architects have training in CAD, building codes, zoning laws, project management, and interior design. Indeed states that the average base salary for an Architect in the U.S. is roughly $108,000. This average varies greatly from city to city, however. Compared to the national average, Austin-based Architects earn closer to $159,000 and those living in Orlando can expect an average salary closer to $97,000. This career path also offers opportunities for advancement as well, which means an increased salary. While a Junior Architect may start by earning $66,000, there’s a chance to work up to Lead Architect and earn closer to $125,000. However, there’s even more room for advancement as Chief Architects earn an average of $226,000.
Comparable Fields
When it comes to comparable or relevant fields, architecture is perhaps the most obvious one related to interior design. In fact, many Interior Designers work directly with Architects on all kinds of projects. While the two fields are closely related, they have different scopes. Architecture focuses primarily on the design of a building structure, including the exterior, layout, and form. Interior design, on the other hand, focuses on the interior, ensuring that the space operates as it's intended to and looks great in the process. Both roles require a keen understanding of spatial relationships, proportion, design principles, and various materials. Moreover, both roles must have a strong sense of user needs -- if the design does not work for those who frequently inhabit the space, it is not an effective design. Although their focus differs, these similarities make the two fields and professions relatively similar. Without Architects and Interior Designers, the project is only half complete.
How to Learn Interior Design
Live online classes are a great way to enjoy a traditional classroom experience but from the comfort of your home. You will learn from an experienced instructor, log in at scheduled times, and complete hands-on projects just like you would in an in-person class. You can ask your instructor questions and chat with classmates. Plus, the course is structured to give you as much immersive experience as possible despite the virtual setting. Being able to connect with others is useful for networking and gives you multiple perspectives. In the end, you’ll end up a more well-rounded interior design professional.
If you are someone who likes to learn at a pace that suits them, you can opt for self-paced, on-demand classes. They are a great option for someone who needs or prefers additional flexibility to support them through the learning process. With this method, you will watch pre-recorded lectures, go through modules, and complete various lessons to help you pick up the skills and absorb the material. While you don’t have live interaction between an instructor or peers, many of these courses offer support through emails, chatbots, or discussion boards. This option is great if you have a busy schedule or want to build upon your skills on your terms.
In-person classes are for those who thrive in a traditional classroom setting because you get to learn face-to-face. You’ll get hands-on instruction and direct interaction with the material, which is great for a beginner who needs that extra assistance. Of course, this requires you to have adequate transportation and time to make the commute. Depending on your location and schedule, this may be tricky, but if you’re someone who values a structured, traditional learning environment, this could be the best option.
Overall, each learning method has its perks and downsides that could vary based on learning needs, schedule, location, and goals. Live online and in-person classes offer interaction yet require you to follow a more structured schedule. On-demand classes are self-paced and flexible but do not offer the interaction that some students may depend on to acquire new skills. No matter which method you pick, the key is to make sure it aligns with your needs and preferences and helps you develop the skills you need to succeed in interior design.
Learn Interior Design with Hands-on Training at VDCI
VDCI offers a variety of courses that can help you build a solid foundation in interior design and other related fields and skills. For instance, the CAD Certificate Program spans eight months, totaling 280 hours of class time. This is a part-time, totally online course that offers flexibility for busy schedules but still gives you a thorough education in computer-aided design software. Specifically, you will learn how to master AutoCAD, which is an industry-standard software for creating floor plans, layouts, and design blueprints. The program covers everything from fundamental tasks like creating drafting symbols to more advanced techniques like demonstrating layer and file management. Above all else, it will prepare you for a field in interior design, architecture, or a related field. You will have access to a flexible payment plan and free student software. In addition, you’ll earn several credentials, including a verified certificate of completion and an AutoCAD Fundamentals and AutoCAD Professional badge.
Likewise, there is an AutoCAD Fundamentals course that lasts 12 weeks, totaling 60 total hours of instruction. This is a part-time, fully online course that gives you thorough instruction in AutoCAD essentials. This is a great course for beginners who want to learn the foundational skills that will set them up for success in the future. You’ll learn how to create kitchen and bath fixtures, design a floor plan, and integrate information into one concise file. In addition, you will learn how to apply layer management, user coordinates system development, and even practice creating sheet layout environments. This course gives you flexible payment options and free student software so you are set up for success.
If you want to start simple, consider the Introduction to Photoshop course from VDCI. Here, you will learn how to navigate and use Photoshop for imagery enhancement. In addition, you will learn how to adjust, enhance, and refine imagery for marketing purposes. This course can be hugely beneficial for an Interior Designer who wants to provide their clients with the best design mock-ups possible.
You could also consider the Introduction to InDesign course where you will learn how to design brochures, flyers, business cards, books, postcards, and other digital publishing projects. You’ll learn how to create and adjust graphics as well as draw shapes and design your work for a commercial printer. In addition, you will learn the design principles and practice designing images with varying file types, purposes, dimensions, and colors.