Interior Design Careers
Interior Design careers offer a variety of job opportunities for all creative types. The field of interior design utilizes both artistic and technical solutions that apply disciplines and structure to create beautiful environments that are functional and aesthetically appealing.
It is possible to enter the field of interior designer careers by many avenues. The increasing number of concepts, skills and systems used to build environments has lead to the proliferation of specialized interior design career paths. This allows you to match your interests and skills to an area of interior which fits you the best.
Interior Design Career Specializations
The professional practice of interior design encompasses three main areas, including: product design, residential design and commercial design (also referred to as non-residential or contract design). Each main area is further divided into different fields of specialization. The following is a list of these specializations and the careers associated with them.
Residential Design
Interior designers pursuing careers in residential design may consider focusing the following specializations which revolve around the design of private homes.
- Remodeling
- Kitchen Design
- Bath/Spa Design
- Lighting
- Vacation Homes
- Restoration
The above specializations may lead you to work with special clients such as the elderly, disabled and children.
Commercial Design (Contract & Non-Residential)
Interior design careers in contract design involve a variety of commercial entities such as offices, hotels and hospitals to name a few. The following list shows the specialization in bold followed an example of related build type and industry.
- Health Care - Hospital buildings and clinics, nursing and retirement homes, vision and dental facilities, psychiatric facilities
- Hospitality - Hotels/resorts/casinos, city convention centers, clubs (night clubs, fitness clubs, social groups) and recreation centers
- Office - Examples include business, financial, law, medical and travel offices
- Public Facilities - Schools, theaters, libraries, city and state legislative buildings (courts and city hall), museums, jails, and police stations
- Factories & Construction - Manufacturing, laboratories, warehousing, shops
- Rental Properties & Housing - apartment complex and model homes
- Restoration - historic buildings and historic homes
- Retail - Mall design, retail establishments, and department stores
- Transportation - Terminals and stations (airline, train, bus, etc), automotive (car, truck, van, mobile home), airplane, marine (ships, boats, yachts and submarines)
Product Design
Product design is an area of interior design that's often overlooked when considering interior design careers. Product design involves the design, construction and development of products and elements used by interior designers including textiles, common fixtures (lighting, knobs, faucets, etc), furniture pieces (sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets, etc), wall coverings, storage systems, and other accessories.
Other Interior Design Careers
The following are other specializations one can follow when seeking a career in interior design.
- CAD Operator, Programmer, Drafting
- Graphic Designer
- Visual Merchandiser
- Space Planner
- Purchasing Agent
- Renderer
- Project Manager
- Facilities Manager
- Universal Design Specialist
- History/Restoration Specialist
- Environmentally Safe Designer
- Set Designer (movies, theatre)
- Instructor, Professor, Teacher
- Color or Light Consultant
- Certified Kitchen Designer
- Real Estate Developer
- Resource Librarian
For more information on interior design careers we recommend the following resources:
- Interior Design Business and Career Development at ASID
- National Council for Interior Design Qualification
- Interior Design at WikiPedia
- International Interior Design Association