Is Interior Design Hard?

Well, I might be a bit biased, but I’m going to say YES. Yes, interior design does come with its unique challenges.

After four years of schooling majoring in interior design, about five years working for professional firms, and eight years of running my own professional firm, I am still learning new things every day about design. Every project has unique needs, depending on a number of factors.

A designer does not just create a space—a designer creates a space for a person or for people. A designer creates spaces for the home, for the region. A designer creates spaces with the understanding of safety, sustainability, building codes, personal aesthetics, and thoughtfulness for details. A designer does not just “pick” things, we curate and source custom items.

Looking at a simple bathroom remodel, the selection list alone may look something like this at first:

• Sink

• Faucet

• Tile

• Counter

• Vanity

• Mirror

• Toilet

• Shower

• Shower Faucet

• Tub

• Tub faucet

Here I am, trying to do it all: A moment of rest after a long, hard day of staging a space for a photo shoot. Apparently I thought I was a body-builder while I lugged a desk around!

While this seems like a thorough and well-thought-out list, what about the shower valve? The tub drain? Was a towel bar considered- and what size towel bar? What about the sink drains?

How does the tile end at the wall- will we see the exposed edge of the tile, or will there be a liner or a bullnose? Is the tile thicker than the hallway flooring? How will that transition be handled?

Are the floor tiles non-slip? Are the wall sconces damp-rated? Are the light fixtures in the shower wet-rated. Oh wait, we forgot ceiling fixtures in the shower!

Interior design is an amazingly fun profession. We are part psychologist (untrained), part artist, part architect, part creative, part mathematician, and definitely part mind-reader. We are specialists in products, appliances, fixtures, fabrics, and surfaces.

We can’t be everything though, so the best designers know when to lean on niche professionals (plumbing reps, plumbers, lighting consultants, electricians, etc) and coordinate a team of trusted professionals to create the best possible projects and outcomes for our clients.

Yes, it is very hard. There is a lot of pressure, a lot of moving cogs, and everything we specialize in is updated all the time, so it’s hard to be in the know 24/7. It’s also fun, satisfying, and gratifying knowing you have the ability to pull it all together and flex with all the potential shifts.

Interior design is also not “one-size-fits-all.” One of the challenges of the profession is educating people about what it is we do in fact because designers all work differently! Because our firm is a design-build blend, we work more like a traditional architecture firm (with a twist). Check out my article about the varied profession of interior design, “To-may-to, To-mah-to”

If you are interested in starting a design-build project, contact me and I’ll be happy to discuss how we can work together to make your project come to life.

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