What is Interior Design?

Interior Design is both an art and a science that helps people enhance their spaces to achieve an aesthetically pleasing environment for those who are using it. It requires the consideration and execution of concepts that include spatial layouts, color, lighting, furniture, and other decorative elements. You’ll find Interior Design in homes, offices, retail stores, hotels, and other types of buildings. While this art is centuries old, it wasn’t until the 19th century that it really began being recognized as a professional field. In this overview, you’ll learn more about what Interior Design is, what it can do, who uses it, and how to learn it so you can determine how to add this skill to your professional toolbox.

What Can You Do with Interior Design?

There are many ways for interior design to express itself, and just as many ways for you to express yourself or someone else through interior design. Some of the more well-known reasons to implement interior design include self-expression, increased functionality, enhanced comfort, and influence the mood and experience of those using a space. Whether you’re using interior design skills on residential or commercial properties, it is important to make the most of the space and meet not only the needs of those using the space but also work within the parameters of the space itself.

In addition to the more widely recognized uses for interior design, it’s also possible to increase the value of a property. Not only does interior design have some bearing on a property’s curb appeal but also its functionality. Oftentimes, interior design will require some updates and renovations. On such occasions, the quality of materials like flooring, cabinetry, and fixtures will factor into the property value. Likewise, incorporating more energy-efficient elements and market trends can also drive values upward. 

How Do You Get Interior Design Tools? How Much Does it Cost?

You’ll find that several interior design tools can help you bring your designs to life. While some of these do require some financial investment, many offer free trials to help you make a more informed decision. You’ll find online platforms like SketchUp, AutoCAD, and HomeByMe are useful in creating 2D and 3D models, layouts, and floor plans. Adobe Creative Cloud packs a powerful graphics punch that allows you to render images, edit design elements, and create idea boards that help guide your interior design plans. You’ll also find interior design-specific software packages like SpaceClaim, Architectural Desktop, and Chief Architect. 

Your skill level and design needs will help you decide which design tools are going to best serve you. While it’s nice to have some bells and whistles, you don’t want to pay for premium features that you rarely or never use. Some software or online platforms like SketchUp and HomeByMe offer unlimited cloud storage, 360-degree viewing, and photorealistic images for a fee and basic features at no cost. Adobe and AutoCAD offer free trials, but there is a subscription fee to continue using these design tools. The cost of software packages like Chief Architect and SpaceClaim will vary from one product to another, but a free trial is offered. 

Be sure to consider your skill level, budget, and the complexity of the projects you’ll be working on when choosing the best interior design tools for your needs. There are a lot of features that are great to have, but if you’re only working with basic floor plans and only need 2D renderings, something to meet those needs could be very different than the needs that come with handling multiple projects that require large storage space, mobile access, and collaboration capabilities.

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What Are the Benefits of Learning Interior Design?

Interior design is an in-demand skill that can open up professional opportunities as a career and as part of a broader architectural toolkit. Almost all construction projects will involve a lengthy interior design process and many private and commercial renovation projects are fronted by interior designers. Thus, learning how to do interior design work is a good way to build a profitable set of career skills if you are interested in working in or around the construction or architecture fields.

There are many reasons to learn interior design. It can enrich your life in many ways and provide you with the skills to positively impact the environments others live, work, and play. Interior design and decorating can also be a useful skill set to pick up if you are interested in remodeling work, house flipping, or just having a side gig working on smaller design projects (for instance, a kitchen or basement renovation). 

Read more about why you should learn Interior Design.

Interior Design Careers

It’s possible to find interior design professionals in many different, and sometimes surprising, industries. Apart from the arts industry, you will also find interior design thriving in the hospitality, entertainment, and retail industries. These professionals can use their skills in many ways to bring about more environmentally sustainable designs, improve hotels and resorts, and design stage play sets.

While some of these interior design career paths are less known, the possibilities are diverse. A Set Designer is someone who uses interior design concepts to create sets for television, film, photography, and theater. It’s their job to create sets that help bring the director’s or photographer’s vision to life. As a Lighting Designer, you’ll be tasked with making the most out of the lighting in a variety of spaces from commercial areas to film sets by highlighting key features, creating the right ambiance, and using lighting schemes to enhance the overall design.

Other career paths include design journalism, which allows its professionals to write about interior design, innovations and trends in materials, and other aspects of the profession for various print and web publications; furniture design, which involves the designing and development of furniture, taking into consideration aesthetics, ergonomics, and the space it is planned for (like hotels, offices, or children’s bedrooms); and visual merchandising, which focuses on the in-store design and layout to maximize sales and to best showcase merchandise. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the interior design field is growing at an average rate, making this field a desirable option. 

How to Learn Interior Design

Whether you choose in-person learning or live online learning, it is possible to prepare yourself for a successful career in interior design. Live classes offer more opportunities for hands-on and collaborative learning. If you thrive in social learning settings, want to network with peers, and enjoy structured routine and accountability, live classes are a great option for you. Live classes like Noble Desktop’s AutoCAD Bootcamp and AutoCAD Certification Program, can prepare you for working with this popular interior design tool and use its features expertly in your designs. The New York School of Interior Design offers live classes, including Introduction to Interior Design and A Guide to Upholstered Furniture.

Is your schedule very tight or unpredictable at times? Online self-paced classes can help you reach your interior design learning goals as your schedule permits. You can skip the commute, study while working a full-time job, and focus on your studies when you choose. Schools like the Virtual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) offer classes that can move you toward a career in interior design with courses that are designed to help you learn the skills you need in the field and how to use the most popular interior design tools like SketchUp and Adobe Photoshop.

When you’re not sure if interior design is the right path for you, or you’d prefer to be self-taught, consider using high-quality free resources. Tutorials on vendor sites, written guides, and Noble Desktop free seminars and YouTube channels are just a few examples that can help you along your learning journey. Whether you’re on a tight budget or not, free resources can positively impact your learning journey. They can be leveraged to help you through difficult concepts, provide practice or deeper studying, or even provide you with a different perspective. 

Read the full guide on how to learn Interior Design.

A Brief History of Interior Design

Interior design has evolved over thousands of years, reflecting cultural shifts, technological advancements, and changing lifestyles. Although its earliest iterations were more about functionality and necessity than its later iterations, interior design has had a big impact on the way humans have used spaces all over the world. It wasn’t until the 19th century that interior design began to be recognized as a formal field of expertise. Since that time it has become more nuanced and widespread as cultures and technologies continue to evolve.

Comparable Fields

Architectural design is a similar field to interior design, and it’s not unusual to find these two professionals working together on a project. Architectural design involves designing the overall layout, structure, and look of buildings and spaces, including the interior. While interior design focuses on the interior, architectural design encompasses both the exterior and interior, often requiring a broader understanding of building systems and construction. Most often, Architectural Designers are called into a project at its inception and see it through to completion. Much of their attention goes to the design of the building's structure and the spaces within and around it, considering the broader context of the building's function, environmental impact, and structural integrity.

Another closely related field is historic preservation. A Historic Preservation Designer is a design professional who is knowledgeable in both interior design and history. This career involves restoring and preserving the original character of historical structures, often with a strong focus on interiors. It brings together the past, present, and future to create a picture of architectural and cultural harmony that is about more than keeping structures from crumbling into dust, but rather about bringing them back to life and allowing them to continue contributing to the narrative of the human experience. Historic preservation design often involves rigorous research into archival records, examining ancient construction techniques, and sometimes even using forensic analysis to uncover the original colors, materials, and designs.

Learn Interior Design with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

When you’re choosing an interior design class, you’ll want to look for some key features to ensure you’re getting a worthwhile education that will move you toward your dream career. Classes that fit your schedule and lifestyle will help you stay engaged and make it easier for you to succeed. The curriculum should be tailored to interior design topics that are fundamental and in demand if you’re looking to enter the workforce quickly. Expert instructors who are accessible and care about your success, small class sizes, and free retake options are all features that can propel your learning, help you achieve mastery, and reach your interior design learning goals. Luckily, Noble Desktop meets this criteria and is eager to help you get started with interior design today.

Interior Design classes and bootcamps can be taken as an Interior Design Professional Course Bundle. This course is designed to help you learn the tools and software most often used in this field, including AutoCAD, SketchUp Pro, and Photoshop. You’ll also learn how to create floor plans, 3D models, and professional and engaging presentations that get the right people excited about your designs. If you’d like to slow down your learning and master one topic at a time, you can start with this AutoCAD Certificate Program that will guide you from basic to advanced use in eight weeks on a part-time schedule or two weeks on a full-time schedule. This certificate program also includes six hours of private tutoring to further deepen your learning.

Whether you want to get started in the workforce as soon as possible or you’d prefer to take your time mastering each in-demand interior design tool or software, Noble Desktop wants to help you achieve your learning goals. With hard work and dedication, you’ll be on the path to building a great career in interior design.