Most interior designers earn a bachelor’s degree in interior design, ideally from a CIDA-accredited program, build experience under an established designer and, in some states, pass the NCIDQ exam to use a regulated title or work on commercial spaces. Decorating homes usually needs no license, but in states that regulate the field, code-heavy commercial work may. Your portfolio and your grasp of space, safety and clients get you hired.
Design versus decorating
People often mix up the two. Decorators focus on furnishings, color and style. Interior designers also plan how spaces work: layouts, lighting, materials, accessibility and building codes, often working alongside architects and contractors.
- Residential design: homes, from single rooms to whole renovations, with lots of client conversation and personal taste.
- Commercial design: offices, restaurants, hotels, healthcare spaces and stores, where codes, fire safety and accessibility drive many choices.
- The process: meeting the client, measuring, drawing floor plans in design software, choosing materials, managing budgets and checking work on site.
- The business side: proposals, ordering, tracking deliveries and handling the problems that come up when furniture arrives wrong.
Training routes
- Bachelor’s in interior design: four years of drawing, design software, color, lighting, materials, codes and studio critiques. CIDA accreditation matters for the NCIDQ path.
- Associate degree or certificate: quicker routes that lead to assistant and residential roles; some states and the exam path require more education or experience for these graduates.
- Master’s in interior design: an option for people with a degree in another field.
- Related starts: furniture showrooms, home staging, retail design and kitchen and bath sales teach the trade.
If you are weighing design against other creative paths, see what you can do with an art degree and careers for creative people.
The NCIDQ and state rules
The NCIDQ exam, administered by CIDQ, has three sections: a fundamentals exam, a professional exam and a practicum that tests applied design, codes and building systems. The first section can often be taken soon after finishing school, while the others require a combination of education and supervised work experience. Only some states regulate interior design, and the rules range from protecting a title like “registered interior designer” to limiting who can submit plans for permits. Many states have no rules at all for residential work. Check your state’s design or architecture licensing board.
From high school to first projects
- Take art, drafting and geometry, and try any design or architecture elective your school offers.
- Sketch rooms you know, rearrange spaces on paper and learn a free 3D modeling tool.
- Choose a CIDA-accredited program if you might want commercial work or a regulated title.
- Get internships with residential and commercial firms; they feel like different careers.
- Build a portfolio with floor plans, process sketches and finished renderings.
- Start as a junior designer or design assistant and work toward the NCIDQ if your state or specialty calls for it.
Before enrolling, test it
- Take a community college course in interior design basics or drafting.
- Do informational interviews with a residential designer and a commercial designer.
- Help a friend or relative plan a real room on a real budget and see how decisions feel.
- Spend a few weekends working at a furniture or home goods store to learn products and customers.
Who thrives, and why some change course
Designers who thrive have a strong eye, real patience with clients and comfort with details like measurements, codes and delivery dates. People leave because residential work can be inconsistent, clients change their minds, and the glamorous part is a small slice of the job. Many move into architecture firms, furniture and product design, sales or real estate staging. Compare a related path in how to become an architect.
Career changers
Interior design draws many second careers, often from real estate, retail, construction and art. Evening certificate programs let you test the field, and a master’s degree is a route for people who already hold a bachelor’s in another subject. See changing careers and balancing a creative career and a day job. For current pay and outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor helps students and career changers explore whether interior design fits, compare training routes, keep a weekly portfolio routine, prepare applications and handle the first design job or first clients. Mentors are not design instructors, credentialed career counselors, admissions counselors or licensing experts. See career and education mentoring and mentoring for high school students.
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Common questions
Do interior designers need a license?
It depends on the state and the work. Many states do not regulate residential design, while some regulate a title or commercial work and may require the NCIDQ exam.
What is the NCIDQ exam?
A three-part national exam administered by CIDQ: a fundamentals exam, a professional exam and a practicum covering codes, building systems and applied design. Full eligibility requires education plus work experience.
Can I become an interior designer without a degree?
Some people work in residential design or decorating without one. Regulated titles and most commercial firms expect formal education.
Get started
Thinking about a design career and want help building a plan and portfolio? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.