Career Opportunities

A broad range of career opportunities is available. Designers often specialize in either residential or commercial design. Residential designers can design private homes, model homes, or work in specialty areas such as kitchen and bath design, home office, design, or historic preservation. Commercial designers might specialize in areas such as hospitality or health care. Other types of interior spaces designed might include offices, libraries, museums, retail stores, banks, churches, or theaters. A few designers work in highly specialized areas such as designing interiors for airplanes, trains, or yachts. The professional design organizations have put together additional information on Careers in Interior Design.

Where do Interior Designers work?

Employment can be found in design studios, architectural firms, or with the design department of a corporation or institution. Many opportunities exist in the retail field including with the design studio of a furniture store, in interior product showrooms, or with specialty suppliers including furnishings, finishes, and lighting. Other positions are available with antique dealers, contractors or builders, and realtors. There are also a variety of self-employment options. Related careers include the fields of computer-aided design, rendering, display and merchandising, set design, and facilities management.