4 answers
Ameerah
Student
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1
Question
Updated
910 views
How do I start and get ahead in interior design and real estate?
Hi, my name is Ameerah and I’m in the 10th grade. For the past 2 years I’ve explored the field of interior design as much as I possibly can through as many platforms as I can think of. Whether social media or books, websites and blogs I’ve gathered as much information about this career path as I can.
But, usually the best knowledge comes from seasoned professionals, so I came up with a few questions to ask that I get stuck on:
-Is it better to get a degree for Interior design specifically, or could I get a degree in art and later merge into interior design and be successful with the same results?
- what classes can I take to gain more knowledge? For example, I’m taking classes on textiles and drafting next semester.
If anyone could give me any tips that would be amazing. Thanks
Login to comment
4 answers
Micah Ehioze
Designer
1
Answer
Lagos, Nigeria
Updated
Micah’s Answer
Hi Ameerah,
You're making a great choice by going for a degree in art. Art lets you mix different ideas to create something beautiful. It's smart to gain broad knowledge and see how you can use it in interior design. Building a good network in real estate will give you lots of opportunities to showcase your designs and can lead to more earnings too. Keep going!
You're making a great choice by going for a degree in art. Art lets you mix different ideas to create something beautiful. It's smart to gain broad knowledge and see how you can use it in interior design. Building a good network in real estate will give you lots of opportunities to showcase your designs and can lead to more earnings too. Keep going!
Thank you for the encouragement and advise.
Ameerah
kelly marino
7
Answers
McLean, Virginia
Updated
kelly’s Answer
Hi Ameerah,
If you know you want interior design, follow that path. I'm a bit confused by your headline, in which you mention real estate. Real estate is a completely different beast. If you have a passion for both, you may wish to pursue staging, whereby you are making a property the best it can be through renovations and refreshes and furniture layouts to get the most $$$ for the listing.
Back to interior design. If you think this is your dream, look at universities that offer interior design programs. Within the required classes, you will likely take classes that also align with art: art history, sketching, color theory, etc.
Good luck!
Kelly
If you know you want interior design, follow that path. I'm a bit confused by your headline, in which you mention real estate. Real estate is a completely different beast. If you have a passion for both, you may wish to pursue staging, whereby you are making a property the best it can be through renovations and refreshes and furniture layouts to get the most $$$ for the listing.
Back to interior design. If you think this is your dream, look at universities that offer interior design programs. Within the required classes, you will likely take classes that also align with art: art history, sketching, color theory, etc.
Good luck!
Kelly
Omg, I didn’t notice the title didn’t change! I was editing everything while multitasking, and I thought all new changes were saved. Apologies for the confusion. Thank you so much for the info.
Ameerah
Anuj Gupta
Software Engineering
305
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Anuj’s Answer
i Ameerah! It is absolutely fantastic that you are already laying the groundwork for your career in the 10th grade. Immersing yourself in books, blogs, and social media gives you a massive head start.
The intersection of interior design and real estate is an incredibly lucrative and dynamic space. If you can design a space and understand the market value of the property it sits in, you become a massive asset to wealthy clients, developers, and house-flippers.
Let’s tackle your exact questions and map out a game plan to get you ahead.
1. The Degree Dilemma: Interior Design vs. Art
To get the most successful results, it is highly recommended to get a specific degree in Interior Design (ideally from a CIDA-accredited program) rather than a general Art degree. Here is why:
The "Interior Decorating" vs. "Interior Design" Difference: A lot of people mistake interior design for just picking out paint colors and furniture (which is decorating). True Interior Design involves spatial planning, architecture, building codes, fire safety regulations, and accessibility laws (like the ADA). An art degree won't teach you how to read a structural blueprint or ensure a layout is legally compliant.
Licensing and Certification: In many regions, you cannot legally call yourself an "Interior Designer" or sign off on commercial blueprints unless you pass official exams (like the NCIDQ exam in North America). To qualify for these exams, you usually need a specific degree in interior design.
The Real Estate Synergy: An interior design degree teaches you how to optimize square footage to increase a property’s market value—something a general art degree won't focus on.
2. What Classes to Take Right Now
You are already making great choices! Taking Textiles and Drafting next semester is perfect. Drafting will teach you the geometric language of space, and textiles will teach you how materials wear, tear, and react to light.
To round out your high school schedule over the next two years, look for classes in these three buckets:
Tech & Design
CAD / 3D Modeling: Look for architecture, engineering, or graphic design classes that teach software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, or Revit. Digital rendering is the #1 skill modern designers use to show concepts to clients.
Studio Art / Color Theory: To sharpen your eye for composition, scale, lighting, and how colors interact.
Business & Real Estate
Marketing or Entrepreneurship: Interior designers and real estate agents are almost always self-employed or run their own firms. Learning how to market yourself and pitch ideas is vital.
Economics / Personal Finance: This will help you understand market trends, property values, and how interest rates affect the real estate world.
3. How to Merge Interior Design & Real Estate to Get Ahead
Since you have an interest in both fields, you don't have to choose just one. You can combine them to build a unique, high-earning career path. Here is how you can use the next few years to get ahead of everyone else:
Learn "Home Staging"
Home staging is the art of decorating a home specifically to sell it faster and for more money in the real estate market.
Action Step: Look up home staging companies or top-producing real estate agents in your city. Ask if you can shadow them for a day or help carry samples. Real estate agents love interior designers who understand how to make a house look appealing to buyers.
Master Digital Visualization Tools
Don't wait for college to start designing. Download free software like SketchUp (Free version) or use tools like Canva to create digital mood boards.
Action Step: Pick a random house listing on a real estate app (like Zillow or Realtor.com) that looks outdated. Redesign one of the rooms digitally. Save the "Before" real estate photo and your "After" design. Congratulations—you just started your first portfolio project!
Start Building Your Network Now
Since you love learning from seasoned professionals, use the Informational Interview strategy.
Action Step: Find local interior designers or real estate agents on Instagram or LinkedIn. Write them a polite note: "Hi! I'm Ameerah, a 10th grader studying textiles and drafting. I love your work. Could I ask you 3 quick questions over email about how you started your firm?" Professionals are incredibly supportive of young students who show genuine drive.
You are already on the right track by asking the right questions early. Keep that curiosity alive!
The intersection of interior design and real estate is an incredibly lucrative and dynamic space. If you can design a space and understand the market value of the property it sits in, you become a massive asset to wealthy clients, developers, and house-flippers.
Let’s tackle your exact questions and map out a game plan to get you ahead.
1. The Degree Dilemma: Interior Design vs. Art
To get the most successful results, it is highly recommended to get a specific degree in Interior Design (ideally from a CIDA-accredited program) rather than a general Art degree. Here is why:
The "Interior Decorating" vs. "Interior Design" Difference: A lot of people mistake interior design for just picking out paint colors and furniture (which is decorating). True Interior Design involves spatial planning, architecture, building codes, fire safety regulations, and accessibility laws (like the ADA). An art degree won't teach you how to read a structural blueprint or ensure a layout is legally compliant.
Licensing and Certification: In many regions, you cannot legally call yourself an "Interior Designer" or sign off on commercial blueprints unless you pass official exams (like the NCIDQ exam in North America). To qualify for these exams, you usually need a specific degree in interior design.
The Real Estate Synergy: An interior design degree teaches you how to optimize square footage to increase a property’s market value—something a general art degree won't focus on.
2. What Classes to Take Right Now
You are already making great choices! Taking Textiles and Drafting next semester is perfect. Drafting will teach you the geometric language of space, and textiles will teach you how materials wear, tear, and react to light.
To round out your high school schedule over the next two years, look for classes in these three buckets:
Tech & Design
CAD / 3D Modeling: Look for architecture, engineering, or graphic design classes that teach software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, or Revit. Digital rendering is the #1 skill modern designers use to show concepts to clients.
Studio Art / Color Theory: To sharpen your eye for composition, scale, lighting, and how colors interact.
Business & Real Estate
Marketing or Entrepreneurship: Interior designers and real estate agents are almost always self-employed or run their own firms. Learning how to market yourself and pitch ideas is vital.
Economics / Personal Finance: This will help you understand market trends, property values, and how interest rates affect the real estate world.
3. How to Merge Interior Design & Real Estate to Get Ahead
Since you have an interest in both fields, you don't have to choose just one. You can combine them to build a unique, high-earning career path. Here is how you can use the next few years to get ahead of everyone else:
Learn "Home Staging"
Home staging is the art of decorating a home specifically to sell it faster and for more money in the real estate market.
Action Step: Look up home staging companies or top-producing real estate agents in your city. Ask if you can shadow them for a day or help carry samples. Real estate agents love interior designers who understand how to make a house look appealing to buyers.
Master Digital Visualization Tools
Don't wait for college to start designing. Download free software like SketchUp (Free version) or use tools like Canva to create digital mood boards.
Action Step: Pick a random house listing on a real estate app (like Zillow or Realtor.com) that looks outdated. Redesign one of the rooms digitally. Save the "Before" real estate photo and your "After" design. Congratulations—you just started your first portfolio project!
Start Building Your Network Now
Since you love learning from seasoned professionals, use the Informational Interview strategy.
Action Step: Find local interior designers or real estate agents on Instagram or LinkedIn. Write them a polite note: "Hi! I'm Ameerah, a 10th grader studying textiles and drafting. I love your work. Could I ask you 3 quick questions over email about how you started your firm?" Professionals are incredibly supportive of young students who show genuine drive.
You are already on the right track by asking the right questions early. Keep that curiosity alive!
Hi apologies for the late reply, your advice is exactly what I was looking for and thank you so much for the ideas and breakdowns of my questions. I now have a framework of what I can do to get ahead, and I’m a bit more confident than I was before.
Thanks again!
Ameerah
Jean Noel Sanchez
Developer/Data Analyst
74
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jean Noel’s Answer
Hi Ameerah! Starting as early as 10th grade puts you way ahead of the curve. Your dedication over the past two years shows serious initiative, and taking textiles and drafting next semester is a huge step in the right direction.
Here are direct answers to your core questions, along with actionable steps to build a dual background in interior design and real estate.
Degree Choice: Interior Design vs. General Art
Short Answer: A specific Interior Design degree is significantly better if you want to practice professionally, work at a top design firm, or handle commercial/architectural spaces.
• Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating/Art: Fine Art focuses on aesthetics, expression, and history. Interior Design is a technical discipline that covers structural wall relocations, building codes, lighting design, spatial planning, and material safety.
• The NCIDQ Standard: To become a fully licensed, professional interior designer (which allows you to sign off on commercial plans and work alongside architects), you must pass the NCIDQ exam. Qualifying for this exam requires graduating from an accredited program—specifically one certified by CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation).
• Alternative Route: If you get a Fine Art degree, you can still work as an interior decorator or open a staging business, but you would likely need to go back for a Master's in Interior Design to get licensed or take on technical architectural design projects.
High School Classes to Take
Taking textiles and drafting next semester gives you a solid technical foundation. Here are the most valuable high school classes to add to your schedule:
1. AutoCAD / Computer-Aided Design (CAD) or Architecture: Floor plans are rarely drawn by hand in modern firms. Learning CAD, Revit, or SketchUp will set your college portfolio apart.
2. Geometry and Algebra II: Crucial for calculating square footage, scaled drawings, load distributions, and project budgeting.
3. Studio Art / Drawing / Photography: Focus on building a strong portfolio. Design schools look for your understanding of perspective, light, scale, and color theory.
4. Business / Entrepreneurship / Marketing: If you plan to work in real estate, flip homes, or run your own design firm, knowing how contracts, profit margins, and marketing work is vital.
5. Public Speaking / Speech: Both real estate agents and interior designers spend most of their time pitching ideas to clients and selling a vision.
Merging Interior Design and Real Estate
Combining these two industries creates a powerful edge. You can leverage this dual expertise through several career models:
• High-End Staging & Luxury Real Estate: Homes with professionally staged interiors sell faster and for higher prices. You can stage properties while acting as the listing agent.
• Property Flipping & Development: Buying distressed properties, re-designing them with technical expertise, and reselling them for a profit.
• Design-Build & Brokerage: Offering clients a complete package—helping them buy a house and immediately handling the interior renovation.
3 Steps to Get Ahead Right Now
1. Start Building a Portfolio Today: Save photos, 3D renderings, mood boards, and hand drafts from your classes. Organize them into a digital PDF or personal portfolio website.
2. Learn CAD or SketchUp On Your Own: Download free or student versions of SketchUp or Autodesk software. Practice re-creating your own bedroom or family living room to scale.
3. Job Shadow or Intern: Reach out to local interior designers, staging companies, or boutique real estate firms. Ask if you can shadow them for a day or assist on photoshoot days—hands-on experience stands out on college applications.
Here are direct answers to your core questions, along with actionable steps to build a dual background in interior design and real estate.
Degree Choice: Interior Design vs. General Art
Short Answer: A specific Interior Design degree is significantly better if you want to practice professionally, work at a top design firm, or handle commercial/architectural spaces.
• Interior Design vs. Interior Decorating/Art: Fine Art focuses on aesthetics, expression, and history. Interior Design is a technical discipline that covers structural wall relocations, building codes, lighting design, spatial planning, and material safety.
• The NCIDQ Standard: To become a fully licensed, professional interior designer (which allows you to sign off on commercial plans and work alongside architects), you must pass the NCIDQ exam. Qualifying for this exam requires graduating from an accredited program—specifically one certified by CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation).
• Alternative Route: If you get a Fine Art degree, you can still work as an interior decorator or open a staging business, but you would likely need to go back for a Master's in Interior Design to get licensed or take on technical architectural design projects.
High School Classes to Take
Taking textiles and drafting next semester gives you a solid technical foundation. Here are the most valuable high school classes to add to your schedule:
1. AutoCAD / Computer-Aided Design (CAD) or Architecture: Floor plans are rarely drawn by hand in modern firms. Learning CAD, Revit, or SketchUp will set your college portfolio apart.
2. Geometry and Algebra II: Crucial for calculating square footage, scaled drawings, load distributions, and project budgeting.
3. Studio Art / Drawing / Photography: Focus on building a strong portfolio. Design schools look for your understanding of perspective, light, scale, and color theory.
4. Business / Entrepreneurship / Marketing: If you plan to work in real estate, flip homes, or run your own design firm, knowing how contracts, profit margins, and marketing work is vital.
5. Public Speaking / Speech: Both real estate agents and interior designers spend most of their time pitching ideas to clients and selling a vision.
Merging Interior Design and Real Estate
Combining these two industries creates a powerful edge. You can leverage this dual expertise through several career models:
• High-End Staging & Luxury Real Estate: Homes with professionally staged interiors sell faster and for higher prices. You can stage properties while acting as the listing agent.
• Property Flipping & Development: Buying distressed properties, re-designing them with technical expertise, and reselling them for a profit.
• Design-Build & Brokerage: Offering clients a complete package—helping them buy a house and immediately handling the interior renovation.
3 Steps to Get Ahead Right Now
1. Start Building a Portfolio Today: Save photos, 3D renderings, mood boards, and hand drafts from your classes. Organize them into a digital PDF or personal portfolio website.
2. Learn CAD or SketchUp On Your Own: Download free or student versions of SketchUp or Autodesk software. Practice re-creating your own bedroom or family living room to scale.
3. Job Shadow or Intern: Reach out to local interior designers, staging companies, or boutique real estate firms. Ask if you can shadow them for a day or assist on photoshoot days—hands-on experience stands out on college applications.