{"id":89385,"date":"2025-11-21T06:22:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stylecurator.com.au\/?p=89385"},"modified":"2025-11-21T18:25:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T07:25:23","slug":"kickstart-your-interior-design-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stylecurator.com.au\/kickstart-your-interior-design-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Top skills and qualifications to kickstart your interior design career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interior design is about so much more than having great taste or knowing the principles of design. Designers who stand out \u2014 and stay in demand \u2014 bring together life experience, technical knowledge, creative thinking and a deep understanding of how people actually live in their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take someone like Greg Natale<\/a>, for example. His designs draw on his Italian heritage and love of bold, patterned, high\u2013concept interiors. Others might weave in passions like sustainable living or bushfire-resilient design, shaping a style that feels uniquely their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you<\/em> carve out your place in the industry? It starts with building skills and qualifications that help you develop your eye, your confidence and ultimately, your own design identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the core skills today\u2019s interior designers are adding to their toolkit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related article: A day in the life of Interior Designer, Jasmine McClelland<\/a>
Related article: Interior Designer of the Year Greg Natale opens his doors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Materials<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Design psychology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding how design influences human behaviour is becoming a powerful tool in a designer\u2019s toolkit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic colour psychology is usually covered in design school, but going deeper \u2014 whether through short courses, design-thinking programs or even a graduate diploma in psychology<\/a> \u2014 can help you create interiors that feel thoughtful, purposeful and emotionally aligned with how a space is meant to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see this often in commercial interiors. For example, warm tones that make caf\u00e9s feel inviting, cool colours that calm hospitals and clinics, and playful palettes in childcare centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But design psychology goes beyond colour. Materials, textures and even the shapes you repeat in a scheme can shift the mood of a room. We often hear about how tactile natural wood can add warmth and ground a space, whereas materials like steel and marble can add drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A stronger understanding of these elements helps you design with intention rather than intuition alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feng shui<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Feng shui has been around for thousands of years, but its principles are more relevant than ever \u2014 especially as homes get smaller and apartment living becomes the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interior designers who understand energy flow, balance and placement naturally have an advantage when working with compact or awkward layouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to become a feng shui master. Short courses, books and even hands-on experimentation (like rearranging a room and observing how it\u00a0feels<\/em>) can help you grasp the fundamentals of feng shui<\/a>. Knowing how to enhance Chi and create harmony can give your designs an extra layer of meaning and comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Image via Noami Findlay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sustainability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability in design is no longer an afterthought \u2014 it\u2019s becoming one of the most in-demand skills homeowners look for when choosing a designer. People want homes that feel beautiful and<\/em> behave beautifully: energy-efficient, thermally comfortable, low-tox, durable and aligned with the way they want to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A strong understanding of passive design<\/a> is a huge advantage here. Knowing how to work with orientation, glazing, shading, natural ventilation, insulation and thermal mass allows you to design spaces that stay cooler in summer, warmer in winter and reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling. And clients love when their designer can explain\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0a space feels good, not just how it looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Material selection is another big part of sustainable design. Designers today are expanding their knowledge in:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n