You may be familiar with the basic interior designer job description: create indoor spaces that are safe, functional, and attractive. But you may not realize the full scope of the role.

Interior design is a broad and varied field, with many potential specializations and career paths. You could work on all kinds of spaces, including condos, hotels, restaurants, factories, hospitals, airport terminals, retail stores, and more.

At the same time, there are many misconceptions about what interior designers actually do. (Hint: it's not all about picking pretty fabrics!)

In this post, we provide an inside look at the job of an interior designer and debunk some common myths about the role.

Find out what this career really involves so you can decide if it's right for you.

Design students busy working on projects at the Herzing College Montreal campus

Updated November 2022

You have a natural talent for arranging rooms, choosing furniture, and selecting paint colours. Your Instagram or Pinterest is full of amazing design ideas and inspiration. You're constantly re-organizing your own living space.

It sounds like you'd fit right in at interior design school! But let's take a step back for a minute. There are a few more things to consider before you invest your time and money...

Updated December 2022

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of interior design? Room layouts, paint colours, furniture options, the latest design trends—like Bohemian or Mid-Century Modern?

Chances are, you're thinking of residential interior design. The structures we use for living...the spaces we call home. But the truth is, the world of interior design goes way beyond the home. Designers are employed by all kinds of businesses to create spaces that are both beautiful and practical; cutting-edge and functional.

Do you have a natural talent for organizing rooms, choosing furniture, and really bringing a design scheme together with finishing touches? You can build on those abilities with interior design training and open up a wide range of job options.

Take a look at five different design careers you can pursue with a diploma in interior design.

Full disclosure: We don't have a crystal ball or time machine, so we can't be completely certain which career you are destined to choose.

However, we do know students pretty well. We've spent decades helping people choose the right diploma programs. So we know a thing or two about career guidance and selecting the program that best matches your natural skills and professional goals.

Want to know if an interior design career is in your future?

Effective interior design is all about creating attractive, human-friendly spaces that also serve functional needs. Successful designers blend creativity with technical precision and balance their own ideas with the specific goals and needs of clients.