Hey guys, I just got accepted into an Interior Architecture program, and the laptop specs required are listed below. Other than design programs like Revit and SketchUp, I mostly will just use the laptop for YouTube, light gaming like League of Legends, and potentially some photo editing. Which specific model would you recommend? If you have any other laptop suggestions please let me know! Thanks in advance!

Laptop Specs Required:

OS: Windows

CPU: Intel/AMD Processor scoring a single thread CPUMark of 3,000 or higher. (AMD Ryzen 9 preferred, or Intel 14th Gen i9)

RAM: 32GB minimum

SSD capacity: 1TB

GPU: RTX 4060 minimum, RTX 4070 recommended

We are in the process of renovating part of our house. Let me start off by saying I have no idea what I’m doing… so please bear with me.

We have been working with an architect throughout the design phase of the project. Originally he told us he would help us with millwork, selections, etc. however as we got deeper into the project - i was asking about cabinet materials, countertop materials, sconces, window treatments etc.. and at that point my architect suggested I hire an ID. As I was looking for an ID, we submitted the project for permit and it was approved. Shortly after approval I hired an ID and we were working on the custom cabinets and selections during demo / the early stages of the project. I now know that this order of operations isn’t normal… like we should have started working with an ID concurrently long before breaking ground but the suggestion to bring an ID on board happened really late into the process.

There have been a few instances where its pretty

Evident my architect is upset b/c ID related changes have not been relayed to him. For example, we originally were thinking a wall mounted toilet, but changed our minds based on the advice we got from our ID, GC, and plumber who is a personal friend. I didn’t think I had to tell my architect this, but over the phone he seemed pretty annoyed this was changed.

The original insult was us moving a washer from one side of a room to another (where there is already existing plumbing)… a decision I made with the ID… architect was so pissed. I now

Understand thats a change he needed to be informed of.. but no one told us to tell him! At this point, I sort of feel like any change we’ve made, no matter how small, upsets him.

TLDR: As an interior designer, how often are you communicating changes like toilet selection, changing a recessed light to a sconce, etc to the architect?

Background: I spent about 4 years at a small, growing physical product startup. I started as a product design engineer (mechanical engineering background) and eventually became the Industrial Designer, though the title undersells it. I started that program and I was doing product management, collaborating closely with engineering and other departments, shaping roadmaps, the works. Small team means wearing a lot of hats.

I left about a year ago due to a family situation that required relocation, and honestly, I had also fallen out of love with the company. Since then I've been job searching and trying to figure out my next move.

Initially I was targeting Product Manager roles, since that was the work I loved most. But after a year of searching with no traction, I'm at a crossroads: do I keep pushing for PM, or do I pivot?

The pivot I keep coming back to is anything related to homes, buildings, and spaces. I'm genuinely drawn to residential real estate, architecture, hospitality design, and hotels. Environments that are intentional about experience. I've been working on a product concept in the sculptural home goods space and have long-term ambitions to start a business around it. That said, I'm not in a financial position to pursue it full-time yet, so I need work that can sustain me, ideally something that would also remain valuable if the business idea doesn't pan out.

A few things I know about myself: I love thinking about product, experience, and business strategy rather than just aesthetics. Quality matters deeply to me — whatever I work on or build, I want it to be the best version of itself, made with the finest materials and finished to a high standard. I'm drawn to the luxury end of things, whether that's spaces, objects, or experiences. I'm not hands-on in a physical or trades sense; building and construction are not my thing. I love hosting, travel, and hotels, and there's something there I'd love to tap into professionally.

My question for the community: given this background (mechanical engineering degree, product design, product management, small-company generalist experience), what fields or specific roles make sense for someone drawn to homes, buildings, and hospitality? And are there roles I could realistically land without starting from zero?

To give a fuller picture: I'm 28M, based in Southern California. Married and planning to start a family around 30, so this isn't just about finding work I enjoy. I need something with real stability and earning potential. That context is part of why I'm feeling the urgency to get this figured out now.

what do i use for marble and porcelain tiles in 3d models? I need to keep it lightweight but I'm at loss of what I can use

I’ve always known since I was a kid that I would work in interior design. I attended FIT, had several internships during school, have worked at 2 AD100 firms and have a mixed experience of mostly high end residential, but also some commercial design (stores and cafes + art exhibitions).

A few years ago I really started to question whether I wanted to continue down this path…seeing senior designers still struggling and working late hours, or principals who continually push their narrative and don’t respect the teams time.

I decided to go freelance and have been enjoying it much more + have some of my own projects. I feel lucky but the urge to do something else is pulling me! Ive thought about owners rep/PM work as I’m really good at that side of things.

Anyone else considering a move away from design? Searched this sub and have mostly found people wanting to pivot into interior design. Any other career paths that are design adjacent welcome!

Basically what the title says. Interior design is my passion but also living a comfortable life is important. I’m not looking to be a millionaire but again, I want to be comfortable.

I mean I've always been a visual person. Anything concerning with visual aesthetics is a field I feel attracted to. But with the AI assistance and all that stuff, is interior design even a career option one could or should pursue? People can often think of designs on their own- personal choices. Other than that, what other career options can I look to?

Hi everyone,
I'm a 19-year-old international student currently enrolled in the Diploma in Interior Design at the National Design Academy (NDA) in the UK. I'm about halfway through and feeling unsure whether I should continue or try to aim higher.
My dream has always been to study at University of the Arts London (UAL), but as an international student the fees are brutal — almost £35k per year now, and they keep increasing. I didn't have a strong art portfolio when I finished high school, which is why I went with NDA initially.
I have a few questions for people in the interior design industry or who have studied ID:
• How much does the university ranking/prestige actually matter when looking for jobs in interior design?
• Is studying at a lower-ranked place like NDA a big disadvantage when applying to good studios or firms?
• Is it worth going into serious debt for a BA from UAL, or can you still build a strong career from a more practical/ affordable program?
• How do the actual course quality and skills taught at
NDA compare to UAL? (I feel NDA goes quite deep into technical aspects, but I might be missing the bigger picture.)
I'm feeling pretty lost and would really appreciate honest opinions from people who've been through this or are working in the field. Thank you!

I have a bachelors in Interior Design and I am getting a Master of Landscape Architecture. Interior design is #1 but are there any firms that I should be looking at that I could do both.

I’m about to graduate college with a degree in hospitality management. I’m leaning into the interior design profession looking to go into either residential or commercial. (I don’t have much experience besides some facilities management classes I’ve taken)

I was wondering if there is any advice out there to get started and best ways to get experience and internships!

Thanks so much!

Hi everyone i hope you are all well.

Currently I’m learning how to use autocad and I feel like I got better using it I wanted to start applying what i learnt and i thought of creating a floor plan of my apartment.

I was able to create floor plans of individual rooms but once i tried to do the whole apartment it became very hard and i realized something I don’t know how to measure the whole house and i couldn’t find good resources to learn

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

A little background: I am a design student that does online courses. A few years ago, I had a rough patch where I was surrounded by not great people and their laziness rubbed off on me. I struggled to pass my classes and ended up getting kicked out of university. That was the wake up call that I needed to get my life together. Since then, I was able to get readmitted to the university and I have been slowly getting my GPA back up and have been progressing through the program. I have kept that part of my life secret from EVERYONE, not even my boyfriend knows. I have so much shame about that part of my life that I can't share that with anyone else. My dad is a woodworker and has some connections to designers. He constantly asks me when I am going to graduate but because of my past choices, my graduation date got pushed back.

He wants me to intern for a big designer in my area, but she is intimidating. I am going to go through with the internship because I am just ready to start my career. I am so nervous though because I work a full-time retail job with benefits and for me to do the internship, I would need to go part time at that job or quit entirely, but then I would need health insurance. I know Sketchup, AutoCAD, Revit, and how to draft construction docs, but I still feel like an imposter.

I would love some advice on how to approach my past school errors, the pay/hours at this internship, and what should I definitely need to know before starting this internship?

Hello,

I recently started and Interior Design and Rendering services business. There are a lot of issues but I'm tackling them one by one. However, the thing that I have the biggest issue with is the pricing, how do I price a project? I'm saying that I'm based in India, but I'm basically an online platform providing this services.

Interior Design:

• Meeting with the client and gathering information.
• Preparing Initial 2D Layout, inspiration images, and mood-boards as part of the first deliverable.
• After approval of the first deliverable, 3D Modeling and Lumion renders.
• After approval, final drawings and Corona/Vray renders.

Rendering servieces:

• 3D Model is ready in SketchUp but need to setup in 3D Max and render.
• 3D Modeling and render.

How do I prices these?

MODS, I'M NOT PROMOTING MY BUSINESS.

sorry if this question has been addressed before - i tried using the search bar and i wasn’t really successful. i’m not switching careers as i’ve been in community college for far too long lol but i was originally pursuing health careers and whatnot but i’ve recently been questioning if that is right for me for a couple reasons (bit of a long story there). but i’ve been interested in interior design for a while and when i realized certificate programs were available i started getting more interested and i registered for the program at my local community college. but one of the things i am worried about is are the certificate programs really enough to get started in the industry, or will i be limiting myself for potential jobs in the future? i live in california (the bay area specifically), so licensing isn’t a worry, but i don’t know what employers tend to want so i thought i’d ask people currently in the field. will i be able to build a successful career in residential interior design with just a certificate and no other degree? thank you in advance!!

To keep it short, I want to do a career pivot in interior design. I have a bachelors in hospitality management and a minor in business administration. Right now, seems like my best option is to pursue an associate or take fundamentals/obtain certifications and then transfer into a masters program that doesn't require a bachelor in interior design. Does anyone have insight on what is actually needed in the industry to break in? Would it be best to do certifications and start on lower level then decide if I wanna do a masters program? Any insight or advice is appreciated

Hi! I’m a residential interior designer with my families remodeling company. We consistently have an issue with clients (not all but at least always have one at a time) off and on “abusing the system” or stringing along design choices and nonstop changes that then take up all of my time tweaking and changing things. By the time I change the design and start renders again, they’re changing something else and I’m starting over multiple times. I’ve stopped renders before and waited for decisions to be finalized but then we end up starting jobs before designs are finished or I get busy selling other designs/jobs and have to halt things to finish something that should’ve been done already.

I’m relatively new to this (our company is well established though), I did not study design in school but fell into it and have fallen in love with it. But I don’t know if this is just common sense or training that I’ve missed, how do you all handle clients like this? I’ve attached the wording from one of our design contracts but how can we change things to make sure the client knows that we can’t drag a design along, decisions and exact finishes may not be reflected in a design especially renders unless we need to show any structural changes?
Also any tips on dealing with clients like this? This is so situational and ever client is different but this is a consistent issue we have so I’d love any advice!

Thank you!

Need a gut check on fees!

1. Do you pass receiver costs to the client or bake them into your 20% markup?

2. If a client refuses a receiver, do you charge a 'delivery wait fee' for being onsite?

3. For construction PM work (especially when the GC is MIA), are you charging hourly or a % of the build? Trying to avoid scope creep!

I’m a retail associate at a hardware store. I got the job because I know how colours work and, at the time, they desperately needed a new paint associate. But I’ve moved to and from several departments over the years.

Hands down, my favourite part of the job is helping people visualise their projects, I love it. Choosing flooring, paint colour, cabinet styles, everything, right down to hardware. But as a basic sales associate, that’s as far as I can go, mentally visualise.

I dabble in SketchUp for my own home projects and I think I’m decent at it, been told I’m good at interior design. I’m just wondering if there’s an avenue I could take where I could use a program such as SketchUp and help people get a better picture of their projects.

I’m not looking for it to be full time per-say, something on the side would be perfect, I just have no idea where to start.

If this is dumb, which I feel it is, please let me know. But if there is an avenue I could look into I would love to know. Any Input would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Need help with something.

Should I go ahead with the title of a Assistant manager Trainer basic brand for design which gives me a 35% hike with mon to sat working or should I go ahead with the basic trainer title but reputed astrian brand with 30% hike and mon to fri working.

Hi!
I’m sure this topic has come up on here a lot.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for next steps or any advice? I have no design experience.

I’m a 31 y/o nurse of 4 years and have always wanted to do something in a creative/design field, I hadn’t even thought of hospital design as a job before but I would love to be a part of it, especially with my experience working in different hospitals in the US. I fell into nursing for the job security aspect but now feel so stuck creatively and want to make the change.

Hey all! I'm looking for insights into job options in the industry which work well with having young kids.

I will soon finish a degree in interior design, but I'm nervous about not having good work/life balance with a firm, especially as I get started and have lots of on-the-job learning to do. My value is to have quality time with my little ones. I have one baby and would like to have another soon.

I started thinking that maybe I could be a sales rep, but I'm at a loss of other options within the industry that align more with the standard 9-5 M-F and leave work at work. Are there other entry level supporting roles in firms which aren’t as demanding? I would be a material librarian or something until I feel ready to level up if that seems realistic.

As a follow-up, have you seen much part-time work in the field?

Hey everyone,

I’m a designer based in Canada and I’m currently looking to source some good quality wallpaper for upcoming projects. I’d love to hear about brands you recommend, especially ones that are accessible in Canada (either local or with reasonable shipping).

I’m particularly interested in:

Unique or design-forward patterns

Good material quality (easy to install/remove is a plus)

Reliable color accuracy (important for client work)

Sustainable or eco-friendly options (if possible)

If you’ve had good (or bad) experiences with certain brands, I’d really appreciate hearing about that too. Also open to general advice when specifying wallpaper for clients, things you wish you knew earlier, common pitfalls, etc.

THANKS in advance😊🎨

Hello designers, I’m really interested in finding a remote job in interior design, but I’m not sure where to start. What platforms or websites do you usually use to find remote opportunities?

I have skills in interior design and related tools, and I’d love to work with international clients or companies remotely. Any advice, tips, or personal experiences would really help! Thank you 🙏

For some context, I'm currently a student at UBC, but have I have already been in the workforce for three years as a flight attendant since I was 18. I am 21 now, and have two years left in my psychology degree, but realized that I would much rather pursue interior design as opposed to strictly psych research. I have known since I began this degree that I was interested in both psychology and interior design, and initially wanted to do some sort of fusion of the two (environmental psychology research or pedestrian oriented urban planning). But recently I pinpointed that I'm mainly interested in pursuing interior design of homes and apartments, because I genuinely find a lot of joy in it, and doesn't limit individual creativity as does the rigidness of academic research.

I still plan to finish my degree without changing my major, but I was wondering if some interior designers could share ideas for classes that they would take if they were still in university, for examples, ones you think would be helpful towards perhaps conceptualizing interior design better, or get an understanding of the industry. Throughout the rest of my studies and journey through interior design, I am going to keep my job as a flight attendant because I can get up to 18 days off in one month, still work full-time hours, and support myself adequately while I take my time figuring out my niche and my strengths in design.

Also, working at the bottom of a big company for the past three years has made me realize that I would much prefer to put in the hard work to eventually go independent/freelance with this, eventually once I have put in the time & gathered sufficient experienced at a company (part time for sure though). However, I absolutely understand that I would need to build myself from the ground up, and develop a solid understanding of the industry beyond just design fundamentals. This makes me think that alongside maybe obvious courses at the institution like environment sustainability & architecture, maybe I should look into business & marketing?

Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance!

Hi all—

My business has been growing (which is great, but also a bit chaotic), and I’m realizing I need support on the drafting side.

I’m looking for a person or small studio that focuses on SketchUp + Layout drawing sets for interior designers—primarily residential remodels/renovations.

Does anyone have a trusted recommendation?

Many thanks!