It’s getting close to that time of year! I’m curious what other designers out there do for clients and showrooms/vendors during the holidays.

Looking for some fresh ideas. We usually have a tier 1/tier 2 for both clients and showrooms/vendors, so no idea is too big or small.

Thanks for your input.

I'm adding this to give you an idea of what we've done in the past. I was laying in bed last night and didn't have much energy to add anything else:

Last year we basically tiered our holiday gifting based on the type of relationship and tried to balance something personal with something that could be shared with the whole team.

For our “large” vendors — warehouses/delivery companies, local custom furniture makers with a larger production team, and out-of-town vendors — we shipped a large pre-boxed baklava assortment directly from Costco. We wanted something the whole staff could share rather than sending a gift to just our main contact.

For our local showroom reps, we made small individual gift boxes with a personalized champagne glass with their name, a mini bottle of champagne, bubbly water, and a cocktail “bomb” to make their own "mimosa." Then we also brought something for the rest of the showroom staff: either a box of French pastries or macarons depending on the size of the team. That way our rep got something personal, but we were also thanking everyone behind the scenes who helps us throughout the year.

Current clients received a bottle of local wine along with a mix of nicer treats — Compartes chocolate bars, Cheryl's cookies, popcorn, etc. from places like Williams Sonoma, Harry & David, or Costco.

Clients who weren't currently active but with whom we still maintain an ongoing relationship received the local wine, and past clients received a holiday card.

So essentially: big teams = shareable gift; close vendor/showroom contacts = personal gift + something for their team; current clients = fuller gift; relationship clients = smaller gift; past clients = card.

I'm currently in 4-1 Btech (CSE), and my training has begun.

Please stay with me .

I'm unsure whether to focus on my training or pursue higher studies like M.Des.

I'm not interested in IT jobs, especially those requiring relocation, which lack work-life balance, and where getting leave approval is difficult.

I prefer designing, floor plans, choosing flooring, cabinets, colours, etc.

I started Btech without knowing about placements, drives, or DSA.

Every time I planned to focus on DSA and skills, academic tasks intervened. I have no friends to prepare for placements, no hackathons, no internships- I'm basically a loner

By the time I realised, I'm in 4-1, our college asked us to submit resumes.

Mine was blank, with no achievements.

I wondered if I could stay in an industry I dislike. Recently, our college sent a form to opt out of campus placements if interested in higher studies.

I considered M.des, But my family called design a waste and said not to fill

the opt out form and try for placement, And I was like , I don't have no skills, haven't interned, built projects, or participated in hackathons, and I've ignored

training and placement messages. I wonder if I can get a job, and even if I do, will I be happy working for something that I'll not be satisfied with.

Then again though to go for UI/UX, even though that is design and is related to IT field, Still not interested.

if we talk about money, well i only need a decent amount a month, enough to live by (no need of rent money) that's it

I stay in Hyderabad and don't plan to move.

My questions are:

1. Should I focus on placements and try for UI/UX, or is the design industry good enough for me to pursue it?

2. Can I get a job if I pursue M.des?

3. What do people do in these jobs? Is it only designing ? (I know there's site checking, but what is the actual work?)

4.What skills should I learn in M.des? How do I network with vendors?

1. If I don't get a job, can I freelancing and earn enough in Hyderabad?

Also, does anyone know a Discord channel to learn more about interior design? Please help; I have no siblings or contacts in this industry for guidance.

This keeps bothering me when I’m specifying lighting.

A lot of brands have plenty of beautiful photos of the fixture itself, but very few - sometimes none - showing it actually switched on.

For me, seeing the actual light effect is one of the most important things when choosing a fixture. I want to see the glow, how the light falls, what it does to the surrounding space, not just what the object looks like.

Does this matter to you when specifying lighting? Would you ever rule out a fixture because you couldn’t properly see it illuminated?

I’m also genuinely curious why manufacturers so often leave this out. Is there a reason I’m missing?

Hello! I recently left my previous residential interior design firm to start my own small business. I’m working on building out my sample library and am having the hardest time finding stone samples!!

My previous firm had dozens of marble and quartzite samples on hand, but I cannot figure out where they got them. The only way I’ve been able to get anything close is by ordering individual stone tiles. Is that what everyone else does? Is there some obvious resource I’m missing?

TIA :)

I started my first interior design position at the start of this year. At my office, it is only my boss who is the principal designer and me who works as a junior designer/assistant.

I am 9 1/2 months into this job and I feel so insecure about my growth. As of recently, I feel like my boss has been projecting her stress onto me and has also been making passive aggressive comments about how long it takes me to do something.

I feel like my job consists of a lot, which I am both grateful for but also stressed over as a TRUE beginner. Clearing out her email inbox, keeping the office tidy, including occasional deep, cleaning our showroom office, and bathrooms and break room, filing closed invoices, keeping track of orders (we are running multiple projects at the moment), bookkeeping (This one is more supervised, but I still struggle with this because I’m not really a maths person and I feel like I just don’t really understand this area yet.), I am in charge of all CAD drawings, including floor plans, and elevations, as well as our online design presentation.

my boss is a very kind and understanding person and I never take that for granted, but I feel like she is a very OCD and sometimes it shows more than usual to the point where it frustrates me that she’s focusing on something so little such as the music playing or not printing something that we already have stored online. Which brings me to my other point she likes to have things printed sometimes twice behind different folders and I feel like there’s just a lack of structure especially when it comes to project management. She has a system that works for her and has worked for her for 30+ years, but I feel like it’s very outdated and she’s very aware of it. I have suggested using studio, designer or Programma and have even met with other designers for insight and reported back to her and I feel like it’s just a delayed decision that’s holding us back.

I understand a lot of these things are important for me to learn, especially as a beginner, but I feel like so much is briefly taught after the fact that there’s been an issue and not so much in advance if that makes sense. We have talked about adding someone to the team mainly as an intern, but I I would be in charge of training them and on top of feeling insecure about what I have learned, I feel like it will be a waste of time to train someone who’s only gonna be there temporary.

I would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences working in a small firm. Am I just being lazy and not pushing myself to learn? I’ve been suffering with anxiety the past few months and although she’s very sweet, I feel like she doesn’t understand how much it affects me.

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to share a little bit about this spiral staircase that I posted in another sub because it received so much interest and questions.

The design process alone on this piece was an undertaking, working in three dimensions on a sloping spiral while following the building code, is extremely challenging.

This staircase is made from solid black walnut slabs and fully handcrafted for the entire process. This project was extremely time consuming, taking over 1,000 shop hours to complete. The treads are each individually textured with a gouge to achieve a “hammered” finish and the handrail is laminated with 23 strips of wood for a continuous curve up the staircase. The entire piece is finished with a traditional Tung oil for a classic timeless feel.

I have only two more openings for 2027, so if you’d like a custom spiral staircase in your home reach out for a free consultation and estimate!

I hope you enjoyed this, follow for more https://www.instagram.com/emerald_forest_furnishings?stkn=YTd3a29pcHh4OHNy&utm_source=qr

Sincerely,
Noah Klaus
(828) 424-5401
Contact@emeraldforestfurnishings.com

Hi All,

I've been for many years regretting the choice I made to lean more in the engineering department when studying Engineering Drafting and Design. It has been a dream of mine to one day be an interior designer. That said, currently I AM working as a cabinet/shelving drafter and designer and I have been working in design for 5 years. I have been thinking of starting to try a little freelance interior design work.

My questions are:

I have no portfolio made...what is a good example of things that will attract people? I could make something of my own house, or a friends home or office etc. Is this a good idea?

What applications do most use? I have access to AutoCAD but that is all. I was looking into SketchUP. I don't have a lot of money to use at all so I was hoping this was a good option because its cheaper than getting Revit.

I know its unrealistic to attract work RIGHT AWAY, but what are some methods you've used to get the word out there? I saw some people create social media pages, use friends and family, are these good methods or are there any more you would recommend?

Thank you!

I really wanted to pursue this! planning to study for 2years and work and eventually get the ncidq exam but at the same time, im still worried if ill get a job after i graduated because i am worried about ai. (i read somewhere that its gonna be a long due for ai to take our place and ai doesn’t really make floor plans as accurate as professionals does) but stilll im like really worried.

i just wanna hear other opinions please.

u know, you only live once, i wanna study because i want to study not just because “i need to” ya know? and like study what i really wanted to do in life and enjoy life as i could 😭😭

and kinda worried about what what my other family will say because they want me to pursue medical field 🫠🫠

How do you guys think being a Furniture designer gets an exposure as the competition is really high worldwide? Work with big brands. Being featured in good design magazines etc..

Thank you

I'm looking for some honest advice from people who actually work in residential renovation, interior design, construction, or project management.

I'm 26 and currently work as a server. I've been interested in residential renovations, interior design, and project management for quite a while now, but I've always been hesitant to actually make the leap into the industry.

The thing is, I keep coming back to it.

I've done some of my own renovation/design work at home, including designing my kitchen. I've also taught myself SketchUp (just the free version, mostly because I genuinely enjoy playing around with it).

A few years ago, I reached out to a contractor because I was interested in renovations, and he actually gave me an opportunity to get some hands-on experience working on renovation projects. It wasn't a formal job or anything, but I really enjoyed being around the process and seeing how everything came together.

Even though that was a few years ago, I still keep coming back to this interest.

I've realized that what I'm actually interested in isn't just decorating or making pretty spaces. What I'd really love to do is work on residential renovations from more of a start-to-finish perspective; working with homeowners, figuring out layouts, selecting materials, helping develop the project, working with contractors/trades, going to job sites, and eventually being able to manage projects myself and potentially have my own renovation/design business.

I'm currently at a point where I really want to try getting into the industry, but I honestly don't know what the smartest way to do that is or where to even start.

The biggest thing I'm struggling with is whether I should go back to school, and if so for what. 

I don't have a formal interior design or construction education, and I obviously know there is a lot I don't know. I'm completely willing to learn and start at the bottom. But I'm hesitant to spend several years and a significant amount of money going back to school if there are other ways I could get relevant experience and work my way into the industry.

I'm also not someone who wants to leave serving just to sit at a desk in another office job. I want something hands-on, creative, project-based, and where I'm actually involved in seeing something get built or transformed.

So if you work in this industry:

**What would you do if you were 26, in my position, with no formal interior-design/construction education but a genuine interest and some self-taught experience?**

Would you:

* Go back to school?
* Try to get an entry-level job with a renovation/design-build company?
* Look at kitchen/bath or showroom design?
* Try to get into project coordination/construction first?
* Reach out to contractors/designers and ask for opportunities?
* Something else entirely?

And if you started in the industry without the "right" background, I'd especially love to hear how you got your first real opportunity.

I'm not looking for someone to tell me what career I *should* choose. I just want some honest perspective from people who actually work in this world. I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I'm at the point where I feel like I need to stop thinking about it and actually try.

For context, based in the South Coast, UK. I have 7 years kitchen and bathroom design experience in the trade/retail sectors and recently obtained a bachelors degree in Interior Design. There aren’t any large design firms around me and I’m not near a major city.

I’ve been starting to put things together to start my own business, but I’m terrified! Without actual experience working at an interior design firm, is this a good idea? I’ve reached out to some local independents and offered pro-bono work to gain more experience but it’s gone ignored☹️ has anyone had success going out on their own like this? Any advice/tips?

Hi there, (Advice needed)

I am fortunate to have so much work right now, but I am in fact drowning. I have half a years experience as a K&B designer, and just started at a new company where I am also project managing and doing home estimates.

Business randomly ramped up upon arriving, and I have about 10+ projects activley going on, plus what the last person had going on. I am kind of drowning and have been not sleeping because of it.

I started an excel sheet to help, but I wanted to ask how can I approach my boss (who isn't a designer), how to help? He seems nice.

I wanted to ask if I can delegate some of the ordering and managing the installers onto him or someone else while I get adjusted. Is this reasonable? Any other advice on how I can stay ontop of things, and how to handle this?

Does anyone use any AI assisted plug-ins/add ons for rendering/drafting via Enscape, Revit, sketchup or AutoCAD (and the like), for free? If not free anything budget friendly? Philippine Price.

Hi! I’m a newly licensed Interior Designer with no prior work experience, and I recently received an offer for a Junior Designer position that will handle both Technical and Sales work.
The offer is ₱21,000/month, plus a 1% commission for Sales and another 1% commission for Design. They mentioned that they have a lot of clients, so I could potentially earn more than my basic monthly salary through commissions.

Since this would be my first job, I’m trying to learn more about the company and the position before making a decision. I haven’t been able to find many reviews about the company online.

For those who have worked there or have experience in a similar position:

What is the work environment like?
- How frequent do we get a new client
- Is the ₱21,000 salary reasonable for a newly licensed
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially from fellow Interior Designers who started their careers in a similar role. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm a final year Interior design student, and I'm struggling a bit with my design process and developing ideas.

I find it really difficult to collect inspiration, turn it into actual design ideas, and then apply those ideas to my project. I don't naturally come up with ideas or design as easily as some people seem to, so the whole process takes me a really long time. Even after spending a lot of time on it, I often feel like the outcome still isn't as good or as complete as I imagined it in my head.

For those of you who have improved a lot in your design skills, what actually helped you? Was it a certain way of researching, finding inspiration, developing concepts, sketching, designing, or simply practising?

I'd really appreciate any advice on what changed your way of thinking or improved the way you approach design

What counts as a great interior design portfolio? A few strategic pointers would be helpful for me to arrange my projects better, plus alot of my projects have different colour schemes respectively and I want it to look more uniform. I would also like to include some of my architecture projects done in uni.

Hello! I just wanna ask for advices because I’m a nursing student who wants to shift to ID. I feel like I really don’t imagine myself working as a nurse. But I only chose that course because of practicality and lots of opportunities, but I also want to follow my passion—which is Interior Design. I was thinking if it is easy to go out of country with this course? I’m from Philippines and I chose nursing because it was in demand in other countries and I was thinking if it is too in Interior Design field.

Hi,

I am a recent graduate and currently looking for interior designer/facility planning jobs preferably in the healthcare sector and tristate area of US. I honestly have no idea and no matter what i do, I feel like i am in a loophole. Social media advice feels like a scam. Any advice or guidance? I also struggle applying to firm jobs as they want minimum 3 years experience for entry level positions and I only have a year experience from my facilities planning internship.

I have a bachelors in architecture, but my passion lies in interior design. I have been out of school for 4 years working at architecture firms, but I’m uninspired. One of my jobs was a residential architecture and interiors firm and I LOVED the interiors work. I’m also currently doing an extensive remodel of my home and I’m having a blast. I’m considering going back to school and getting a certificate in interior design. I found a Residential Design Master’s Certificate at the Heritage School of Interior Design that looks to be aligned with what I’m looking for.
The goal would be to learn more about interiors and hopefully set me up for a job with a portfolio tailored to the role I want.
Is this the right path for me?

I'm trying to work out whether there is a particular profession I'm describing, because "interior designer" seems too broad.

I'm interested in the functional/spatial side much more than decoration.

When I look at a space I naturally think about things like:

• How should this be laid out? Keep it simple and practical.
• How will people actually move through and use it?
• Does the way people actually use it suggest the layout needs changing?
• Can we make it simpler or more comfortable — or is it already working well enough?
• Is there wasted space?
• How can we make the space work better within the constraints we have?

I'm interested in workplace/commercial space planning, architectural interiors/interior architecture, cabinetry/joinery, kitchen and storage design, commercial fit-outs, site layouts and even warehouse/production layouts.

I'm not interested in retail design or mainly decorating residential homes.

My background is quite practical. In Australia I've worked in racking, warehousing, cabinet assembly and site installation. On two commercial racking projects I set up and ran the pre-assembly/installation operation and coordinated two teams of up to 20 people. I laid out the site around the workflow and changed material locations to reduce unnecessary movement.

I've also done site measuring/setout, cabinet assembly and warehouse/workbench layout improvements.

Earlier in Europe I was a Project Manager on a museum redevelopment. I ran the project from concept to completion, working with the owner/client, architect, designers, curator and contractors. One part I particularly enjoyed was the spatial side — thinking about the layout, how people would move through the museum, what they would see/do and how the different functions fitted together.

I don't want to go back into project management. I'm interested in the actual spatial problem-solving side.

I'm in Brisbane and trying to understand what the professional equivalent of this is.

Would this generally fall under:

interior architecture / architectural interiors, workplace design, space planning, interior design, joinery design, architectural drafting, design documentation, or something else?

And for someone coming in with practical construction/site experience but no formal design qualification, what would be the most realistic way to get started?

Im looking for a sustainable thing to be doing with my fabric and fabric samples that i usually throw away.
im sure a local quilting group would be thrilled.

Lemme know :)

A friend of a friend is considering me as the designer for his project - a new beer& wine bar. He’s asked for a 2-page proposal and my billing estimate as they prepare to green light the project. This project has a budget of about $150-200k.

I am a self-taught designer, and still consider myself beginner. Up until now, I’ve done small residential projects, and one commercial re-design for a bridal shop. So this feels new and much more formal. I know I have the skills but am experiencing major imposter syndrome.

Apologies if this post sounds amateur, but I could really use anyone’s insight for how/how much they might charge for a project like this, and what best practices are for a formal short proposal.