I took The Professional Interior Design Course during the COVID lockdown while I was stuck in the Philippines. I’m an Australian who buys and sells commercial real estate in New York, and I enrolled in the course mainly as a way to make productive use of time and learn a new skill that might benefit my work.
Over the years, I’ve worked with both architects and interior designers. While they’ve been helpful, I’ve often found that some designers aren’t as cost-conscious as I would like. That’s what initially sparked my interest in learning the fundamentals myself: I believed that if I were to approach design personally, my priority would be to achieve strong visual and functional results while keeping costs as low as reasonably possible.
The course has definitely deepened my appreciation and understanding of design. I’ve since applied what I’ve learned to my own personal projects— such as a beach house and an apartment.
What I particularly liked about the IDA course was that was self-paced within a one-year timeframe. This was ideal when COVID lockdowns were being enforced; however, as the world started to open, it became increasingly difficult to keep up and complete the course modules. I believe IDA effectively condensed what could be a 2-year TAFE course on design into 12 self-paced modules. It covered almost all aspects of design from developing a brief to the colour wheel to eventually a completing design project. Today, I used what I learned mainly for my business and for my own personal property projects.
My approach to design as my own interior designer could be described as “resourceful modernism”. I focus on reusing existing pieces, emphasising sustainability not just in materials but in overall strategy. To me, sustainability means working intelligently with what’s already available rather than starting from scratch.
My next project is the renovation of a Paris apartment. Since I’m still relatively new to this, I’ll likely consult a professional interior designer for the initial layout and concept, but I plan to take on the finishing touches and styling myself.
My current “gig” is repurposing existing furniture and incorporating it into refreshed, curated spaces—it’s creative, sustainable, and adds personal character to every project.
