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Must Haves to SUCCEED as an Interior Designer
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items Are you an Interior Design Student, or self-taught Designer looking to get into the field? As an Interior Designer myself for almost 5 years, I have experienced the ins and outs of Design & Decor, and have put together this collection of resource...
Sections
6
Books & Resources
Technology
Sketching Tools
Colour Tools & Samples
Software
Tools
Books & Resources
Use design blogs, magazines and books to stay up to date with industry trends and information and to get inspiration for your projects.
This book is a comprehensive guide to decorating and designing a home that is both stylish and functional. It covers everything from color selection to furniture placement and provides plenty of practical tips.
Elements of Style
This book is a great resource for anyone looking to add style and personality to their home decor. It provides inspiration and advice on everything from mixing patterns to creating gallery walls.
Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves|Hardcover
This book focuses on creating a peaceful and minimalist home that fosters relaxation and creativity. It features stunning photography and plenty of practical advice for creating a calming living space.
The Kinfolk Home: Interiors for Slow Living|Hardcover
This book takes a holistic approach to interior design, incorporating elements of nature and personal style into the design process. It provides plenty of practical advice on everything from selecting fabrics to creating lighting plans.
Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating|Hardcover
Skillshare is a great way to expand your understanding of software, and design trends!
Interior Design Classes Online | Skillshare
Technology
The right technology is crucial, to launch several of the large software platforms without lagging.
The latest MacBook Air is an affordable device that combines power, portability and longevity in a sleek package. Its M3 chip delivers performance that rivals high-end desktops, easily handling demanding interior design software.
Apple - MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop - M3 chip Built for ...
If you don't want to get sucked into the Apple ecosystem and prefer a Windows laptop, the ASUS ProArt PX13 is our top choice. This compact powerhouse offers exceptional versatility for interior designers.
ASUS ProArt P16 16" 4K Touch Screen Laptop Copilot+ ...
If you want to see your interior designs on a big screen, the Dell Precision 7780 is an excellent choice. Its massive 17.3-inch display provides ample space for detailed CAD work, 3D modelling, and multitasking across various design applications.
Dell Precision 5000 14" Laptop Intel Core Ultra 7 with ...
Sketching Tools
When sketching by hand, or drawing rough ideas, the following tools are key.
These are used for drawing, shading and rendering. Get a set with different gradings for harder line drawings as well as softer pencils for sketching and shading. Popular brands of pencils include Faber-Castell, Staedtler and Pentel.
Faber-Castell Graphite Sketch Set, Sketching Pencil Set Art Set for Adults and Beginners
Use this for brainstorming ideas, communicating quick sketches, capturing inspiration and practising your sketching - all sorts of things.
Daler-Rowney Simply... Sketchbook, Soft White, (65lb/100g), Hardcover Binding, 110 Sheet, 4" x 6"
Some other drafting tools you’ll probably need are scaled rulers, a compass, triangles, erasers, pencil sharpeners and blending stumps. These all help with more precise drawings and measurements.
Mr. Pen- 15 Pcs Compass Set with Swing Arm Protractor (6"), Geometry Set for Students, Divider, Set Squares, Ruler, Protractor
The drafting board provides a stable surface for drawing and sketching by hand.
ALVIN Portable Drafting Board Size 24" x 36"
Colour Tools & Samples
When creating a mood board, it is important to have various hard copy elements, to place together and see side by side.
This will help you understand the colour spectrum and the relationships between colours (and which colours are complimentary).
Color Wheel Co Creative Color Wheel, 9-1/4" Diameter
Often paint colours look different in person than what you might see online so it’s a good idea to get a physical sample of any paint you want to use in your projects.
BEHR 2 in. x 9 in. x 3 in. 1606-Color Fan Deck 50010965
You may also like to purchase a tray to display samples in a client presentation.
Grant White Serving Tray + Reviews
Over time you should gather swatches from brands you use often, for your curtains and other upholstery!
Booklet Swatches: Explore our Stunning Curtain Fabrics
Software
The right software can help you get far in your business. Keep in mind, most of them have a large learning curve.
If you’re looking for free interior design software, you could do a lot worse than Planner5D. In fact, you don’t even need to download anything, with this browser-based solution letting you access your design files from anywhere. Perfect if you’re so...
Planner 5D: House Design Software | Home Design in 3D
One of the most popular pieces of CAD software on the planet, AutoCAD is a must for the more experienced interior designer. You can be pretty meticulous with this design software, although you’ll have to go through a mountain of tutorials to unlock t...
AutoCAD Web App - Online CAD Editor & Viewer | Autodesk.
If you’re looking for more advanced 3D modeling software, SketchUp is worth a closer look. While the premium package offers a bundle of advanced features, the free version of this software still outdoes many full-priced alternatives. As well as inter...
SketchUp
Unless you can afford to be particular about assignments, you’ll probably end up working on several projects simultaneously. All those different design briefs and clashing deadlines can derail your schedule if you’re not careful. Thankfully, you can ...
Manage your team’s work, projects, & tasks online • Asana • Asana
In order to get customers you need a website with an easy to follow layout, and all the information clients need.
Your website, your business, your future｜Wix.com
Tools
When working in person, the following tools are important for accuracy.
Essential for accurate measurements of rooms, furniture, and other elements
Stanley Powerlock II Power Return Rule, 1" x 25ft, Chrome/Yellow
A laser distance measurer is an advanced tool for designers that offers several benefits over traditional measuring tools such as tape measures: Accuracy, speed, flexibility, and memory.
Hyper Tough New 100-ft Laser Distance Measuring Tool, Model 43035