What do Interior Designers really do all day?
or at least this one
To be an interior designer - a job that drips with glamour and ease over HGTV or some magazine isn’t what they’ve made it out to be. Granted, I can be found driving a car stuffed with shopping bags, rock cute fits, and have the occasional long lunch with a client. But behind the scenes it’s only little ol’ me hauling a 40lb box of tile samples, fabric, and rug cuttings to the car!
Can’t complain about the outfit freedom or catching up with fav clients but there’s:
budgets to abide by (boo! (kidding ofc))
spreadsheets and math :’(
HOURS, countless painfully dull hours on the phone with freight carriers
subcontractors that have a… “different” sense of time
always being on call because because though we’re not saving lives, sometimes a client feels that a dining table arriving before Thanksgiving is life or death. And that’s on being a good host - I get it!
items that no matter the number of precautions will arrive damaged in some form or fashion
marriage counseling - IYKYK
marketing yourself/getting out there when oneself is an introvert
Pros and cons, pros and cons. Pros being:
getting to be creative! And constantly immersed in cool color palettes
always learning and falling into design related rabbit holes
the honor of being invited into someone’s home and crafting solutions around their way of life
no day or project is ever the same. Yes, you could spend hours in Auto CAD but it’s no desk job
that box of tile, well, my arms needed the workout
building relationships with vendors, clients, fellow designers, and artisans that’ll last a lifetime
juggling everything… stressful, yes, but makes me feel invincible
install days when everything comes together and your clients can’t quit smiling. oof. my heart. I’d call every freight carrier and be on hold for 10 hrs to micro dose that feeling
It’s a job that ignites both left and right sides of the brain. You can be creative AND put food on the table. It’s pretty secure, especially if you live in a hub like NYC.
So what does a day in the life look like?
Maybe you’re design curious, looking to change careers, or you’re simply nosey (same). Hopefully this post helps. Here’s my day!
The morning routine, 5:30 a.m.:
Bryan and I wake up around 5:30 a.m. (we were in bed by 9 p.m. 👵) with two alarm clocks because Bryan is sane and likes the sunrise alarm whereas I’m slightly unhinged and need a blaring BEEP on repeat nearby to really get going (he’s about to toss me out the window). I throw on gym shorts and a T-shirt to go for run and head out the door before I can convince myself otherwise.
Marathons are not in my future. I achieve the most minimal pace possible to get the endorphins going. We’re 1.5 miles from the beach so I see the sunrise and then I’m home by 7 a.m. for my cup of coffee. I either do a splash of raw milk, scoop of collagen, and sprinkle of cinnamon on top, or go just black.
I jump in the shower, dress, do my face, meditate (if I remember) for 10 minutes on the bed, and that’s that. My face routine is a natural oil, dab of Kosas concealer under each eye, Ilia blush right on and below the apples of my cheeks with the leftovers on my finger applied to my eye lids (I’m no beauty influencer so hope this makes sense), I then fill in the brows, and do a few swipes of mascara.
My typical outfit is loose jeans or long jean shorts with a black cami if I’m running errands or working from home. Blowing out my hair gives me the most confidence (paired with the much needed under eye concealer) and then I’ll keep the outfit simple. If I’m meeting with clients or a vendor I’ll wear something like a pleated white skirt instead of jeans or grab a go-to blazer. Shoes are leather flats or chunky heels that I could (and have) run in.
Getting to work, 8:00 a.m.:
This is the doozy because no day is the same. It can be presentation focused, zig-zagging around town to source materials, staying home glued to Auto-CAD or Revit to draw floorplans and elevations, hours sourcing, hours scheming, or the oh-so-common replying to emails.
I try to schedule meetings in the afternoon so I can find flow in the AM and get deep work done.
If it’s a computer day, I’ll sometimes sit in a coffee shop to mix it up and get a social high without having to be social. An introverted win. That’s where I usually write these substacks too! Coffee shops can feel like highway robbery, so sticking around for a few hours helps me reason the purchase. I like to call it $5.50/day rent (Bryan, if you’re reading this, no compounding/mental math allowed).
Today, I was in the coffee shop finalizing our Miami project’s drawing set for an architect to review. It wasn’t too time consuming because I’d initially drawn in a lot of detail, but I needed to update millwork drawings with new appliances selections and double check everything (are you yawning yet?). I then updated our schedules to reflect those changes and downloaded pdfs to send.
Emails, 10:00 a.m.:
At this point I’ve already glanced at my phone to assure there are no fires, but avoided opening my inbox until 10 a.m. so I don’t lose the best hours of the day to responses that require little brain power.
If home, I’ll usually take time now to scramble a few ugly eggs (not the eggs’ fault, I never fluff them right) with half an avocado for breakfast. Today I had an oversized apple packed.
Presentation prep, 10:45 a.m.:
Most days I can make it to the gym but I’m a little OCD and anxiety ridden on presentation days. I’m meeting with a client in the afternoon, so I triple check materials are neatly tied together per room with labels, corresponding furniture, fixture selections, and each printed and pulled up on my laptop for specification reference. I’ve researched every item chosen, but like to have answers at the ready. More preparation = less stress.
I should note I don’t yet have an office of my own outside our home — there’s really no need with it only being me and the (best) remote bookkeeper — so most presentations are on site or over lunch.
Then I’m out the door! The car is loaded and the blazer is settling my imposter syndrome.
Client meeting, 1:00 p.m.:
Arrived 10 minutes early to layout samples room by room. We review and I note anything approved or needing to be resourced. I check on construction and make sure everything’s on track for install the two weeks before Thanksgiving. She’s hosting so I’ll be the GC and vendors’ best friend ‘till then to make sure nothing is unnecessarily delayed.
Call with architect, 3:00 p.m.:
I’m starving at this point but forgot to pack a lunch, so I take my mind off of it by calling an Architect on the drive home to discuss a client referral. We work well together, so it’s dream team for this new build and streamlines the process for the client.
15 minutes before arriving home I remember I have a beef stick in my bag #score.
Tying up the day, 4:15 p.m.:
First thing I do once home is type up and email a recap of the meeting for everyone’s reference.
Bryan loves me lots, so he’s already cooked steaks for dinner and I slice some Manchego cheese and avocado as our side.
Earlier this week I received a Digital Design package request through WPI’s website. I have two weeks before we review selections, but I find the sooner I get started the more time there is for ideas to bounce off each other and really make it feel like a home run on our call.
Planning for the next day, 7:00 p.m.:
Most days it’s closer to 5:30PM, but I like to plan down to the hour what needs to be done the next day. This way I’m not wasting an hour tomorrow morning groggily going “what is it I’m supposed to do?”. I simply take direction from my past self schedule wise and tweak where needed.
Wind down, 7:30 p.m.:
Nothing crazy here. A shower that’ll be followed by sitting with Bryan in the living room reading till we make our way to bed to read a little more, catch up on each other’s day, and turn the lights out. 👵💗👴
