Lisa Ulfvengren shares her study journey for aspiring interior designers

Lisa Ulfvengren

"The sizes of the classes are quite small so you get to know your lecturers and fellow students so well which just gives the place a nice vibe and it helped me stay motivated throughout the course."

What did you study at Billy Blue?

Bachelor of Interior Design, Commercial

What were you doing before you started at Billy Blue?

I was working in hospitality, doing interiors for fun on the side... At that time, I didn't know you could make a living out of it

Where are you currently working?

I currently work as a Junior Interior Designer at Gray Puksand, and The Stylesmiths and I'm mentoring students as well.

What do you do on a typical workday?

Wow, it is hard to say but everything from documentation, concept designing, meeting with clients, contacting and visiting suppliers, helping students and much more

Why did you choose to study design? Did you switch careers or upskill to improve your career prospects?

I have always been interested in design. When I was 5 and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say that I wanted to be the CEO of Ikea (lol) and once I realised that Interior Designer was an actual profession, it was a done deal.

Why did you choose Billy Blue?

I came across CATC Design School (Billy Blue's sister college) when I was still in Sweden and thought I would give it a go. At the time, the diploma was a really good option for me. During my studies at CATC, I fell in love with commercial design and felt that I wanted to learn more and improve my skills further. I then transitioned into Billy Blue's Bachelor of Interior Design (Commercial) to further my studies as it felt like a natural thing to do.

What was your favourite part of studying at Billy Blue?

Well....I moved to Australia for studies and coming to such a friendly and small school, Billy Blue became my safe place and almost like my Australian family. I mean, you spend so much time on campus, wherever or whatever you are studying, so liking the place and the people is really important. The sizes of the classes are quite small so you get to know your lecturers and fellow students so well which just gives the place a nice vibe and it helped me stay motivated throughout the course.

How has studying at Billy Blue helped you reach your career goals?

Without Billy Blue I would probably be stuck in a job that I hated, freezing my ass off in Sweden. Instead, I am cold (but not too cold) in Melbourne working as a designer - my very long-time dream.

What advice would you give aspiring design students?

I think my advice would be to work hard and don't be afraid to fail. Even the very average work I pumped out, also helped me to produce my best work in the end! Yes, you will always worry about marks and grades however I think that this is the best place to push yourself, explore, fail, fail again and then become awesome from it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

At graduation, I received an academic award called outstanding achievements for higher education and I couldn't be happier! It was such an amazing feeling to be recognised for the work I had done during my studies. I also won the GOTYA award (Student of the Year) through the Design Institute of Australia in Victoria and Tasmania state. I am still so shocked but extremely grateful! Getting this award has opened up many opportunities for me and helped me get out in the industry. This has been my highlight so far.

Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

I am hoping to have my design studio and just keep doing what I love. I also hope to be doing some furniture designing by then. But the big big dream is to design something awesome that will allow me to study architecture for fun

Check our Interior Design and Decoration Courses to learn more
X
Cookies help us improve your website experience.
By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies.
Confirm