What do Interior Designers do

If you’ve ever rearranged a room just to see how it feels, curated your life around mood boards, or obsessed over the details that make a space work, this might be your calling.

But what does an interior designer do? And how do you turn that passion for beautiful spaces into a career?

• What is an Interior Designer?
• Job scope of an Interior Designer
• How to become an Interior Designer
• Educational pathways and qualifications

What is an Interior Designer?

An Interior Designer is someone who creates spaces that look good and work well. It’s more than picking paint colours or styling throw pillows (though that’s definitely part of it).

Interior Designers plan layouts, solve problems, select materials and finishes, and bring a whole design concept to life - all while keeping the client’s needs, lifestyle, and budget in mind.

They work on everything from homes and apartments to cafes, shops, offices, hotels, and event spaces. In today’s world, where we spend most of our time indoors, designers help make sure those spaces don’t just look great but also support how people live, work, and feel.

Interior Designers are creative thinkers, technical pros, and people who understand how to bring personality and practicality together. Whether it's designing a cosy studio or a cutting-edge office, they make spaces that tell a story and improve how people experience them.

For homeowners wanting to make the most of their space or a brand wanting to create a killer retail experience, a good Interior Designer can add value. Designers save time, money, and stress. They help avoid costly mistakes (like choosing the wrong flooring that warps in six months), make spaces more functional, ensure changes meet building codes and regulations, and create results that feel right.

Clients might not always know what they want at first but they know when something works. That’s where Interior Designers come in.

Job scope of an Interior Designer

So, what does a day in the life of an interior designer actually look like?

The role of an Interior Designer is to plan, design, detail, and supervise the construction of commercial, industrial, retail, and residential building interiors to produce an environment tailored to a purpose, with particular emphasis on space creation, space planning, and factors that enhance living and working environments.

This Interior Design occupation sits within the Built Environment field, and as such some tasks need to meet Building Codes and Regulations – think structural design, wet areas and work safety, for example.

For those looking to become a professional Interior Designer and undertake certain regulated tasks in the industry, some state authorities require accreditation. Importantly, you don’t have to be accredited to develop the designs, but if you do want to take on the role of signing off on design compliance declarations you will.

Here’s a breakdown of day-to-day interior designer job duties:

Chatting with clients about their style, needs, and budget

Before anything else, it’s about understanding who you’re designing for. That means asking smart questions and learning what the space actually needs to do.

Whether it’s a calming home office, a high-impact retail fitout or a wet room that’s as functional as it is beautiful - you’re figuring out their goals, preferences and non-negotiables. You’ll also scope out budgets, and timelines, and manage expectations before a single concept hits the page.

Sketching ideas or creating digital mood boards

Once there’s a direction, you start translating that into visuals. Maybe it’s hand-drawn sketches to get ideas flowing, or full-blown digital moodboards. You’re building out the look, feel, texture and tone of a space - something the client can actually react to. This is where ideas take shape and feedback starts rolling in.

Designing the layouts and technical features

Then you get into the nitty gritty: reworking floorplans, thinking about how people move through a space, where the natural light hits, and how power, plumbing and structure all factor in. This is where your technical skills and knowledge really start to come into play. Think:

• Wet rooms
• Custom joinery and built-in storage
• Lighting and electrical planning
• Choosing materials, colours, and furniture

You’ll select flooring, tiles, paint, fabrics, lighting, and furniture that bring the design vision together. It’s about balancing aesthetics with durability, cost, and practicality, while keeping sustainability, accessibility, and future maintenance in mind.

Sourcing products from suppliers and trade-only showrooms

You’ll build strong relationships with trade-only suppliers, showrooms, and makers to track down everything from bespoke sofas to tapware that doesn’t exist on retail shelves.

You’ll also juggle lead times, coordinate deliveries and make sure everything aligns with your budget and schedule. Logistics are part of the design game.

Collaborating with architects, builders, and trades

Interior designers don’t just hand over drawings and walk away. You’ll collaborate with architects, builders, cabinet makers, sparkies and plumbers. You’re the bridge between design intent and practical delivery.

That means reviewing plans, answering on-site questions, troubleshooting, and keeping your concept intact as it becomes real.

Creating detailed drawings and producing technical specifications

Designers need to communicate precisely. You’ll use tools like Revit, AutoCAD or SketchUp to produce construction drawings, elevations, lighting plans and joinery details. Your specs will cover materials, finishes, measurements, and all the little things that ensure the tradespeople can actually build what you’ve envisioned down to the last detail.

Managing time, budgets, and installations

Project management is a huge part of interior design. From scheduling tradespeople and tracking budgets to coordinating deliveries and solving site hiccups, interior designers act as project managers.

On installation day, you’re there styling the final space, resolving last-minute surprises and making sure it all comes together exactly as planned (or close enough). Interior designers are part creative, part technical, and part ringmaster. You’ve got to be good with people, great with pressure, and always ready to pivot when the unexpected hits - because let’s be honest, it always does.

You’ll also spend a lot of time guiding clients and tactfully talking them out of disasters (like their dream of a matte-black bathroom). Clear communication, confidence, and keeping the creative spark alive? That’s all part of the job.

Ensuring work meets building code and regulatory standards

As mentioned, some tasks attract regulatory approvals. Think building permits, building inspections, permits, and more. Interior Designers need to be aware of the codes and regulations of each state and work with their tradespeople to ensure compliance. These regulations help ensure buildings are safe and meet performance expectations for your clients, their guests and yourself, when you check in for a post job completion. State websites in NSW and the Victorian Building Authority outline regulatory frameworks for the most up to date information.

How to become an Interior Designer

If you’ve got a thing for design, interiors and solving problems with flair, interior design might just be your calling. It’s about decoding how people actually live, work, and move through space, then making that experience better. Smarter. More beautiful. And there’s no cookie-cutter career path here, which is exactly the point.

This industry doesn’t believe in boxes (outside the all-important regulatory ones of course). You could be redesigning boutique hotel lobbies, reimagining family homes, transforming retail spaces, or curating pop-up installations that disappear after a week but stay in people’s minds forever. Exhibition design? Check. Editorial styling? Absolutely. The only limit is how far you're willing to push your ideas.

But let’s be clear: this is a professional sport. You’ll need a solid skillset to back up your creative instincts. Here’s what that looks like:

• A good eye for detail and colour
• The ability to think in 3D and visualise space
• Technical know-how with programs like SketchUp, AutoCAD, or Revit
• Confidence in presenting ideas and taking feedback
• Organisation, time management, and adaptability
• A genuine passion for creating beautiful, functional spaces

The first step is usually studying a recognised Interior Design course. That gives you the creative tools, software knowledge, and industry insight to take your passion and turn it into something professional.

Learn more about how to become an Interior Designer >

Educational pathways and qualifications

If you’re serious about becoming an interior designer, studying a recognised Interior Design course will set you up with the knowledge and experience you need.

You’ll learn about:

• Design history and theory
• Materials and finishes
• Space planning
• Construction techniques
• Lighting design
• Client communication and presentation skills
• Digital design tools and software

At Billy Blue College of Design, you’ll always find an Interior Design course to suit your goals.

Kick things off with an Advanced Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration, which can lead you straight into a Bachelor of Interior Design (Residential or Commercial), or even a Bachelor of Architectural Technology if you’re leaning more technical.

Whichever path you choose, you won’t just be learning theory. You’ll be tackling live briefs, building a killer portfolio, and getting mentored by designers who’ve walked the walk. It’s the stuff employers look for when they want someone who can hit the ground running.

And because creativity doesn’t happen in a vacuum, you’ll be part of a design community. The kind where you swap ideas, get real feedback and find your crew. Think workshops, shared wins, and enough inspiration to keep your ideas firing.

So if you’re keen to create spaces that are as smart as they are beautiful while getting paid for it, now’s the time to back yourself. Your journey might include study, internships, freelancing, or some chaotic mix of the three. The only way forward is to get started.