12 Best Things I Love about Being an Interior Designer

1. Creativity.  Being able to create/design spaces, furniture, etc. is a real joy for me.  After years of education, training, and practice, all those elements and data just become common knowledge, instinct, or reflex that help in making the design process a breeze.  How tall is a door?  What is the vernacular term for ceiling? Which period is the slipper foot from?  What kind of paint do you use for concrete walls?  What is your concept?  These were things that our UP Professors deeply embedded in our heads in the past that I'm so thankful for.  It truly sets apart designing from simply decorating.  

2.  Seeing the finished product.  One of my favorite parts of a project is the set up.  This is where the design (finally! after weeks or months of waiting) comes to life.  You see, I often get excited as soon as the wheels in my head are turning and I start to conceptualize the design.  I love the process of how it starts as an idea that gets drawn, then after you know it, it's right in front of you!              

3.  Positive impact.  I love how designing homes leaves a positive impact on the lives of clients.  It goes beyond giving pleasing aesthetics to inspire people.  It can be as simple as providing sufficient lighting to help kids do their assignments, proper ventilation to air out the kitchen after frying fish, or efficient layout for proper traffic flow in an otherwise cramped apartment, to name a few.  

BEFORE

AFTER

4.  Getting to know people.  Most of my clients are people I meet for the first time.  Because of my design process, I get to know them instantly.  I never take down notes or conduct a formatted interview because I love having a proper conversation, like sitting down with my friends and catching up on each other's lives.  Do you jot down your friend's favorite color, allergies, dislikes on a piece of paper?  Of course not!  You remember these things because you truly listen ;)  

5.  Shopping!  Hi, my name is Kat, and I am a shopaholic.  I love spending other people's money...True and not true.  Why?  Whenever I do shop for clients, I treat their money as my own.  I shop as if I were spending the money I earned.  Meaning, I will spend wisely.  Looking for the best prices, deals, asking for discounts/freebies, etc.       

My phone is full of these from sourcing trips

6.  Own time.  I thought freelance meant several days off???  There was a time I'd work 7 days a week even if I were just a freelance interior designer.  I would do site visits, sourcing, purchasing, meetings on weekdays, design from night to morning, and even have more meetings on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays because some clients are only free on those days.  After getting burned out, I went on a 1 week Sabbatical and vowed to have at least 2 days off a week when I went back to work.  I also learned to delegate work so I don't have to do everything myself.     

7.  Making people happy.  I like making people happy and seeing them either flash a wide smile or let out a huge sigh of relief.  I like finding solutions to people's (design-related) problems.  From the first "Wow" (with sparkling eyes) upon seeing the space for the first time, to decluttering, to having feedback of how the space has improved clients' lives, these are truly just some of the things I live for.     

8.  Fun on Sketchup.  Aside from using Sketchup to design other people's dream homes, I have a vast library of my own.  Whenever I have an idea or get inspired, I turn to Sketchup and draw it right away.  A goal is a dream with a plan.  So yeah, I have a Gothic castle, Charmed (tv series) house, Harry Potter coffee shop, Tiny Village, etc. as part of my library.  Having the drawings help me visualize these dreams, know what size of lot to look for, and make cost estimates to know how to turn them into reality.       

9.  DIY.  Having construction background and "experience" truly helps in DIY projects.  Now, why did I put quotation marks on experience?  Preparing structural details, bill of materials, and managing workers is different from actually getting the job done yourself.  Small projects are fine:  hanging a wall bracket, how to use a drill, varnishing a nite table, etc.  I said fine, not easy.  But doing this on a bigger scale is a totally different thing.  Ooh!  This gave me an idea for another article - 12 Things I Loved about DIY-ing my old room...something like that.    

10.  Exciting.  Aside from excitedly waiting for the finished product, many things tend to happen during the implementation period.  From rushing to meet an impossible deadline, onsite ghost stories, to last minute changes and mishaps, each project truly has memorable experiences and surprises that make it unique and fun...not fun all the time, but there's something about the rush and slight anxiety I get when faced with certain situations, being able to solve it, and end the project with a huuuuuge sigh of relief!       

11.  Brain exercise.  I love solving puzzles: crossword, jigsaw, games, etc.  From design to implementation, I am met with several design problems along the way.  After collecting all the data and sitting down in front of my lap top, I am faced with, "How (in the world) do I make this work?"  Like I mentioned in a previous article, We collate info from the client (wants, needs, budget, etc), check site measurements, do space planning, make sure the theme is consistent, and a whole shebang of design process elements that we put into the mix to form one cohesive design. It all relates to one another.  I only realized how much logic I used on this process when I was undergoing chemo.  Chemo brain truly affected my focus.  My brain was so scattered I couldn't even design a small room (more on this in my other blog)!  So I was truly happy when I got back to my normal self, grateful that my problem-solving skills were still intact.        

12.  Challenging.  Each project has its own challenges.  From designing a tiny condo unit to fit bulky furniture, creating cabinets to hide all the clutter, out of town logistics, fitting a small budget, deadlines, and sometimes even reconciling contradicting preferences of couples,  this profession has really tested my wits in each and every way.  There were times I'd be pulling my own hair and screaming at my laptop, "Magkasya ka, magkasya ka, magkasya kaaaaaaa!!!" or simply "Waaaaaaaa!!!" in frustration at 3am but hey, this is the same reason I love my job and haven't stopped for 19 years now!