/r/InteriorDesign
Interior Design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building.
It is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive.
Please read the rules before posting : https://www.reddit.com/r/interiordesign/about/rules
Interior design
Interior Design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building.
It is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive.
It includes a scope of services performed by a professional design practitioner qualified by means of education, experience and examination, to protect and enhance the health, life safety, and welfare of the public. Full Definition
State of the Subreddit
This subreddit is a place to discuss the practice and profession of interior design.
An important part of this requires users like you to submit appropriate Interior Design content. This includes professional design, floor plans, RCPs, renderings, education and certification questions, discussions about Revit/AutoCAD/SketchUp, etc.
Rules
Rule #1: This subreddit is for Interior Design, not Interior Decoration.
Rule #2: No Free Work. You must propose a solution to your design problem to start the conversation. This goes for everything from picking finishes and furniture to layouts and full renovations. Quality posts include sketches, photos, and/or product images.
Rule #3: Minimum Standards. Design posts require credit to the designer and/or a writeup detailing what was done and why. Single-image posts are discouraged and AI renderings are not acceptable. Render posts must be flaired. Low-effort posts will be removed.
Rule #4: Do your own research. We don't identify furniture, styles, or products. Questions and discussions about the purpose of design elements are acceptable.
Resources
Differences between Interior Design and Decorating
What is Interior Design? How do I get a job in the field? - A Primer
Book recommendations for Interior Designers
SketchUp Make - best free 3d modeling application
NCIDQ + Interior Design Profession AMA
To find a designer in your area, use ASID's search tool or NCIDQ's search tool. On ASID's tool, each individual's page will list whether or not they have passed the NCIDQ and are thus certified. You can also google "Interior Designers in [City, State]" and find results.
Related subreddits
Similar fields
r/IDInspiration - Industrial Design
Spam policy
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/r/InteriorDesign
946,209 Subscribers
End of life
Aside from "aging in place" principles and obvious medical needs accommodations, when designing a space, new build home with shop, for someone who's nearing the end of life what are some details to consider? Features to incorporate?
Hypothetical scenario. Hypothetical client details; male, elderly, terminal, carpenter/toy maker, rural mountain property, off-grid, ample budget, no pets, no other residents.
08:28 UTC
Where should I put the electrical plug—below the light switch or at floor level?
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about where to position the electrical plug in relation to the light switch. Should I place it right below the switch, making it more accessible, or at floor level, where plugs are typically found? I'm trying to figure out which option is more practical for everyday use. Would love to hear your experiences or advice! I’m also concerned with accidentally touching the plug when turning the lights on.
19:59 UTC
Where should I put floating shelves?
I’d like to add a floating shelf to the bar in my newly acquired home. I'm thinking it would be where the black line is in the photo, spanning the entire lower portion of the counter, not going over the range or the bar top.
Would you do anything different?
Would also take any recommendations for a pendants!
19:17 UTC
Micro kitchen Reno
Hi all! I can use any help and advice you can provide. I need to redo my base kitchen cabinets only. It is a townhouse kitchen so everything is on one wall. I want to replace the cabinets with drawers. The problem I have is trying to match to existing wall cabinets. I don’t even know what type of wood my cabinets are.
What is the best way to achieve a seamless look with complementing new base cabinets? The countertop and sink will be new too. I’m thinking white quartzite and an undermount stainless steel functional sink.
My only wants are drawers and a small pull out for spices. Should I add anything else to my want list? Thanks all!
16:43 UTC
Kitchen cabinet color advice. Should this pantry cabinet match the uppers or the lowers?
Kitchen cabinet color advice. Should the pantry cabinet on the left match the uppers or the lowers?
Uppers are white. Lowers are Smokey Azurite.
15:59 UTC
Help with Apartment Redesign - Where to Place My PC Setup?
Hi everyone
I’m planning a complete apartment redesign in mid-2025, redoing everything from floors to furniture. I’ve uploaded photos of my current layout to give you a better idea of the space.
My biggest concern right now is where to put my PC table. I spend a lot of time on my PC and use a dual-monitor setup, so I want the space to be comfortable and functional.
I’m debating between:
- Living room: Placing the PC table near the TV. This could make it feel cluttered.
- Bedroom: Reorganizing the bedroom to include the setup.
Do you have any suggestions or design ideas to make either option work? Or maybe there's a better option I haven’t thought of?
Open to any advice on layout, furniture placement, or even general redesign tips!
Thanks in advance for your help.
11:37 UTC
Opinion on this arch-shaped wall trim?
Hello, everyone! I would like to begin this post with an apology for not following the rules in my last post. I did not propose a solution to my design problem (which was determining how to trim an arch-shaped wall/entrance for a virtual house.) This was the image attached to my previous post, showing the foyer of the virtual house sans any trim or wainscoting.
I decided to follow this pattern of wainscoting, and I really think I did a great job at it! I also did a little upper wall trim myself, and I think that I am off to a good start! However, something still feels missing, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Should I keep it as this?
Or should I do something like this?
I hope that this posting format is sufficient enough to warrant any possible advice or critique. I thank you all for your patience, especially if you read/look through all of this!
10:38 UTC
Plant monitoring smart device experience
Hi everyone!
I love having plants in my apartment but I am really bad at keeping them alive. I am considering buying a plant monitoring device that will notify me to water them/change temperature, light etc. and hopefully help me keep them alive.
Does someone have experience with them? Did they help?
Thank you!
08:59 UTC
Which size Nelson pendant lamp should I get for my dining room? I'm between a medium (25") and a large (35"). It will sit ~36" above this dining table which is 45" wide.
Would appreciate perspectives / rationales. I'll be getting the Nelson pendant reproduction from Herman miller in medium (25") or large (35"). It will sit ~36" above this dining table which is 45" wide. It will be on one end of our living room which has a sitting area on one end and a dining table on the other. Ceiling is 10'.
I added a rough drawing of the lamp to the photo in white to give you a sense of where it will go. I'd really appreciate hearing why you'd recommend one or the other. Thanks a ton!
03:56 UTC
I have a 90s-era kitchen cabinet that looks like this, would you recommend redooring the doors or staining it instead? Not sure if this is the right place to post
02:08 UTC
Trouble filling kitchen deadspace
Hi! have this awkward space next to the oven that we don't know what to do with in the kitchen - tried filling with this buffet table and turning into a coffee bar
Does anyone have good examples of this being done well before we commit and add shelving on top?
23:47 UTC
Interior Design Career - Next Steps
Like many of you, I’ve decided to follow my passion and make a career switch into interior design. I’m 33 years old and was previously an Air Force pilot. My academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s in sports management.
My journey into this field started with a lot of research—learning the differences between interior designers and decorators, exploring formal education programs, and understanding the nuances of residential vs. commercial design. After that, I enrolled in a CIDA-accredited online program, with the goal of eventually working in the commercial design industry at an architecture firm (I think).
I’m currently between my sophomore and junior year, recently unemployed, and trying to figure out the best way to use this time before I graduate and take the NCIDQ exam. I’m eager to gain real-world experience and deepen my understanding of the industry, but I’ve hit some roadblocks. Many internships require senior-year status or more experience, and most design jobs require a completed degree.
I’d like to set myself up for success when I graduate and am considering the following options:
- Take more classes to accelerate finishing my degree.
- Find a job tangentially related to interior design (e.g., furniture sales, drafting, or showroom work).
- Create mini design projects on my own to build my portfolio.
If you’ve been in a similar position or have any advice on other options I could explore, I’d love some advice.
21:47 UTC
Floating shelves suggestion?
Looking to add shelves above my desk after taking down the prints. One thought is to do two floating shelves staggered each being around 5 ft long.
The other option is two stacked evenly above / below each other but that seems less interesting.
I’d stain these shelves brown to match the PC case. Thanks for your suggestions!
21:25 UTC
How much is something like this worth?
17:31 UTC
Where should I put my desk? Open for suggestions!
Hello all! Wondering if you can suggest where I should put my 4 ft x 2 ft desk in the living room.
The second bedroom is going to be used by my SO as their office (we can be both on calls all day so sharing the room is not feasible). The bigger bedroom will be our main room with our king size bed with no other furniture for now besides small night stands on both sides of the bed.
For the living room, we are planning to get a 3 seater sofa - looking for something around 7.5 ft in length and a 6 ft long media console in front of it. Coffee table TBD.
I’m thinking my desk should be on the side of the couch and TV console facing the windows… although not sure how tight it would be. We are getting new living room furniture so the sofa size and coffee table can be adjusted.
Thank you for your suggestions!
20:53 UTC
Bay window Curtains
Hello all, I have this awkward bay window that I would like to hang some curtains on. I looked up some rules of thumb and encounter two that really stuck out to me. One was that the rods should be about 2/3 away from the ceiling, and the other stated that the rods should be about 4-6 inches from the window frame. When I did the measurements and Math 2/3 from the ceiling is about 9.5 inches which is almost double the 4-6 inch. My question is where would you recommend I install the rods.
19:01 UTC
13x13 bedroom with 2 gaming desk and a king size bed
Any thoughts? I dont have a nightstand but i was planning to use the gaming desk as one, it also has alex drawers (ikea karlby on top). The center opening on north side leads towards the bathroom and a walk-in closet. The king size bed has two drawers towards the feet. I was also planning to use the extra deskspace on the right for my hobbycrafts.
17:29 UTC
Is it proper interior design etiquette to have two nightstand lamps if there’s just one person sleeping on the bed?
I recently moved into my new home and my bedroom is decently sized to compare to my last. With this extra space, I decided to put two nightstands on each side of my full sized bed and is now in the market for nightstand lamps however, since it is just me, I’m not sure if I should stick with symmetry and get two nightstand lamps or if I should opt for one lamp and just put a vessel with flowers on the other nightstand? I know at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter but I wonder if there’s anyone else who is having similar issues. Thanks!
01:50 UTC
Which layout looks better for my couch chaise for my living room?
Which do you think looks better, the chaise on the left in the corner facing the TV and the coffee table going lengthwise; or the chaise on the right running parallel with the TV and two coffee tables?
00:30 UTC
Showroom representation for independent artisan textile and wallpaper brand
I am a surface pattern designer for textiles and wallpaper. I dream of selling my products directly to-the-trade in interior design showrooms like Supply Showroom, Memo Showroom, or Hive Trade.
Could anyone tell me what would be involved in being repped in showrooms like these? Do you have to apply? How competitive is it? Does it help to be local and be able to network? Do you pay for space? Would I pay for the samples and displays? And finally, is it even worth it to go through a showroom or should I just work on selling directly to interior designers myself through my website?
Thank you for any insight into this world.
22:08 UTC