interior design school review

Reality TV Shows Boost Interior Design Careers

Posted on January 29, 2008

by Caitlin Sanford
caitlin.sanford@interiordesignschoolreview.com
Interior Design School Review Columnist

In a battle to win the chance to start their own design firm and be featured in New York's hottest design showcase, twelve designers competed weekly for the best design of the TV season on "Top Design." Watching the often eccentric designers push the boundaries of conventional design on TV shows like "Top Design," Trading Spaces," and "Design Star" is motivating some fans to pursue careers in interior design.

From Design TV to Career Reality

On design reality TV shows, contestants design interiors in exotic settings using restricted materials. To keep up the drama, fans vote off one contestant after each challenge.

The popularity of design shows seems to be boosting interest in interior design degree programs. Angela Hildre, interior designer and instructor at an interior design school in Washington told The Seattle Times, "We've gotten a lot of response since those shows came out." At the school where Hildre teaches, enrollment in interior design degree programs increased from 359 students in 1999 to 568 students in 2003.

But Hildre warns that an interior design career is not exactly like what you see on TV. "Most of the hard work is done behind the scenes, where designers probably spent weeks coming up with a design," Hildre told the Times.

Designing an Education

In real life, a degree or certificate is essential to a successful career in interior design. In fact, a degree may even be a prerequisite for being a contestant on TV. David Bromstad, one of the final two contestants on HGTV's "Design Star," told Web site Media Village how he was intimidated by his competitors' qualifications, saying "There were so many great people, great architects, people from freakin Harvard."

Last season, 11 of the 12 contestants on "Top Design" had interior design degrees. Whether you want to take your design skills to the screen or to the street, it seems that getting a degree in interior design is the place to start.

Sources
About the Author Caitlin Sanford is a consultant and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Stanford University.

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