Too Late to Become an Interior Designer? – 10 Lessons

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How I Put Myself Through Interior Design School While Living Abroad, Working Full-Time, and Raising Two Kids

In 2010, I embarked on a journey that would forever change my life. I decided to pursue the study of interior design as a professional degree course—a passion that had been brewing inside me for years—while living in a foreign country, holding down a full-time job, and raising two kids. It was anything but easy, but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

• In 2012, I enrolled in an online interior design degree program.
• I made solid progress early on, completing about two years’ worth of coursework over the next two and a half years.
• I was close to finishing the seventh of ten units, midway through a test project, when life got in the way. My tuition wasn’t renewed, and I dropped off the radar.
• After reaching out to the school, I was told I could pick up the program whenever it was convenient. But “convenient” took a while to arrive.
• Due to some major life events, I ended up taking nearly three years off.
• Finally, in 2020, I completed my degree—with distinction.

So why am I telling you all this?

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Let’s Talk About You

If you’ve ever put off pursuing interior design—or any other passion for that matter—I hope that my story can give you the nudge you need to “get over the hump.”

Even though I don’t know your personal story, if you asked me whether it’s too late to start learning interior design, I would tell you this:

It’s not too late.

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Your Passion is Your Compass

I genuinely believe that it’s never too late for anyone to pursue something they truly want to do, at least in some capacity that’s meaningful to them. If you have the passion, that’s your compass guiding you toward the right path.

If you’re someone who’s always thought about interior design but worried you missed your window of opportunity—this article is for you.

If you’re wondering whether pursuing an interior design education is worth the commitment—this article is for you, too.

If you’ve been held back by time constraints, this article is for you.

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Why You Might Have Delayed Pursuing Design

There are countless reasons you may not have considered a career or hobby in interior design until now.

Maybe it wasn’t accessible to you earlier in life. Maybe you discovered this passion later. Or perhaps you’ve studied something completely unrelated, and you’re wondering how these fields could ever coexist.

Whatever the reason, don’t write it off just yet.

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Setbacks Are Part of the Process

Let me be honest with you—earning an interior design degree, especially online, comes with its own set of challenges. I experienced them firsthand.

I paused my program twice. Once due to a broken arm, and another time when life threw me into a whirlwind (which included getting a divorce while living abroad).

On top of that, I moved homes three times, changed jobs twice, and juggled a full-time work schedule.

It was a wild ride—and that’s only half the story.

Despite all of this, I finally got back on track. I completed my final year while working an 8:30 to 5:00 job, commuting for two hours each day, and taking care of my family.

I came nail-bitingly close to quitting. But with the encouragement of my fellow students and a mentor who refused to let me give up, I managed to finish. Against all odds, I graduated.

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Lessons Learned From My Journey

Here are the most valuable lessons I learned during that time:

• If you want it, you can make it happen.
• Starting is half the battle, but finishing is everything.
• Falling off the wagon doesn’t mean you have to stay there.
• The hardest assignments are the ones that help you grow the most.
• Even straight-A students face setbacks.
• It’s how you respond to failure that defines your future success.
• Your toughest critics can be your greatest teachers.
• You get out of it what you put into it.
• Helping others along the way will help you, too.
• Where there’s a will, a designer finds a way.

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Making It Work for You

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Making It Work for You

The first thing you need to do is stop making excuses.

The stories you’ve been telling yourself—why you can’t be a designer, why the education is out of reach—are just that: stories. They’re standing between you and taking your first step.

That’s the key: taking action. It doesn’t have to be a huge leap. It just needs to be a step that moves you forward.

Once you’ve gotten out of your own way, take stock of where you are. Just like you’d evaluate your finances before investing, you need to understand your starting point.

• Have you started learning, only to stop like I did?
• Or have you been too afraid to start?
• Maybe you’ve taken some steps, but hit a point of discomfort and stalled.

Wherever you are, be honest with yourself. And then ask: What do you want out of this?

Why do you want to be an interior designer?

More importantly, how badly do you want it?

What can you hold onto during tough times that will remind you not to give up?

Finding your “why”—the reason this matters to you—will make all the difference. It’s unique to you, and it’s what will keep you going when the road gets rocky.

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Commit to Your Future

It’s one thing to imagine success and dream about the finish line. But the real work starts with something we’re often terrified of: being a beginner.

Once you learn to fall in love with the process of learning, the time will fly. Before you know it, you’ll start thinking of yourself as a designer. You’ll slowly begin to realize that you’ve been becoming the person you always wanted to be.

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General Advice for Future Interior Design Students

There’s so much I could say about the journey to becoming a designer, but here’s my best advice: Well begun is half done.

Take that tiny first step and keep moving forward. Here’s some general guidance to keep you on track:

• Make every project your best. No matter how you feel, keep going.
• Decide on the type of design you want to do. Explore everything, and over time, you’ll find your focus.
• Start practicing as soon as you can. Many aspects of design are best learned by doing.

Good luck, my future design friend.

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You can read more on this blog about:

• Interior design as a career change
• Interior design as a side hustle
• Interior design as a hobby

And if you need more motivation, be sure to check out my other posts on all the great reasons to learn interior design.

Happy Design Learning!

–Vonsassy

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