{random musings} baby steps

No, not that kind of baby!  Not quite yet. 

But, I am making baby steps toward (hopefully) finding what it is I really want to do “when I grow up”.  As you may have guessed, I reallyreallyreally like interior design.  Like, a lot.  I have an unhealthy obsession with my shelter magazines, design blogs, and dreaming up house change options that are ever-changing and will 95% surely never happen.

I think – no, I know – this interest grew out of childhood exposure.  When I was a little girl, I tagged along with my mom as she combed through antique stores, picked out paint and wallpaper swatches, hunted for furniture pieces, and decorated our home.  When she flipped through magazines, so did I.  And I was also that strange child who would rearrange things on our library bookshelves, switch up knick-knacks in the living room, and constantly move around my bedroom furniture (when I was supposed to be in bed, of course).

And so, approaching my 29th birthday (gasp!) in a few short days, and having lots of talks with Husband about what my passions are and what I actually want to do with my life, he encouraged me to “s*%# or get off the pot”.  Really.  [Sidenote: that reminds me of that scene in The Bachelor when Chris O'Donnell proposes to Renee Zellweger by saying just that.  So romantic!]  What exactly did that not-so-gentle-but-very-needed nudge mean for me?!  Two things:

1. Talk to a real life designer about real life interior design
2. Start taking classes to build a solid foundation

#1 was hard for me because I am not a super outgoing person, but I knew I had to do it.  So yesterday I met with the loveliest of lovely interior designers, Julia Overton of Julia Overton Interiors, for lunch to chit chat about interior design as a career.  (My brother actually connected me with her, go brother!).

I got to see her home office where all the magic happens (oh to have stacks of fabric swatches and paint chips lining my walls, I die!), meet her fabulous and super chic assistant, Kathryn (can we be BFFs, please?!), and talk all about interior design as an industry, mid-career changes, going to school, starting a business, etc etc etc.  They were SO gracious and encouraging and just as sweet as can be (and Believers, too!).  I am so thankful they were willing and able to take time from their busy schedules to talk with little ol’ me.  I really needed it.

I think the biggest takeaways I had from this lunch were: do what you love, be bold and courageous, and you can do it.

#2 was a little easier for me since I am a school nerd and just love being in the classroom.  But figuring out where to take classes was a bit harder.  I had scouted out all the local programs, found a few online programs, and requested packet after packet of information.  But nothing was really jumping out at me, and I felt sick to my stomach seeing how much it was going to cost us ($50-60k!) since I would have to take a good number of pre-requisite courses before starting a Master’s program.  But then Julia pointed me to the Associate’s Degree at the local community college; at a fraction of the cost (try $100/credit hour versus $700+/credit hour) and with all credits transferring to much shorter Master’s programs, I was sold.

So, yesterday I registered for my first interior design class, Theory & Techniques of Interior Design, where I’ll get an introduction to “drafting and presentation, color theory, and coordination, space planning and furniture arrangement.”  I’m so excited I can’t contain myself!  I even got my textbook, too (pic below).

I shall soon see where this path takes me!  Any advice from those of you who have perhaps gone through the same thing???

Tagged as: interior design, school