I had always dreamed of building a house and making our own forever home with my husband and children. After a decade of living modestly while we saved and planned, we were finally ready to realise this dream. I have 20 years of experience working for an American design icon. However, this experience was in fashion and beauty and not relevant as it turns out to home or interiors. With only a beginners’ course in interior design under my belt, I naively gave up my full-time job to manage the project. Lacking real qualifications or relevant experience, I was immediately out of my comfort zone, increasingly out of my depth and very soon wholly overwhelmed.
I needed a course to study interior design concurrently with the build to give me the knowledge and skills required to succeed in this ambitious undertaking. The immediate challenge was finding a course that allowed me to study and submit work at my own pace, but that quickly introduced all key areas of interior design. The BCID was the only course I found which was competitively priced, met my requirements and was the only one offering an ID card upon completing the course.
Encouraged to work at your own pace, this is an ideal course for anyone who cannot commit to regular college hours and needs a flexible period over which to study. As I progressed through the course and our construction, I quickly learned to expect the unexpected. My only regret was that I hadn’t studied with the BCID ahead of time. If only I had known at the beginning of the project what I learned during the course!
The structure of the course works well. It is logical, and the tone is consistent. The content finds a good balance between overview and detail across the entire course. The tutorials are easy to follow and are presented in everyday language. I enjoyed the assignments but be warned, they can be more tasking than they appear. The examples of other students’ work are essential to help understand the standard required. I’d start with an idea, then a plan, but each assignment would invariably develop legs and take me on a journey of its own, either to a deeper level than anticipated or a greater appreciation of the topic. The submission process is straightforward and reliable. Feedback from the tutor comes in a timely fashion and features real-life anecdotes which are illuminating and often amusing. The College team are delightful and always helpful, whatever your concern, not to mention patient! I went back to the College when I felt I needed more feedback on a particular assignment to make the most of the learning opportunity.
What I hadn’t anticipated but really felt an affinity with was the topic of home staging. I had the opportunity to turn round a house and a flat for rental during the course, which I used as case studies for assignments. This was super rewarding, and on both occasions, the properties were let at the first viewing.
Once the shell of our house was up and as I worked through the course, I immersed myself in the house’s interiors and had an absolute ball. I loved this process and want to continue in this field, making “home” my work after finishing the house project.
Luckily, as well as enjoying the process, apparently, I am good at it. I’ve received praise from across the neighbourhood, including two estate agents. The trades and specialist companies I’ve worked with were all very complimentary (e.g., staircase manufacturers, window system providers, kitchen installers etc.). Two specialist suppliers have interviewed me, and I feature on their websites /social media. In addition to this, my work has appeared on contractors’ social media platforms where relevant. A local premium window covering company requested I assist them in a photo shoot at a client’s Surrey mansion home.
By the time I’d completed all my assignments, I’d collected a complete compendium and bible of everything interiors, which I will treasure and have referred to countless times.
I hadn’t expected to be developing my own business in interior design, but that’s where I am. My business will trade as ‘Tactile Interiors’, which will be my life once our house is finished and fully furnished. I haven’t finalised which services I will specialise in, but I have several scenarios in mind. Social media platforms will follow, but the build journey is open to view now on Instagram as “self_build_virgins”.
I’m so glad that I chose to study with BCID. I threw myself into my learning journey, and I loved it. I would encourage anyone considering doing the same, for whatever reason, to take the plunge. I promise you; you will not be disappointed. You’ll be amazed at the breadth of your knowledge and even earn a College ID card at the end!
