Professional Interior Design Certifications

I used my STEP funding towards obtaining interior design trade association certifications to enhance my internship experience and give me a competitive edge when seeking a job after graduation. I completed 30 hours of course work through the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association, which will qualify me to obtain my CKBD (Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer) title. I also completed a program through the Living in Place Institute which allowed me to become a Certified Living in Place Professional (CLIPP). 

My STEP project has significantly advanced my interior design knowledge and experience. The education that I have obtained through my STEP project has supplemented my four-year interior design education from the university and puts me in a great position to be successful after graduation. In addition to the technical knowledge that I have obtained, I have also learned how to apply it in real-life applications through my interior design internship that I have been employed at from June of 2020 to current. My internship is with a residential renovations company and I have been able to apply my kitchen, bathroom, and living in place education to our current projects. 

The program that I completed through the Living in Place Institute took place over four consecutive days. Due to covid, the course took place over Zoom. The founder of the organization taught the course to a diverse group of individuals. The class included professionals from various backgrounds, such as interior design, occupational therapy, and others; I was the only college student in the class. Not only was I able to learn from the instructor, but I learned a lot from the peers in the class due to their extensive professional experience. 

The course’s content was focused on designing homes that are “safe, accessible, and comfortable” for people of varying physical and mental abilities. The curse started with learning about the physical changes that the human body goes through in the aging process. We then went on to learn how to design spaces that take these physical changes into account to allow people to stay living in their homes longer and at varying degrees of independence. Aspects of the home that we explored were lighting, material selections, and kitchen and bathroom design among others. 

While the CLIPP course focused on the entire home in regards to aging in place, the NKBA courses focused specifically on kitchen and bathroom design. The 30 hours of course work included content in cabinet construction, appliances, plumbing, design planning, ventilation, lighting, project management and estimating. 

Obtaining these certifications prior to graduation will set me apart from other post-graduation interior designers in the job market. Most people obtain these certifications throughout their career; however, I have done so before my career has even started, making me a desirable hire for employers. STEP has allowed me to feel qualified and confident to obtain an interior design job post-graduation. 

Professional Textbooks from NKBA courses