In this student story, we chatted with Dee Browne. After 15 years of working in the UK music industry, she realised it was time for a change. Here, she tells us how the Styling for Interiors Online Short Course short course helped her decide her next big career move.
For the best part of 15 years, Dee was working in the fast-paced world of the UK music industry setting up events and creating all-important brand partnerships. But she soon wanted to try her hand at something different. “After much soul searching, I realised I’d lost the passion for the business side of the industry,” Dee says. “I decided to delve into my other passion; interiors. I thought that interior styling could be the perfect career change and I wanted to know more.”
It was important to Dee that she chose the right course for her. "I wanted to make sure this was definitely the career I wanted to move into. There was a lot riding on the course for me!”
Dee wanted a course that would give her a greater insight into the styling side of interior design; how and where styling could be applied and most importantly how she could break into the industry. After searching online for a course that ticked all her boxes, she kept noticing that Chelsea College of Arts’ Styling for Interiors Online Short Course short course was repeatedly mentioned among interior design blogs she frequented for inspiration. After reading up on the course for herself, she immediately booked her place.
Fortunately, the Styling for Interiors short course was the perfect fit for Dee. “Without a doubt the course confirmed that interior styling is the profession for me. I luckily had quite a few transferable skills from working in the music industry that could be applied to working on shoots and events.”
Looking back at her time on the course, Dee says the best part was being able to put everything she’d learned in the first few days into practice. She says it gave her real sense of what it’s like to work as an interior stylist in the industry. “My partner and I created a mood board, shopped for our items and presented our response to the client’s brief. It really made me think about how to answer a brief and got my creative styling juices flowing. Oh, and the shopping! Oh, the shopping! I loved it.”
Since completing the short course, Dee has maintained her creative expression and is currently working freelance covering events alongside assisting other interior stylists to build up experience. But her plans don’t stop there: “I want to assist established interior stylists to gain as much experience as I can and use what I’ve learned by styling my own home to perfect my skills!”
For any potential students thinking about taking a short course, Dee’s advice is simple: “If you have an interest in a creative area for personal reasons or for a potential career change, you won’t regret the time spent on the course learning more and meeting new people with similar interests to your own. Also, be sociable and talk to everyone. You never know where that conversation will take you on your road to success.”
Are you contemplating career change like Dee? Perhaps you’ve got a flair for interior styling and could benefit from learning from an industry practitioner. Our comprehensive online short courses in interior styling could be just what you’re looking for.
Beyond interior styling, there are plenty of other pathways you can take into interior design. To get a clearer picture of what routes there are, our How to Become an Interior Design article is designed to help you map out your own journey.
For more information on our short courses and how we can support you, head over to short courses and discover our range of online courses.
