Description
Plan, design, and furnish residential interiors to create functional, aesthetic, and code-compliant living spaces tailored to client lifestyles and budgets. May specialize in home renovations, new construction, or room-specific design such as kitchens and baths.
- • Confer with homeowners to define goals, lifestyle needs, budget, and style preferences.
- • Measure and survey existing spaces; develop as-built drawings.
- • Create space plans and furniture layouts for homes, apartments, and condos.
- • Develop design concepts, mood boards, and renderings for client approval.
- • Estimate materials, finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and overall project costs.
- • Select and specify finishes, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, paint, and wall coverings.
- • Design kitchens, baths, and custom millwork with detailed elevations and schedules.
- • Specify lighting layouts, fixtures, and electrical plans for residential use.
- • Prepare construction documents using CAD or BIM software.
- • Review and coordinate shop drawings and submittals.
- • Coordinate with architects, contractors, cabinetmakers, and trades to execute designs.
- • Procure furnishings, art, window treatments, and accessories; manage orders and deliveries.
- • Conduct site visits to verify work quality and adherence to plans; manage punch lists.
- • Ensure designs meet residential building codes, egress, and safety requirements; apply universal design or aging-in-place principles when needed.
- • Incorporate sustainable and healthy materials and energy-efficient solutions where feasible.
- • Research new products, technologies, and trends in residential design.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
