Rafaella Catchlove is currently approaching the halfway point of the MSF50222 Diploma course at the Australian Academy of Interior Design. She chose the Academy for many reasons including the convenience of studying from home, the accreditation, and the flexibility at which she can balance her health issues, her pets and her studies. Many students need support and Rafaella credits her parents for their unwavering encouragement.
Alongside her studies, Rafaella also works part-time at a sustainable furniture and homewares store that she adores. “I get to do so many creative things, especially styling the space, which has been such a fun and inspiring experience.”
Having always been interested in both the creative electives at school, and taking the 'ace student classes,' (puzzles, problem solving and maths), it was no great surprise to her that she found herself interested in interior design. The craft of designing interiors involves equal measures of problem solving as creativity and can be deemed an odd marriage of skills. Architecture was her first love, but it was the styling, furniture and the idea that she could create meaningful spaces where people actually “live and breathe”, that excited her most.
“I’ve always been drawn to anything beautiful, organised, or creative.”
But one thing that has surprised her about the course is the more technical side of interior design, “especially rendered 3D perspective drawings that need to be to scale”. But she says, “it’s definitely something I want to improve and practise more.”
Her skills and knowledge are growing, as is the reassurance that she has made the right choice for herself. With an awareness of the power interior design and the positive influence it can have on people, Rafaella is excited by the idea of being able to bring such joy to clients.
“I’ve always loved how interior design and architecture can shape the way someone feels within a space, especially because homes are such a fundamental part of our everyday lives. What excites me is that design can make someone feel safe, comfortable, inspired, or even more like themselves just through the choices and details chosen for a space.”
But these observations are not random. Having spent a lot of time at home “due to my chronic illness”, Rafaella understands more than most how important it is to occupy and live in a space that supports you and your needs.
“That connection to home definitely shaped why I’m so passionate about design.”
Now that Rafaella is deep into her coursework, it is a good time to reflect on what she has learned and what has surprised her along the way. As is often the case with new students, the depth at which their studies explore the more official part of design including the legal and contract requirements plus communication techniques can be an unexpected part of the programme. But these are all integral parts of the business of interior design. From a design perspective, Rafaella is also learning about her own approach and new ways of seeing.
“Another unexpected thing I’ve learned is that sometimes less really is more. I get so many ideas at once, and sometimes it overwhelms me, especially when I need to narrow things down or choose something, such as a layout. As I’ve progressed, I’ve been working on not going overboard with layouts or concepts and instead focusing on what serves the design best rather than trying to fit every idea in.”
And while students’ progress though their studies and enrich their knowledge, they often find new growth in ways that benefit other parts of their lives. Rafaella says her “confidence is building, but I know I still have work to do in trusting my ideas and instincts. I’m learning to rely more on my own judgement rather than needing validation for every step. I want to continue strengthening that confidence and back myself more.”
The future is bright for Rafaella, with her eyes on a dream home, accessible community spaces and housing for those less fortunate, it seems her interior design skills will expand far beyond her own needs.
“Honestly, there is SO MUCH I’d probably end up making a huge checklist of projects and basically designing my own little city of meaningful, creative, inclusive spaces!”
