If you really care about the environment, why wouldn't you want to focus your efforts on the place where people spend the majority of their time? And where is that? Indoors. Green interior design (also called environmental or sustainable interior design) is a new area of design that has emerged as people try to make their environments healthy and conserve the planet's natural resources. You can use your enthusiasm for the environment to help other people choose materials that result in better air quality in their houses, reduce waste, and be happier in their homes--all while minimizing the ecological impact on the planet.

What Exactly Does a Green Interior Designer Do?

Green interior design addresses the major elements in any residential or commercial building project including the site of the building, the indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and all the materials and resources needed for building or renovation. Green designers care as much for people as they do for the environment and seek to creak spaces that are healthy and comfortable while still being aesthetically pleasing and functional.

If a client is redesigning his front room and wants to include bamboo flooring because he's read it's a green product because bamboo is a sustainable resource. It's your job as a green interior designer to know that many bamboo products contain urea-formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical, and it may not be the best flooring material for your eco-conscious client.

Are There Green Interior Design Schools?

More and more interior design schools are adding green design as an area of emphasis. If green design is the area you'd like to specialize in, ask all the potential interior design schools you're looking at how green design is integrated into their curriculum, for example:

• Is green interior design a major/area of emphasis?
• How many courses are available on green design?
• How are the principals of green design integrated into the core curriculum?
• Will green design be a part of your final portfolio?Are any of the interior design schools' instructors LEED certified? (LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the industry standard for green design and construction)
• Did any of the schools' interior design students participate in the U.S. Green Building Council's Sustainable Suite Design Competition?

Some interior design and decorating schools may include a green decorating component to their curriculum, such as upcycling materials and how to recycle--not replace--existing decorating elements in a home to save on waste and on cost.

Job Outlook for Green Interior Designers

Some states require interior designers to be licensed or registered. There is a national licensing exam, and it requires applicants to have a combination of six years professional experience and education (of which two years must be post-secondary education). Several certifications are available, including the LEED certification for commercial interior decorating and construction.

In 2008, there were 71,700 salaried interior designers. On average, Interior Designers earn $51,990 (BLS, 2009). The BLS has no statistics specifically for green interior designers.

Source

Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics  

If you really care about the environment, why wouldn't you want to focus your efforts on the place where people spend the majority of their time? And where is that? Indoors. Green interior design (also called environmental or sustainable interior design) is a new area of design that has emerged as people try to make their environmental healthy and conserve the planet's natural resources. You can use your enthusiasm for the environment to help other people choose materials that result in better air quality in their houses, reduce waste, and be happier in their homes--all while minimizing the ecological impact on the planet.

What Exactly Does a Green Interior Designer Do?

Green interior design addresses the major elements in any residential or commercial building project including the site of the building, the indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and all the materials and resources needed for building or renovation. Green designers care as much for people as they do for the environment and seek to creak spaces that are health and comfortable, while still being aesthetically pleasing and functional.

If a client is redesigning his front room and wants to include bamboo flooring because he's read it's a green product because bamboo is a sustainable resource. It's your job as a green interior designer to know that many bamboo products contain urea-formaldehyde, a known cancer-causing chemical, and it may not be the best flooring material for your eco-conscious client.

Are There Green Interior Design Schools?

More and more interior design schools are adding green design as an area of emphasis. If green design is the area you'd like to specialize in, ask all the potential interior design schools you're looking at how green design is integrated into their curriculum, for example:

• Is green interior design a major/area of emphasis?
• How many courses are available on green design?
• How are the principals of green design integrated into the core curriculum?
• Will green design be a part of your final portfolio?Are any of the interior design schools' instructors LEED certified? (LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the industry standard for green design and construction)
• Did any of the schools' interior design students participate in the U.S. Green Building Council's Sustainable Suite Design Competition?

Some interior design and decorating schools may include a green decorating component to their curriculum, such as upcycling materials and how to recycle--not replace--existing decorating elements in a home to save on waste and on cost.

Job Outlook for Green Interior Designers

Some states require interior designers to be licensed or registered. There is a national licensing exam, and it requires applicants to have a combination of six years professional experience and education (of which two years must be post-secondary education). Several certifications are available, including the LEED certification for commercial interior decorating and construction.

In 2008, there were 71,700 salaried interior designers. On average, Interior Designers earn $51,990 (BLS, 2009). The BLS has no statistics specifically for green interior designers.