Jon Stojan
Photo credit: Amelia Fenmore
Even though you may not realize it, interior design is a form of art you interact with daily. For instance, while a hotel room may be designed to feel welcoming and inspiring, utilizing formal design elements to ignite a sense of excitement and adventure within you, an office building will not be designed with those same goals in mind.
The interior design of an office building focuses on mundanity and monotony. Amelia Fenmore worked as an accountant in one of these office buildings before becoming inspired to become an interior designer. As a world-renowned interior designer, Amelia has created The Interior Academy to share her wealth of knowledge.
Amelia’s Journey to Founding The Interior Academy
“I was 32, working as an accountant, and I felt suffocated,” Amelia recalls. “I’d come home at night, staring at beige walls, and realized this was not the life I wanted for me or my daughter.”
Amelia’s journey into interior design began in her own home. She started redecorating her house, which gradually led to her helping friends redecorate their homes. Slowly, Amelia realized her creativity could be a brand new, tailor-made career. “It wasn’t about being an expert at first,” Amelia says. “It was about being passionate enough to figure it out.
Her success as a designer spurred her entrepreneurial spirit and ultimately led her to transition to starting her academy. At The Interior Academy, Amelia shares her knowledge, expertise, and unconventional path to success with students, looking to help them carve out their careers in interior design.
A Platform for All Backgrounds
Amelia’s goal with The Interior Academy is to make design accessible to anyone, regardless of prior experience or education. In the decades past, a stigma has prevented men from participating in interior design.
Still, Amelia’s academy is all-inclusive, helping further to alter perceptions about gender roles in the field. This universal, unlimited approach has proven highly successful, with examples like Liam, a former corporate worker who, with Amelia’s guidance, built a profitable design business.
Unique Approach of The Interior Academy
At The Interior Academy. Students learn client acquisition, marketing, and pricing, not just design principles. Amelia founded the academy to empower individuals, including women and men without traditional design backgrounds, to pursue interior design as a business.
“It’s not enough to know how to style a room,” Amelia says. “You need to know how to get clients, market yourself, and price your work.”
In addition, The Interior Academy offers flexible, practical learning opportunities, with online access and practical skills, for career changers and side hustlers who can’t commit to full-time study.
Overcoming Common Barriers to Design
The Interior Academy is a learning opportunity for aspiring designers of all skill levels. Addressing fears around creativity and technical ability and starting “too late,” Amelia points to her lack of formal training as the perfect example for beginners.
“I didn’t have formal design training, and I didn’t have industry connections. But with the right guidance, anyone can build a design business if you put in the work and the dedication.”
The Interior Academy’s teachings prioritize practical design principles rather than artistic skills to better speak to and welcome new students. Amelia and the leadership team at The Interior Academy also offer mentorship and portfolio-building to boost their students’ confidence and success.
Reshaping How Interior Design is Viewed
The Interior Academy has transformed students’ lives, reshaping who can succeed in interior design. By empowering individuals, particularly career-changers, to build successful businesses without formal design degrees, Amelia Fenmore and The Interior Academy are changing lives. Through a blend of practical skills, business strategies, and accessible online tools, Fenmore demonstrates that anyone passionate about design can succeed in the field.