What is a Home Stager?

When deciding to pursue an interior design degree it is also important to consider related fields as a backup. Even though home staging is related to interior design and interior decorating a home stager is not an interior designer. Interior designers need to be legally licensed. A home stager is someone who makes a house look presentable to show to prospective buyers during an open house. This person charges a fee and usually sets up furniture to give potential buyers a better impression about the interior of a home rather than how empty it may seem. Home stagers often are consulted by homeowners to sell a home faster.

There are even staged families that are hired in some cases to attempt to make an even better impression on potential buyers.

There are many home stagers who have gone on to start their own business whether this is something you want to peruse in the future is up to you. Below is a video that gives a better impression of what a home stager is.

Chatham University: Interior Architecture

Thinking of going to Chatham University for interior architecture? Chatham University offers a masters degree program in interior architecture.

Some of you may be wondering "where's Chatham University?" Chatham University is a private women's college in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.

You can check out more of the university's interior architecture program at their interior architecture degree website.

Interior Design or Home Staging: Which Is Career Right for You?

Many women approaching their 40's write to me to ask my opinion about whether or not they should go to Interior Design school. It's an issue I struggled with myself many times over a twenty year period.

I interviewed a number of interior design schools at various points in my past career but never followed through on actually applying. I already had a BA, an MBA and years of experience. The thought of being a full time student for two to four more years with a bunch of kids twenty years younger than me was not very appealing. And the cost was huge considering the significant income I would be giving up over that period.

Over the past five years, I have been approached by a surprising number of interior design graduates that asking me to hire them for my home staging company, Six Elements, Inc. Most seem to be working as sales people in furniture stores and are looking for a way out. Read more.

By Debra Gould

Life of an Interior Design Student

A day in the life of an interior design student at Swinburne University of Technology National School of Design in Melbourne Australia.

Harrington College of Interior Design

Check out Harrington College of Interior Design for more information.

How to Find the Right Interior Design School For You

So you're looking for that perfect interior design school to give you the proper education and career advancement that you need? In this article, I will discuss some parameters you need to consider before choosing any interior design school. If you do it right, you can increase your chances tenfold for picking the right school.

Most people do it backwards. They get a list of different schools to consider, and then they start trying to figure out which ones will work for them. A better approach is to first figure out what you want to get from your education before looking at any school. It's better to have a goal in mind instead of looking at random interior design schools and trying to figure out your goal afterwards.
Read More about Interior Design Schools

By Steven Ross

Top Interior Design Schools

I've gotten some emails from my readers asking me to "
list the top interior design colleges" so heres a list of the top interior design schools in America.*List in alphabetical order.

Abilene Christian University
Academy of Art University
Adrian College
Anderson University
Appalachian State University
Arcadia University
Art Institute of Houston
Atlantic Union College
Auburn University
Augusta State University
Baker College of Flint
Baylor University
Becker College
Bethel College
Brenau University
California College of the Arts
California State University--Long Beach
California State University--Sacramento
Carson-Newman College
Cazenovia College
Centenary College
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chatham University
Cleveland Institute of Art
College for Creative Studies
College of Mount St. Joseph
College of the Atlantic
Colorado State University
Columbia College
Columbus College of Art and Design
Concordia University Wisconsin
Converse College
Drexel University
East Carolina University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University
Endicott College
Fashion Institute of Technology
Ferris State University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Freed-Hardeman University
George Fox University
George Washington University
Georgia Southern University
Harding University
High Point University
Howard University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana University--Bloomington
Indiana University-Purdue University--Fort Wayne
Iowa State University
Judson College
Kansas State University
Kean University
Kent State University
Lambuth University
Lipscomb University
Maryland Institute College of Art
Marylhurst University
Marymount University
Maryville University of St. Louis
Marywood University
Meredith College
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Mississippi College
Moore College of Art and Design
Mount Mary College
New School
New York Institute of Technology
New York School of Interior Design
North Dakota State University
Ohio State University--Columbus
Oklahoma Christian University
Oregon State University
Otis College of Art and Design
Park University
Parsons School of Design
Pratt Institute
Prescott College
Purdue University--West Lafayette
Rhode Island School of Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Sage Colleges
Salem College
Samford University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Visual Arts
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Seattle Pacific University
South Dakota State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southern Illinois University--Carbondale
Stephens College
Suffolk University
Texas Christian University
Texas State University--San Marcos
University of Alabama
University of Charleston
University of Florida
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Massachusetts--Amherst
University of Memphis
University of Minnesota--Twin Cities
University of North Carolina--Greensboro
University of Northern Iowa
University of Oklahoma
University of Tennessee
University of Texas--Austin
University of Wisconsin--Madison
University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point
University of the Incarnate Word
Ursuline College
Utah State University
Valdosta State University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Western Carolina University
Western Michigan University

Source: USNews. Americas Best Colleges: Major Interior Design. 2008

St. Clair College of Interior Design

Check out St. Clair College of Interior Design for more information.