Becoming an Interior Designer: An Interview with Madeline Meussling
Between all of the Instagram inspo pics, HGTV shows and DIY reels, it’s easy to lose sight of what it actually takes to be an interior designer. I’m guilty myself of thinking I could roll up to a design firm and take on clients simply because I made my own living room look aesthetically pleasing. Not to say many of the DIY-transformations are any less impressive, I wanted to dive a bit deeper into the world of professional design. Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with an old friend who just so happens to be the real deal. We got to talking about her journey from feeling stuck in a stagnant job to living out her dream. We discussed her design school course work, how she stays motivated, tips for homeowners and everything in between.
Meet Madeline Meussling, Interior Designer and Director of Marketing for Sarah Coe Design, a full-service design and build firm located in Downtown Glen Ellyn, IL. Specializing in high-end residential spaces, the Sarah Coe team oversees everything from ground-up customs to the everyday renovation. At just 25 years old though, the Chicago native has already encountered quite a few hurdles to earn her spot at the firm.
Undergraduate & Beginning Her Career
Growing up with a family of builders and architects, the love of the home was instilled in her from a very young age. She was determined to become the first designer in the family but the process of getting there was daunting, to say the least. As a senior in high school, she looked into various programs but the required courses were beyond intimidating and they all required a portfolio for the application. I mean seriously – what 17-year-old has a design portfolio? With her confidence shaken, she chose a different route and pursued a bachelors degree in communications marketing at the University of Dayton, later transferring to Loyola University Chicago to finish out her degree. She began her career as a social media specialist for a bridal company in downtown Chicago. While it was a “cool” job, Madeline struggled to stay motivated as the position lacked a sense of fulfillment and passion. Less than a year in to her new job, the company shut down and she was forced to look inward and decide what she actually wanted to do with her life. She could’ve found another job in the communications field but her family encouraged her to finally pull the trigger on design.
After a bit of research, she found College of DuPage, a local community college with a highly praised interior design program led completely by working professionals. Offering a 2-year program, Madeline chose this accelerated course over a traditional 4-year program. She wanted to get it over with and start her career, however demanding and back-breaking it would be.
Looking back, I asked her if she would have taken this step if the bridal shop hadn’t closed. After taking a moment to think about it she responded, “I want to think I would have ended up doing this regardless. I feel like my brain is just programmed to do this job”. While everything ended up working out in her favor, she explained that if the shop had not closed, design would still be in her future. It would just take a bit longer to figure out. “I feel like I would have become a cog in a machine had I stayed. I’m not one to settle and throw myself a pity party. I’m a go-getter. I was unhappy at Dayton so I fixed it and transferred”.
Interior Design at College of DuPage
Once in the program, she found that she was not the only student going back to school. There were many working professionals returning to the course to either learn or brush up on the technical aspect of the field. Just a few decades ago the name of the game was hand-drawing and manual drafting. As it has grown more prominent over the last few decades, it is virtually impossible to score a job if your AutoCAD skills are not near-perfect and those who were essentially “grandfathered in” to the old system came back to stay sharp. Madeline described CAD1, one of the first classes she had to take, as a shock to most. Since interior design isn’t all about picking the best paint color and finding pillows to match like the media portrays, CAD (aka Computer-Aided Design) acted as a weed-out class. So much so that her class size was cut in half after the first week of the course. As a former engineering student who may have failed CAD once (or twice, who’s counting) I can attest – that program is no joke. In order to be successful, however, CAD must become second nature so the design itself can come first.
A different course that I found interesting was Visualization Techniques, where students essentially learn how to create a muscle in their brain to quickly see a space and transform it in their mind. I had always assumed this was a natural gift over a learned trait. She explained how they would sit in the hallway with a timer set, draw their perspective, switch spots and repeat for every angle of the room. At the end, the drawings would be pinned up and the reviewing would begin. Critique is a huge aspect of the process, receiving from peers and professors but also giving it to others in order to improve but also become desensitized to harsh comments. You can’t sit there and cry when a client tells you they hate your work!
Entering her second year, the courses shifted from foundational to application. The classes, known as Studios, covered a variety of building types including residential, retail, office, etc. Madeline described this year as the first time being on your own, taking everything you learned before and transforming it into tangible projects. She was able to plan spaces and technical specs, understand materials and ensure her designs were up to regulation. While she detailed the many stressors and hardships of the program, she lit up when talking about the high points. She described the feeling of looking at her work and not believing she made that, the feeling of getting right after many failed attempts and how far she came from her first presentation. One project she was particularly proud of was an apothecary retail space. I don’t know about you but if I walked into this store, I would immediately give them all my money (probably in that bomb candle section).
Burnout is inevitable in a fast-paced course like this but she said it was the little things that kept her motivated. Sending her work to her friends, receiving well earned praise from peers and of course, HGTV. She recounted watching a show and the designers encountered a problem. The small excitement of their solution being, low and behold, exactly what Madeline was thinking – the first time that’s happened while watching! And the cherry on top, it was even her favorite HGTV show (Windy City Rehab in case you were wondering).
Working As A Professional
COVID hit just as Madeline was wrapping up the first year of the program, jeopardizing her chances of snagging an in-person internship – a critical piece of experience to get hired on full-time at any firm. With many companies shutting down or going remote, she desperately started reaching out to find one who would take her in. Enter Sarah Coe Design. SCD had never had an intern before and were understandably rocked by the pandemic, but, after a round of vetting they agreed to take her on as an unpaid intern. After a summer of hard work eagerly doing typical intern work, the firm offered her a spot on the team to continue on part-time as a Design Assistant while she finished out her degree.
Albeit stressful with her already busy school schedule, Madeline recounted this year as key in her growth. She has found quite the mentor Sarah, the owner of her namesake firm, and gushed at how she is so thankful to work in the beautiful environment Sarah has created. At the woman-owned and operated firm, Madeline was constantly challenged and tested to put her skills to use. During this time, Madeline also began to put her business degree to use, working on the firm’s marketing side of the business.
While discussing school, Madeline described the feeling of excitement when a project you created could actually be built and that feeling came to life at Sarah Coe Design. Her first ever client work was a beautiful wall trim detail. Sarah challenged her to create the mockup in CAD and got the seal of approval. She said signing off and sending it to the contractor was the best feeling, only second to walking in to the client’s home to see it for herself. The fact that her work could now be enjoyed in a person’s home for years to come has been beyond rewarding for her. But seriously, how cool is that? A home is a sanctuary and as a designer you get to help them create that sacred space!
She is currently working on her favorite, but most challenging project yet. A fully custom, gourmet kitchen for a pastry chef who started her own macaroon business. Madeline described the grueling process of creating the construction documents as every detail counts down to ¼ of an inch. If anything in the drawing is off, the cabinets are then wrong, the appliances won’t fit, etc. A lot of pressure but the fruits of her labor will surely be worth it. Don’t worry, I already begged for photos of the end product so stay tuned!
Trends & Advice
One of the coolest things about interior design, I think, is how it’s constantly evolving. We discussed how all-white everything was the staple look when she began her design journey. The fear of color was very apparent. Flash forward, she said homes have transitioned to favor comfort and nostalgia over a clean, stark vibe. With increasing color, patterns and curves, people are looking to showcase a more unique style. Grandmillennial was the main style she pinpointed with this cozy-craved trend.
I asked her what advice she had for homeowners who were thinking about jumping on a trend’s bandwagon. She replied, “do whatever you want, don’t be afraid. You can always repaint something, it’s one of the easiest and inexpensive things to change. Once you get into architectural aspects and furniture, that’s when you should take a deeper look at the goal of the room as those are a much larger investment”. She suggested to start small spaces, such as a powder room, to test out trends as it’s an easier renovation. She also said that if you’re not looking for resale, do whatever you want! It’s your forever home and if you love it, trends aren’t critical! As for any renovation, however, she emphasized you have to dig deep about what’s not working in a space. Figure out why you want to change it and make a list of must haves with the end function of a room in mind THEN dive into the cosmetic aspects.
Down the line, Madeline isn’t completely sure where the industry will take her but for now she’s excited to continue learning the ropes and advancing in the company. Growing in confidence and her book of business as well as networking are a priority for the time being but who knows, maybe someday she’ll have her own HGTV show for inspiring young designers to watch! And to those who are wanting to get into the industry, she ended the interview with a few words of encouragement. “Make sure you’re in it for the long haul, that this is something you want to do and something you are really passionate about. Stay confident, work hard and believe in yourself. Every designer started somewhere and your darkest night will eventually turn into a beautiful and rewarding career.”
Loved hearing about her path to achieving her dream! Madeline was honest with you about her process, and this will hopefully encourage anyone else who might be doubting themselves! Thank you to both of you for this inspiring and beautifully crafted post!