Careers in Interior Design with Maria Ramirez at BB Interiors

In this Architecture Social conversation (around 40 minutes), Stephen Drew speaks with Maria Ramirez, founder of the London and Madrid interior design studio BB Interiors, about what interior design and interior architecture actually involve, how to build a career in the field, and where the craft sits between aesthetics and technical delivery.

Who this is for

• Architecture students and Part 1 or Part 2 assistants curious about interior design and interior architecture as a career.
• Interior design students and graduates preparing portfolios and applications.
• Architects who collaborate with, or hire, interior designers and want to understand the scope.
• Practitioners weighing a move towards a more design-led, residential or high-end interiors path.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Distinguish between interior design, interior architecture, FF&E design and styling, and explain how they overlap.
2. Describe the typical routes into interior design, including the role of degrees, experience and professional bodies.
3. Explain what an interior designer does day to day, from concept research to technical drawings and procurement.
4. Recognise common misconceptions about interior design and respond to them with confidence.
5. Set out what makes a strong interior design portfolio and interview.
6. Assess where AI tools currently help, and where they fall short, in interior design practice.

Interior design, interior architecture and styling are not the same thing

Maria frames interior design as an umbrella term. At one end sits interior architecture, the technical side: flooring and setting out, small power and lighting layouts, joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, elevations and sanitary ware schedules. In the middle sit FF&E designers, who specify furniture and pieces that are not fixed to the building. At the other end sit stylists, who handle cushions, books and the finishing touches. A well-rounded designer may cover all three; many specialise in one. The single most useful question when working with or hiring a designer is to confirm the scope.

There is more than one route in, and experience counts

Maria studied the history of art with a specialism in architecture, then interior design, and later a master's in project management. She is candid that formal study matters less than a practical, hands-on understanding of how things are built. Growing up making and building with her family created what she calls a practical pathway in the brain: looking at a space and instinctively working out scale, proportion, light and how it all goes together.

Professional bodies set a standard, but registration is not mandatory

In the UK the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) sets standards, runs training and helps promote professionals. Maria notes that many working designers are not registered, and that quality of work and a good eye matter more than a badge. Registration is preferable and useful, but it is the portfolio and the experience that carry weight.

The eye can be developed

Some people seem born with an instinct for taste, but Maria's view is that the eye is mostly trained: by being a sponge early on, learning from mistakes, and having someone to guide you both practically and emotionally. Interior design is subjective and can be stressful precisely because taste is personal, which makes mentorship and resilience important.

The day to day is less glamorous than it looks

The visible output needs to look effortless, but the process is heavy on schedules, spreadsheets, accounting, procurement, assembly days and chasing deliveries. Maria is hands-on, happy to pick up a screwdriver on site, and frames the work as a luxury service where a seamless client experience matters as much as the final image.

The design process: research first, then resolve quickly

A typical project starts with a more creative phase, often a day or two gathering references to settle the idea and decide how to treat the space. Once the concept is clear, the technical work follows and can move fast: a kitchen might take a day to draw, then iterate through client revisions. The early creative thinking is what makes the later delivery efficient.

What gets you hired: personality, quality and honesty

For a small studio, fit matters as much as skill. Maria looks for the right balance of hands-on, practical, technical and a good eye, but above all for someone natural in interview rather than reciting a script. She is wary of portfolios stuffed with CGIs, especially where the work is outsourced, and values evidence of real, hands-on experience. Quality of execution matters more than whether a portfolio matches the studio's in-house style: a different style, done well, still shows transferable skill.

Advice for those starting out

Apply widely, not just to the two or three studios you already admire. Every application and interview is training, and as a junior you should say yes to opportunities to start building experience. Internships and mentorships give an edge in a competitive market where some studios no longer advertise junior roles. Above all, be resilient: the first few years are about getting started, after which you can afford to be more selective.

AI: useful at the edges, not a replacement

Maria has experimented with AI image tools and finds them promising but limited. They tend to produce generic, cookie-cutter rooms and, crucially, generic products: a render might show an armchair you love, but someone still has to source or commission the real thing. She sees more value in AI handling mundane, non-design tasks than in replacing the designer's eye, procurement and project management.

Key terms

• Interior architecture: the technical side of interiors, including setting out, joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, lighting and small power layouts and sanitary ware schedules.
• FF&E: fixtures, furniture and equipment; here used mainly for loose items not anchored to the building, such as sofas, beds and bedside tables.
• Styling: the final layer of decoration, from cushions and books to the objects that dress a shelf.
• BIID: the British Institute of Interior Design, the UK professional body for interior designers.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Which part of the interior design scope (interior architecture, FF&E, or styling) plays to your strengths, and which would you need to develop?
2. When you next collaborate with or brief a designer, how will you clarify scope at the outset to avoid duplicated work?
3. Where could AI tools save you time on non-design tasks without compromising the quality of the final result?

About the guest

Maria Ramirez is the founder and creative director of BB Interiors, an interior design studio working across London and Madrid. Trained in the history of art and architecture before moving into interior design, she leads a small core team and works closely with an in-house architect to deliver residential projects end to end, from technical drawings and planning applications through to FF&E and styling. Find out more at bbinteriors.co.uk.