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HIGH POINT — It’s a perfect match, really: an interior design program located in High Point, aka the “Furniture Capital of the World.” And the fast-growing university there is taking full advantage of its proximity to the furniture industry to give students valuable real-world experience in the interior design field.

“Right before market, twice a year, our phone starts ringing with offers of jobs for students,” says Cathy Hillenbrand-Nowicki, program coordinator for the High Point University interior design program, referring to the International Home Furnishings Market, which takes place in High Point in April and October. “This gives our students a chance to intern and work with some of the leading furniture designers and interior designers in the world,” she says. 

For the rest of the year, students in the bachelor’s degree program take field trips to the many furniture showrooms and manufacturing plants scattered throughout the Triad. Hillenbrand-Nowicki also invites industry leaders to lecture in design classes each semester, regularly connecting HPU students to leaders in furniture and design.

When Brianne Dewey started looking at colleges with interior design programs, she found that HPU’s location provided many benefits and also appreciated that each year the program only accepts about 50 students.

“I wanted to go to a school where I wasn’t just a number; somewhere that teachers knew my name,” says Dewey, who graduated from the program in 2002 and now works as an interior designer for Barbour Spangle Design in High Point. She had taken a variety of art classes in high school, but wasn’t sure how to use her talent until she entered the interior design program. “I really think from the first class I knew that this was what I wanted to do,” she says.

HPU’s mix of an intensive design curriculum coupled with hands-on experience has attracted attention. Last year DesignIntelligence journal (di.net) asked industry professionals with experience in hiring and working with interior designers to rate programs across the country. HPU’s interior design program was named one of the top 10 undergraduate programs nationally.

Students interested in the program should have a passion for art, but they should also be prepared to work hard. “We have a reputation of being the hardest major on campus,” Hillenbrand-Nowicki says. “Students have to be well-organized and know how to prioritize.”

Students take a range of classes, including the history of furnishings, design drawing and computer assisted drawing (CAD), often juggling multiple projects.

“All the interior design students work on many different projects at one time,” says Dewey, 30. “My biggest learning curve was really managing my time, but that has prepared me well for my career.”

The opportunity to get hands-on experience was also key to her success. “We went on a ton of field trips and I was opened up to a whole world of interior design where every day is completely different,” Dewey says. Her sophomore year she began working at the furniture market. “Being around all of that creative energy was so exciting,” she says.

Graduates of the program can work in a variety of jobs, such as showroom designer, sales representative for a furniture company, or residential or commercial designer.

“We try to give students a well-rounded design education that they can use in a variety of different jobs,” Hillenbrand-Nowicki says. “We consistently have people placed in jobs when they graduate.”

When Dewey graduated, she did a short internship at Barbour Spangle Design and was soon hired there full-time. She specializes in commercial design, often working on medical offices, retail stores and restaurants.

“Some people spend their whole lives looking for the perfect job, and I was lucky to find mine when I was 18 years old,” Dewey says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Career Tracks publishes on the third Sunday of the month and focuses on education options available at public and private schools and learning facilities in the Triad. Have a suggestion? Contact Patrick Collins at 412-5934 or patrick.collins@news-record.com.