Interior design students to showcase work at Red River Valley Home and Garden Show

A group of second, third and fourth-year interior design students are gearing up to present their designs at this year’s Red River Valley Home and Garden Show, put on by the Building Industry Association of the RRV at the Fargodome on Feb. 27 through March 1.

For this year’s challenge, students were tasked with designing a flex space, a room in the house that can be utilized for various purposes.

Victoria Mitchell, Joshua Allan and Louisa Linder worked as a team to design a Victorian-styled sunroom/garden room for their 8X12 foot flex space. The three students wanted to create something different from the rest of their peers and were inspired by dark academia designs.

“I'm excited to see what people think of it, because I feel like our booth, compared to the other groups, is very different. So, I'm curious to see if the crowd likes it as much as we do,” said Linder, a sophomore from Forest Lake, Minnesota. “Other group designs are a lot more modern, which is kind of the design style that most people in this area go for. But I think that ours being different will set us apart.”

Overall, Mitchell, Allan and Linder have enjoyed working on the design project, which they started last semester.

“It's been really fun because we haven't had as many requirements for the project,” said Mitchell, a senior from Waconia, Minnesota. “We can be creative with the design, and we’ve also worked together really well as a team, right off the bat.”

In addition to gaining communication and collaboration skills, the students are getting first-hand experience in the day-to-day roles of interior designers, such as working with vendors to get furnishings and art.

Students have also been able to connect with local interior designers who have years of industry knowledge. Mitchell, Allan and Linder worked with Michael Betlock, a director of interior design at NEO Interior Design Studio in Fargo.

“For me personally, he's helped a lot with the technology side of things,” said Allan, a sophomore from West Fargo. “He’s been giving us a lot of pointers on how to do certain things within the software, including CAD, Revit and Sketchup.”

Betlock has become a mentor even outside of this specific design challenge.

“I've messaged him for projects that don't even apply to a home and garden show, just asking for advice, so he's been super helpful,” Mitchell said.

The interior design program at NDSU offers students various opportunities for real-world experience. Throughout the academic year, students tour local interior design studios, connect with professional interior designers and take part in internships to shape their NDSU experience.

“The professors are very amazing. They are super supportive of our growth, our success and our overall education,” Mitchell said.

“Something that I've realized about myself since being in the program is how creatively minded I am, which I didn't really realize before becoming an interior design student, and the love I have for being creative, and coming up with different solutions for things. I’ve really enjoyed that,” Linder said.

Set your inspiration wild by applying today or scheduling a visit to see what NDSU has to offer.