A Push Into Interior Design

One Man’s Regrets and an Unforeseen Job Change Pushed Priscille Joseph into her Dream Career.

It was a cold, busy February afternoon when an elderly client walked into my co-worker’s office at our bank. As he sat down and greeted his financial representative, the well-respected man began to vent. I couldn’t help but overhear his life story, which ultimately changed the course of my career. With absolutely no artistic background, I went from working at the bank to working for the federal government of Canada as an interior designer.

I still remember the days I sat in my office at the bank, wondering what was next for my career. At the time I was working as a customer representative during the day and studying pure & applied sciences in the evening. As I started to get comfortable with my position in the bank, I left my studies and was determined to pursue a lifelong career in finance. That man’s words on that cold February afternoon changed my plans and pushed me into a new field.

At 92 years old, with no family, wife, or children, the man shared how he looked back on his life with regrets. His parents taught him to “save, save, save.” They told him “If you work hard and save, you’ll retire a millionaire.”

He did just that.

The man retired a millionaire, but his money brought him little joy. He couldn’t travel because of his age; he had no family to call his own, so his lifelong earnings would eventually go to charity and the government. He admitted, “I did not live life to the fullest.” His regrets, not enjoying the day-today, plagued his daily thoughts in his old age. The words of the elderly man sank in my heart and mind that day. His story played over and over in my mind. I couldn’t get rid of his long list of regrets and lack of satisfaction with achieving a status of wealth.

A week later, my boss informed me that my position would no longer exist due to an unforeseen company restructure. With no clear career path, I was forced to reconsider my career in the financial industry. Since my father had experience in interior renovation, interior design peaked my interest from the list of trades. I was fascinated with how a space can be transformed, but there were many aspect of the creative field that I felt unsure about. The seeming lack of consistent income worried me. I didn’t know how many jobs were available for designers, which produced a sense of uncertainty and stress as I started diving into the design world. With only a few weeks before college application deadline, I created a portfolio, wrote a letter of intent and took a huge leap of faith and applied for a three-year technical diploma at Dawson College in Montreal, Canada.

I started the program struggling to draw a chair in perspective, but determination allowed me to develop skills I never thought I had. The design school journey wasn’t easy, in fact, it was very challenging but with dedication, practice, and support from my husband, family, and friends, I made it. Four years later, I moved to the nation’s capital to complete my bachelor in interior design.

With a degree and increasing skills under my belt, I started transforming interiors to enhance visitor’s overall health and wellbeing across the nation. From livable spaces to public interiors, I started creating environments that rejuvenate, refresh, and revive guests.

Studying interior design helped me go beyond aesthetics to deliver an interior that is functional, comfortable, promotes healing and wellness. It gave me the ability to meet new people and build a community around design and creativity. Most of all, interior design gave me an outlook on life that I wouldn’t regret when I’m 92.

If you are considering entering the interior design field, keep pushing. When studies become a challenge, remember why you started and where you want to be in a few years. Don’t give up. It’s worth it in the end.

Connect with Priscille at @lapriscilledesign on Instagram or Twitter. Follow her journey at lapriscilledesign.com.