Let me introduce myself, I’m Ksenia Abakumova. I was born in Arhangelsk (North-West region of the Russian Federation) and I am still living here today. From the very start of my studies, I never once questioned whether interior design was the right choice for me, it has always been my dream career. From a young age I was sure that design was for me, which is why I decided to work within the furniture industry. My experience in the design industry to date includes working within a furniture company, as well as my work as a freelance designer for “Innovative Laboratory”.
I recently decided that it was time for me to further my career. The question was, what’s next? I have already successfully achieved a Diploma in Engineering at Lulea University of Technology which incorporated useful design based skills, such as drawing techniques, sewing etc. After some contemplation my choice was obvious – interior decoration or design – this would allow me to build upon my existing skills learnt at university and combine this with my knowledge of the working world.
After researching various education options online I found the course that completely suited my lifestyle. I obviously chose the National Design Academy! My main reason for choosing to study with the NDA was due to the longevity of the company and high quality UK accredited interior design courses on offer. In Russia, there is no state standard for this profession, so all schools decide for themselves what subjects to include in the programme. If you want to become an interior designer you need to get an architect degree.
I chose to start with the Diploma in Professional Interior Design Skills course. This course is shorter than a degree programme and focuses purely on interior design – this allows students to get a complete picture of the profession, with the option for further study upon successful completion of the Diploma level course. I have presently only mastered a few units, but I am loving the presentation of the material and how it motivates me to learn by myself – I read several books on the subject and rediscovered interior styles – before I was only looking at design styles from a furniture perspective but now I view it as an whole entity and can see how different aspects of the room interact and compliment other elements of the room.
Following the completion of my assignments on the design inspiration unit, I came across an advert promoting a competition on next year trends – “I’m a trendsetter” organised by the Design School “Art-Future” from St-Petersburg. I didn’t need to think twice, I entered the competition with a collage dedicated to foil, it was not particularly difficult at the time as I had just completed a similar task with using the trend of copper for my NDA course. Just a week later I was invited to participate in the final presentation. I was up against some very tough competition and I never expected to win. But to my great surprise, the jury unanimously decided to celebrate my personal approach to the task and the work I’ve done in general. However, the best part must be the prize; a trip to Paris to attend the “Maison&Objet” this September. I’m already unbelievably excited about the trip and I am sure that I will enjoy a few wonderful days in Paris and bring back with many design memories to cherish forever!
