A Journey of Passion, Learning, and Design Excellence
Meet Annabelle Westwater, a recent graduate of the BA (Hons) Interior Design online course at the National Design Academy. From rearranging furniture as a child to creating sophisticated interior spaces, Annabelle’s design journey is one of curiosity, determination, and creativity. Her dedication to learning has led her to achieve a First-Class Honours, and she’s now ready to step into the professional world of interior design.
In this spotlight, Annabelle shares her inspirations, challenges, and favourite projects, offering valuable insights for aspiring interior designers and a glimpse into her creative process.
What first sparked your passion for design?
My passion for the creative arts stated back in school when I studied textiles and fashion. Even as a little girl, I had a knack for moving furniture around in my room and attempting to redesign the family house and garden – though, admittedly, my early DIY projects were more enthusiastic than successful! This childhood curiosity, combined with what I learnt about fabrics and design, naturally led me to explore a career in interior design. It began as a love of designing spaces for myself and developed into a desire to create beautiful and functional spaces for others.
Who is your biggest design inspiration?
My biggest design inspirations come from scrolling through Pinterest and flicking through design magazines. I love discovering beautiful spaces and seeing people’s creative ideas come to life. If something catches my eye – whether it’s a colour, an interesting texture or shape, or a unique piece of furniture – I’ll save it to a folder. It’s a bit like building my own design archive that may inspire a project down the line.
How would you describe your style in 3 words?
Classic, modern and luxurious.
What made you apply to the National Design Academy?
I applied to the NDA during lockdown, because I wanted to make the most of my spare time. I had just finished my foundation year at the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury and started to look for online university options where I could be creative and start to work towards a degree at home. I also wanted something flexible enough to let me work once things began to reopen, and the NDA was the perfect fit for this.
What is the most unexpected thing you have learned from the course?
The most unexpected thing I learnt about the course is how much work goes into interior design. At first, I thought it was mainly about choosing finishes and creating mood boards – that’s the fun part! But I quickly realised it’s much more complex, involving things like scale lighting plans, budgets, building regulations, and even testing furniture samples to ensure quality. There’s so much detail and planning behind every design, and while it can be challenging, it’s incredibly rewarding.
What was your favourite course module and why?
My favourite course module was the final module, module 11. I thrived in combining all of the skills I had learnt throughout the course, to create a project which I felt displayed all of this. I was able to create an entertainment, retail and hospitality space that could showcase my style, alongside brand marketing, client correspondence and organising an entire project from start to finish.
What's your favourite project that you have worked on?
I loved designing a multi-functional space for a wedding planner. This was really fun as I was able to create a living space, which also functioned as a working space where the client would meet clients, host events and work from home. This provided me with a challenge in ensuring the spaces felt cohesive whilst ensuring the client had separate areas for both work and home life. I also really enjoyed the project on sustainable hotel design. This allowed me to learn about sustainable materials and practices, so that not only the design is environmentally friendly, but also the process of implementing the design and the hotel’s eco-friendly practices. This inspired my dissertation study on ‘How the integration of AI technologies impacts the sustainability of interior design practices’.
What advice would you give to potential National Design Academy students?
The advice I would give to potential NDA students, is to time plan as much as possible and to have regular tutorials with your tutor. This allowed me to get real-time feedback on my progress and ensure I was able to get the work completed in time for any deadlines, without feeling overwhelmed or stressed.
Now that you’ve completed your course, what next?
Now, I have finished the course with a First Class Honours, I am beginning to put my portfolio together, so I can apply for a full-time job as an interior designer. I can’t wait to start working in a professional setting, so I can learn from different designers, develop my skills and give my own creative input in the design process.
