A Day in the Life: Corporate Interior Designer

8:30 AM: Arrive at the office. Peruse e-mail and phone messages.

9:30 AM: Attend construction meeting for a current project, the law offices of a prestigious downtown law firm. Consult with architects and other team members of the project; answer design questions. Listen to progress report regarding status of building.

12:00 PM: Break for lunch. Grab a quick bite at the local deli, then head back to check e-mails and phone messages left during meeting. Return calls regarding orders and requests for meetings. Send correspondence to carpet supplier, checking on delivery date of order. The installation date is only a month away and the carpet still hasn't been shipped from overseas--very nerve-wracking!

2:00 PM: Spend time in the sample library, pulling together finish samples and product ideas for a new project--a doctor's office in Beverly Hills. Have to keep in mind that all the finishes and fabrics must be resilient since doctors' offices get a lot of traffic, wear and tear.

4:00 PM: Gather internal team members who will be working on the new project to discuss responsibilities and deadlines as well as the overall design scheme.

5:30 PM: Technically, time to go home, but there is still a stack of orders to be reviewed and e-mails to return. Since work usually requires 4-6 overtime hours a week, might as well try and catch up some tonight.

7:00 PM: E-mails returned, orders processed, time to head home!