1. Your name + job title

Maria Bondegreen, Interior designer / Project Manager

2. What was your first job?

My first summer job if we go way back in time was on the goods receipt at SAAB Automobile in Trollhättan, Sweden. My first full time job was as a Economic assistant for a sports betting company in Malta, Expect.com

3. What did you want to be when you were at school?

During my first years in school I wanted to become a Police officer. Later through high school I was very interested in Chemistry and Maths.

4. What Qualifications/Training do you need for your job?

I have a Master in Chemistry engineering and sustainable development and plenty of courses in Project and Construction Management. Learning the Project Management and the building process first before going into the interior design has been very helpful and a strength for me I believe. The Interior design projects I started off with when working as a Project Owner at a real estate department for a Swedish bank, SEB. I got the opportunity to be responsible for part of the design projects in the bank and there is where I started doing Interior design professional. In my opinion when it comes to interior design is that either you has it or not. For me Interior Design is more of a feeling and a vision, that you can see and feel how a room can change. I don’t think you can become a talented interior designer if you don’t have the talent naturally with just taking courses.

5. What is the best thing about your job?

That I’m working with my biggest passion in life!

6. What is the most difficult thing about it?

You can’t force creativity and some days you don’t feel creative at all. I learn more and more now how to plan my work so that days like that I can do admin and sort more practical things.

7. What are the most important qualities you need in your role?

Structural, informative, creative, sociable, being bold

8. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the same industry?

I would recommend any person going into the Interior Design business to in some way learn the building process or do a degree in Interior Architect so the technical background is there. Also be practical, it’s easy to create nice good looking spaces but when it comes to how we live our life’s it has to be combined, The result will turn into functional beautiful environments.