By the tiswa editorial team, from the official sources listed at the end of this guide. How we write our guides
In the first week of studio, a student in Khobar bought a full art kit at a high price from a gallery shop: pens, colours, papers in several sizes, a cutter, a metal ruler and small figures. She used half of it all semester. In week three the tutor asked for a scaled plan and a 3D model of one room, and neither is in the kit.
What supplies does an interior design student need in the first weeks?
Early studio weeks are mostly on paper: freehand drawing, lines, measurements and a concept board. You need little. An architect’s scale ruler, pencils in two grades, an eraser, white and tracing paper, a permanent marker, a sketchbook and masking tape. Skip the expensive colours; your tutor will say what each exercise needs before asking for it.
Keep receipts for everything you buy in the first month, since some tools turn out unsuitable and most shops take back what has not been opened. Ask second-year students which tools they use daily; they know what piles up unused.
| What you hand in | Best-fit tool | When to buy |
|---|---|---|
| Concept board | Paper, cuttings or a presentation app | From the first project |
| Scaled plan | Scale ruler and tracing paper, then drawing software | Week one, then on request |
| 3D model | Modelling software such as SketchUp or Rhino | When the first model is set |
| Realistic views | A render engine such as Blender | After you are fluent in modelling |
| Material sample board | Small real samples, glue and board | When the tutor names the materials |
| Final presentation | Layout software | Two weeks before final hand-in |
The table shows the method; your department may add or remove rows. Ask about the deliverable before you ask about the tool.
Which software does an interior design student need?
Most students start with one drawing program and one modelling program. The department sets some of them and others are optional. Ask the studio coordinator for the approved list, then open each program’s official requirements page before you install it. SketchUp’s help centre lists supported systems and recommended graphics cards.1 Blender runs on several systems and its page names supported graphics cards.2 Rhino runs on Windows and Mac, but its maker says Boot Camp is not supported on Apple Silicon Macs.3
- List the first semester’s deliverables
From the course plan or the tutor: how many projects, and what does each hand-in look like?
- Put one tool beside each deliverable
Never two tools for the same job. If you hesitate, ask a second-year student.
- Open the official requirements page of each program
Match it to your machine. If your laptop is weaker than the recommended line, ask about the faculty lab before you buy a new one.12
- Delay the heavy purchases
Samples, models and paid software wait until a project needs them.
- Separate what you carry to class
A small bag with five items beats a big kit left in the flat.
- Review the list at the end of each project
Remove what you never touched and add what you asked to borrow twice.
Should you buy a laptop before starting interior design?
Not before you know which programs are required. In many departments the first two projects are on paper, and you can do early modelling in the faculty lab. Once the software is clear, choose the machine from its requirements. The guide to a laptop for architecture students covers the method, and it suits interior design too because the programs overlap.
If you do buy one, plan its storage from day one, because render files take a lot of space. See student laptop storage planning.
How can you save money on interior design supplies?
The first route is shared buying: four classmates buy a large board or a roll of paper and split it. The second is borrowing from higher years, who clear their kits at the end of term. The third is waiting on expensive tools until your tutor confirms they are needed. And look at student discounts in Saudi Arabia for software and subscriptions.
If your department gives an educational licence for some programs, ask how to activate it on your own machine and when it ends, so it does not lapse before the final hand-in.
Ask the studio office at your college in Dammam, Khobar, Riyadh or Jeddah where large boards are printed and roughly what it costs. Printing alone can exceed a semester of small tools and it appears days before hand-in, so set aside a small fund and put the date in your calendar a week before the deadline.
How do your supplies turn into a portfolio?
Every project you hand in is portfolio material. Photograph boards and models in good light before submission and keep a copy of the source files. See building a portfolio and co-op training in interior design to learn what firms look at. The interior design graduation project guide shows what will be asked at the end.
If you are still choosing the degree itself, the interior design major guide gives a picture of the plan and the fields.
What mistakes do students make buying interior design supplies?
The first is buying a full ready-made kit before the first exercise. The second is buying very cheap tools that fail in week two; a good metal ruler and cutter cost more and last for years. The third is forgetting backups of model files, and losing two weeks of work because a disk died the night before a hand-in.
