After more than two decades writing a home design column, journalist Marni Jameson pursued her long-held interest in interior design. She completed a nine-month program and passed a national exam to become a certified professional designer. The experience filled gaps in her knowledge and affirmed that learning has no age limit.
Marni Jameson, a longtime contributor to The Gazette, stepped away from her weekly home column after writing 1,086 pieces over 20-plus years. In the year that followed, she enrolled in a nine-month, mostly online residential interior design program at her local university. The curriculum covered design principles, furniture history, floor plans, color theory, fabrics and finishes, lighting layers, accessories, accessible and sustainable design, culminating in a final residential project.
Jameson, who studied journalism in her youth due to practical considerations, had always gravitated toward home design topics amid her reporting on health, real estate, parenting, and crime. The program, completed in November, certified her as an interior designer through the university. Prompted by the program director, she prepared for and passed a national certification exam in January, earning designation as a Designer Society of America Certified Professional Designer.
Reflecting on her husband's question about pursuing education now, Jameson replied, “Because I don’t know what I don’t know.” Her father’s advice to “finish the job” echoed during her studies. Post-certification, she offered advice in a home décor store, suggesting a lower, wider vase over a tall, narrow one for a mantel niche, confidently affirming her new expertise when asked.
Among the insights gained, Jameson noted distinctions like classic (timeless) versus classical (ancient Greece or Rome-inspired), the arts and crafts movement's 1860s origins as a backlash to industrialization, and the importance of negative space in design. She emphasized inclusive design for all occupants and concluded, “it’s never too late to learn.”
