Despite the fact that we have seen a serious dip in spending during this recession, not all Americans are taking part in cut-backs. People are still spending a lot of money decorating their homes! During this recession, families are making more intimate purchases and focusing on improving their homes. For Clive Christian, a high-end designer, work hasn’t slowed in this economy. Christian’s interior decorating lines have graced the homes of many American celebrities and European athletes.

Even before the British designer revealed his new showroom, customers had crowded into the unfinished space to choose their new kitchens, butlers’ pantries, couches, and luxurious bathrooms. After only one month of sales, the showroom had collected $5 million in sales. This amount far surpassed the $3 million in sales that the showroom generated for all of 2008. To the average American, renovating an apartment or redesigning a kitchen seems ludicrous in the time of a recession. However, there are still plenty of spenders who are willing to shell out the big bucks for quality interior designers.

One customer who went ahead with an expensive renovation in spite of the recession is Thia Breen, president of Esteé Lauder North America. In January, Ms. Breen finished renovating the Upper East Side apartment she shares with her partner, Laurie Dowley, a senior executive at Elizabeth Arden. The renovation included a Clive Christian kitchen and bar. At the reception, Ms. Dowley expressed relief at having chosen to invest in the renovation. “We put all of our money into something we loved,” said Ms. Dowley. “It wasn’t sitting in a bank and it didn’t lose value.”

These clients include bankers, retired executives and moguls. Each new Clive Christian kitchen, bathroom and wood-paneled room design could cost between $10,000 and $300,000.

Other designers also said that the affluent were still investing in their homes, especially their kitchens. In some cases, “New York designers said that prosperous clients are choosing designs that look less expensive.” These clients are now opting for designs that are “simpler,” “cleaner-lined” and “less showy.”

A career in interior design sounds pretty recession-proof, as long as you find the right clients! Graduates of Interior Design programs generally work with clients to design, structure, and remodel residential, commercial, retail and leisure spaces in order to create a certain look, feel, and atmosphere. Aside from individual clients, there is also a high demand for interior designers in larger institutions such as hotels, restaurants, spas, sports facilities, and convention centers. The average yearly salary of in interior designer in 2006 was $52,260. However, if you have a passion for creating beautiful spaces and working with people, you could easily earn upwards of $78,760!

Check out Top-Colleges for all of your Interior Design needs today!