Interior Designer Leah Delaney Receives NCIDQ Certification
RFM Interior Designer Leah Delaney has been with the firm for four and a half years. As a designer, NCIDQ certification is the industry’s most recognized indicator of proficiency in interior design principles and a designer’s commitment to the profession. This is a three-part exam and requires at least six and half years of specialized education and work experience to complete. Leah has played a critical role on our community impact team over her tenure at the firm, and we are thrilled that she is now NCIDQ certified! We chatted with Leah about her time at the firm and what this accomplishment means to her personally and professionally.
Rice Fergus Miller: What brought you to RFM? And what has kept you at RFM since you were an intern?
Leah Delaney: I grew up in the Midwest – Lincoln, Nebraska specifically. When I was around ten, my older brother moved to the Seattle area for college. I spent my preteen and teen years visiting Washington state in the summers and fell in love with the natural beauty (and moderate climate!) I knew I had to find a way to end up out here. Fast forward to my junior year of college – I was looking for a summer internship and was lucky enough to have a studio professor who had previously worked in Seattle. She made a few introductions and one of them happened to be to Jennifer Fleming. I was so impressed by her, the work, the culture – just all of it. I spent my summer in Bremerton learning all the things that school could never teach you. When I graduated a year later, I jumped at the chance to come back.
RFM: Why did you become a designer?
LD: Full disclosure, I was totally obsessed with HGTV as a kid. I think the part I liked the best was the dramatic transformations and how happy the homeowners were at the end. While my current work does not focus on residential, I still love a good transformation and a happy client.
RFM: What keeps you motivated?
LD: Being in nature. I feel so lucky to live in what I honestly consider to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. I think nature inspires so much of what we do as designers. I’m constantly trying to capture that joy of being outside amongst the trees, along a river, climbing a mountain and infuse it into the spaces I design. Who doesn’t love that feeling?
RFM: What is your specialty here? What are your favorite project types and why?
LD: I’ve had the chance to work across many of our markets. And while the variety is great, my true passion is for community impact work. We have the privilege to work with organizations who are doing such important work. From libraries to food banks to community centers – these are the places that are holding the social fabric of our communities together. I love the public nature of this project type because thoughtful design should be for everyone, not just those who can afford it.
RFM: What was the most challenging aspect of the NCIDQ credentialing process?
LD: It’s sort of nuts just how quickly you forget how to study after leaving an academic setting. I felt like I had to rewire my brain to be able to sit down, read a textbook, and retain information again (especially after a full day of work).
RFM: Why do you think it is important for designers to have credentials?
LD: Interior designers do so much more than just design spaces that are pretty to look at. The decisions we make have real impacts on the health, safety, and well-being of occupants. It’s our responsibility to be knowledgeable so that we can act in the best interests of our clients and the public.
RFM: How did RFM support you through the certification process?
LD: RFM offers full reimbursement of exam fees once certification is complete, which was so helpful in easing the financial burden and also a great motivator to get all the exams done in a timely manner! I also benefitted from a wonderful support system amongst my fellow interior designers, many of whom have been through the NCIDQ process themselves. Whether I needed study advice, a pep talk, or just someone to vent to – I knew the team always had my back.
