In interior design, location is a key component when considering how to create a sense of place. Caydence Lundgren was searching for a place to immerse herself in a passion for design when she transferred to Lakeland College at the beginning of the winter term, and she found it.

From Rainy River, Ont., Lundgren had studied architectural technology online through a different post-secondary during the COVID-19 pandemic. She decided she wanted to pursue a career in interior design and enrolled in an Ontario post-secondary.

“I did a semester there and I just thought it wasn’t where I wanted to be,” Lundgren explains. “I didn’t feel a passion for design. On a whim, I reached out to Lakeland and asked if there was any way I could transfer for the next semester, and the next thing you know, I’m jumping in the car and driving for 16 hours and here I am. It was such a whirlwind.”

She’s only been at Lakeland for a few months, but already, Lundgren has found a place to belong in the interior design technology (IDT) program and its hands-on learning philosophy.

“The difference is night and day, honestly,” she says. “I feel like there’s such a passion for design at Lakeland compared to other schools. The teachers have so much experience in the industry. I love Rochelle [Horne, instructor and IDT program head]. She brings such a fun energy into the room, which makes learning so much better. When you know your instructor is passionate about something, it just makes you passionate about it as well.”

In the few months she has been a student of the IDT program, Lundgren has done site visits to residential builds in Vermilion, drafted a playhouse design concept for construction consideration, and completed hours of regular coursework too.

“It was really cool to see the various stages of residential construction and all the various trades that make it possible,” Lundgren says of her site visit, part of the construction fundamentals class. “We create concepts, ideas and designs and don’t usually really see what goes on after. It was nice to be on site and see what we are learning out in the real world instead of just in our textbooks. The playhouse also gives us the opportunity to design something and then actually build it. I don’t know any other universities or colleges that do something like that. It’s a really original experience here.”

Lundgren is glad she made the impulsive decision to move away from home to attend Lakeland’s IDT program, though her goal is to someday move closer to home and specialize in residential design. She’s also fascinated by historical restoration and would love to get involved in the design aspect of that as well.

“Lakeland focuses on all the aspects of the design world, whether it’s the professional practice or construction side of it, and how to interact with clients. Our teachers are teaching us that we’re not only designing for aesthetics, we’re designing for functionality and quality of life.”