Congratulations to Liz Koch!

We are pleased to announce that Liz recently passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Examination and earned her NCIDQ Certificate. The rigorous, three-part NCIDQ Examination covers all aspects of professional practice and related topics such as codes, sustainability and universal design. 

A graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Liz has been an RLPSer since April 2013. In celebration of this accomplishment, we asked her to share a few thoughts about her journey to earning this accreditation.

What was your inspiration to become a commercial interior designer?

The building industry is in my blood and I always took an interest in the creativity to achieve a successful aesthetic and functionality of the space.

What is your motivation to succeed?

My motivation is the opportunity to create something new every single project. No two projects are the same. I enjoy brainstorming ideas to potentially push the boundaries and see how open each client may be for trying something new that might initially be outside their comfort zone.

What were your study habits when preparing for the exam? Any unique approaches?

I was told in high school that eating dark chocolate after studying helps you retain information better so I would snack on that after studying. I am not positive it helped, but it made me feel better!

What are you looking forward to doing now that you have a bit more free time?

I passed the exam at the perfect time. Now I have a lot less stress and more time for planning a wedding.

In case you’re wondering about the photos . . .

It’s an RLPS tradition that firm partners cut the scarf (or tie) of a newly credentialed interior designer or architect during our monthly staff meeting.  Although the history of this practice is a little murky, the tradition continues mostly because it’s fun and certainly worth celebrating the achievements of our staff members.