Internship opportunities with Feather&Fossil

Maximalist interior design
Living room painted blue, with a black fireplace and blue armchair. Decorated by Feather&Fossil.
 
There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing your creativity transform spaces and improve the lives of others. The University of Plymouth provides access to internships with leading interior design firms, where you can boost your CV and gain hands-on experience in areas such as marketing and interior design - working with local businesses on real briefs.

Providing a unique experience

Founded in June 2022, Feather&Fossil is an interior design company based in Plymouth, owned by Creative Director Abbie Downey who coordinates the whole business.
The company provides a unique experience that is all about capturing personality and style, whilst celebrating the character of different properties. Feather&Fossil is underpinned by the principles of maximalism, which is a celebration of pattern, colour and texture.
Abbie's focus is to ensure that each space she works with is truly reflective of the clients style, personality and needs.
Abbie Downey holding colour swatches next to her face. Feather&Fossil.
 
 
 

After relocating back to my home town in Devon, & renovating my home, I began work on the development of Feather&Fossil, an interior design business that puts people at it's very core.

I believe that interior design is more than just how a room looks, it is about the reflection of the owner & creating a space that is an external representative of a personality.
I have passion for sourcing old, unique furniture & accessory pieces to incorporate into design, & styling them in a contemporary way.

A range of interior packages

From consultancy to concept boards to full project management, all four packages offered by Feather&Fossil guarantee to bring the vitality back to clients homes and businesses. Every design created by Abbie is bespoke and developed in collaboration with each client, ensuring designs are truly tailored and address the needs and desires initially expressed.
An internship in this interior design setting can be highly beneficial for students across various courses, including interior design and marketing. It provides hands-on experience with real projects, allowing students to apply practical skills and gain insight into business processes. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to build industry connections, stay updated on trends and tools, and start developing a professional portfolio.
 
 
 

Creative, varied internships

Abbie has created a supportive environment that allows our student interns to thrive. They have been provided with the opportunity to engage in multiple internship roles, from marketing to interior design, and this flexibility has allowed students from different course backgrounds the chance to work in a desirable industry, as well as benefitting Feather&Fossil by addressing business needs.
“Our first intern, Carlton, provided a strong social media strategy plan from day one. Following this he created a calendar schedule of content and worked to create a combination of three reels and posts per week. This significantly reduced the burden on my small business”.
close up of an arm chair, coffee table and rug taken from a birds eye view Feather&Fossil
 
 

Our interns have been able to teach me some new elements to make my social media posts more effective, specifically templates, branding ideas and considered hashtags

Alongside the practical benefits of working with the interns, the interaction with the Industry Liaison team has been excellent. The level of the support offered has allowed for students to establish their confidence as working professionals and for me to feel comfortable giving up control within the business. 
There hasn't been too much pressure placed on the business in terms of constant forms and communications etc. I’ve really benefitted from, and enjoyed, the partnership and would love to be considered again. I think it should be open to as many students and businesses as possible – I've recommended it to lots of other local business already!
 
 
 

Future opportunities

In the long-term future Abbie has big plans for Feather&Fossil, wanting to expand into commercialised settings alongside her current residential projects.
She is open to providing more internship opportunities, having already planned to take on two new students from a design background.