Experienced Interior Designer and Academic who understands the challenges interior design students face. Excellent at breaking down complex ideas to better your understanding and grow your confidence

Barend played a critical role in forming me into the professional I am today. His soft way of pushing you to beter yourself. At the time I did not realize it, however looking back a few years in the interior design field I can recognize his role and I am truley gratefull. Any institution will be stronger with Barend on their team

I had the privilege of studying under Barend Slabbert during my interior design degree, and his mentorship was instrumental in my development. He has a unique talent for identifying a student's individual strengths and potential, then tailoring his guidance to help them shine. He doesn't apply a one-size-fits-all approach, instead, he carefully adapts his teaching to your specific learning style, goals, and creative voice. His feedback is always clear, constructive, and delivered with a genuine investment in your growth.

What truly sets Barend apart is his ability to build not just skill, but confidence. He creates a supportive and trusting environment where you feel safe to experiment, take creative risks, and push your boundaries. He knows how to challenge you to reach the next level while providing the emotional support and clarity needed to navigate the pressures of design work.

The design principles, professional discipline, and critical thinking I use daily are a direct result of his influence. I am certain that any student seeking to build a strong foundation, prepare a standout portfolio, or refine their design thinking would benefit immensely from his personalized guidance. Barend is a rare find in education, and I couldn't recommend him more highly as a design tutor.

I would like to highly recommend Barend Slabbert, who played a significant role in shaping my early foundation as an interior designer back in 2011. Barend taught interior design for many years, and what made him truly exceptional was his ability to balance patience with just the right amount of challenge to push for stronger results. He was relatable, approachable, and his light-hearted nature made even the toughest creative block days feel manageable.

Now, after 15 years of practicing, I can truly appreciate how rare it is to find an educator who teaches with both skill and sincerity. Barend is not only an inspiring lecturer, but someone who genuinely strengthens the future of the design industry through the students he supports and believes in.

I have had the pleasure of working with Barend as my interior design tutor in my first and current third year of university, and I am happy to recommend him to the Superprof community. I first met Barend through our design course, where he has been guiding me through both the creative and technical aspects of interior design.
Barend teaching style is warm, patient and highly professional. He explains concepts clearly, gives constructive feedback, and always adapts his lessons to the classes learning pace. He makes every topic engaging and easy to understand, he is also incredibly encouraging, helping me build my own confidence in my designs.
I recommend Barend because he genuinely cares about his student’s growth. He goes beyond the teaching materials and helps you to understand and re-evaluate your design choices to help you build and develop your own unique style. His passion for interior design is obvious, and it creates a motivating learning environment. Anyone looking for a knowledgeable, supportive, and talented interior design tutor will be in great hands with Barend.

Barend is a fantastic tutor he is honest and understanding. During my time at uni I had a few hurdles in my way, Barend understands that life isn’t always plain sailing with his support and guidance as well as brilliant and innovative ideas he helped me through my uni journey I am truly grateful

I have known Barend for nearly five years and done several educational tips abroad with him. As a mature student, I was apprehensive coming back into education after 30+ years, but with Barend’s guidance and advice, I was able to use the life skills I have and shown how they can be applied within education. Barend fosters a community spirit within the course, where everyone’s skills, ages and backgrounds come together to help each other to grow and develop into confident individuals, with real skills we can take into industry where collaboration was key. Barend has patience and the ability to teach on a bespoke level, catering to everyone’s individual learning style. He made a huge difference in my live through education, showing me my own unique skill sets and how to shape that for my future endeavours. I would not be the confident individual I have become without the guidance and support he has shown, to not just to me, but all the people whose life’s he touches. The work he does in South Africa is amazing, all the time and energy that is put into running the educational program between University of Derby and Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, the compassion and kindness he shows students from every walk of live is humbling. I’d like to thank Barend for everything he has done for me and all the students he has worked with over many years.

I can really recommend Barend ! he is always helpful, patient and gives feedback that is clear and easy to put into practice. I always feel supported in his lessons, and his advice really helps me improve my ideas and confidence.
I’m very happy with his teaching and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a friendly, reliable and knowledgeable interior design tutor.

There is strong communication between Barend and his students, he creates an enjoyable but safe space for the students to work in. Even though my class doesn't have him as a lecturer currently, he makes sure to acknowledge us and speak to the students when he can. His lessons are clear and concise making it easy to understand him. If you don't understand something the first time, he'll re-explain it, or try a different method for you to understand him. Overall, he's a good teacher :)

I highly recommend Barend as an exceptional lecturer in interior design. His depth of knowledge, thoughtful guidance, and professional approach created an engaging and supportive learning environment. As a mature student returning to education, I felt valued and motivated under his instruction. Barend’s critiques were always constructive and insightful, and his passion for design truly elevated the entire course. Thank You Barend!

Barend was a brilliant lecturer to me. The regular check-ins were great and he was always very helpful!

Barend taught me throughout the whole of my interior design degree. He was an amazing tutor, and played a huge role in helping me achieve a First. He is incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and patient. His feedback was always both constructive and encouraging, pushing me to stretch my design thinking. I would highly recommend him to any interior design student.

Barend is currently my lecturer at Derby University and is so unbelievably positive, supportive and creative. Barend is the main reason why I joined my course we had a private talk on an open day and the way he spoke about interior design and how passionate he was is the reason I’m here. I highly recommend Barend as a lecture because of his passion, his want for students to succeed, industry knowledge and positivity.

Barend was my design lecturer at university, I remember him being a lecturer who genuinely enjoyed teaching. He created a positive atmosphere in our class and was always approachable and supportive. We trusted him because it was clear he cared about bringing out the best in each of us and our designs.

I’m pleased to recommend Barend , who I’ve known through the 4 years of my degree, studying interior design at the University of Derby.
From the very beginning, it was clear that Barend is a dedicated and highly passionate teacher who only wants his students to succeed and develop their passion for design into the next generation of designers in the industry.
Barend embodies the ideal Superprof teaching style: patient, well-organized, and highly adaptable. Barend is able to tailor each lecture to the student’s level - and pushes his students to reach their highest potential designs, he also accepts his students learning pace and is supportive of all learning styles ,by making every session both engaging and effective. His ability to explain complex ideas in a clear and relatable way truly sets him apart.
Barend has an approachable ability to create active discussions in his lectures that allows students to ask questions which gives an industry insight whilst still learning.
I wholeheartedly recommend Barend to the Superprof community because of their professionalism, deep knowledge of interior design , and genuine passion for teaching. Anyone who has the chance to learn from him will benefit from his expertise and supportive guidance, and it is a great privilege to be able to say that Barend has not just been my lecturer but my mentor throughout my educational journey.

Barend tutored me for my 3 years of studying Interior Design at the University of Derby. I always looked forward to 1-1 sessions with him. He always gave great advice on how I can improve, we collaborated over design ideas and he really built my confidence with my work. And he’s overall a lovely person!

Barend is a wonderful tutor for interior design. He helped me during my studies for an interior design diploma. He is very warm and supportive, can adapt his teaching style for any audience, listens closely and not only explains things clearly but with a dose of fun and light heartedness to make things fun. I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with him and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone.

Incredible lecturer and someone I have never forgotten. Barend's knowledge and expertise left an everlasting impact on me and I still, during my current Interior Design career, think about all the advice and help he gave me. 10000% recommend!

I had the pleasure of studying under Barend Slabbert during my interior design course at University Of derby, and I can confidently say they are one of the most inspiring educators I've encountered. Their keen eye for detail, passion for design, and unwavering support helped me grow creatively and professionally. They genuinely care about their students and go above and beyond to make sure we succeed, not just in our coursework, but in building confidence and finding our creative voice. Their encouragement and expert knowledge made a huge difference in my learning journey. I wouldn't be able to move forward without their dedication and belief in me. Whether it was guiding students through complex design concepts or encouraging us to find our unique voice, Barrend always led with patience and insight. Their feedback was always thoughtful, constructive, and truthful, helping me grow and improve with every project. Barrend doesn't embellish things they tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear, and that made all the difference in my development as a designer.
I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking a mentor who truly elevates their students.

I think barend is a trust worthy tutor because he mans the biggest module: Design for both 1st and 3rd year. This helps a lot and he guves critical and constructive feedback to help boost us as much as possible. He's always there for his students and is a great role model

Barend is my lecturer at uni, i genuinely don’t think i would be enjoying the course if it wasn’t for him. He makes everything creative and fun and if i’m ever stuck he sits and helps me, and other students. He really helps my learning as he explains things brilliantly and really has an eye for design. I don’t think i would do my course without him being there.

As a mature student, now in year 3 studying interior design with Barend as my lecturer, has been quite the journey. Not only have I learned invaluable tips and lessons on interior design from someone who has a great wealth and breadth of knowledge, I have grown so much as a person. I feel I will be more than ready to start working in this industry through his guidance. Thank you Barend.

I was very lucky to have Barend as my tutor and mentor during the Interior Design Course at University of Derby. From my experience, I can say that Barend is very committed and dedicated to his students and job, always assisting wholeheartedly in the design process, providing an in depth feedback, and giving precious pieces of advice. From my experience as a student, he always guided me and supported me in my student life, and not just as a teacher, but also as a mentor: being empathic and very helpful whenever needed. I loved his way of teaching which is done not only with professionalism, but also with care and involvment. It is visible from the first interaction that he has a vast experience in interior design, and having him by your side, you will never remain without ideas - he is the one that will come with numerous solutions to every single stumbling block you will meet in the design process. Wholeheartedly recommend him!

Barend lectured me for two years at CPUT, during which time he consistently demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment, skill, and support. Throughout our projects, he was extremely helpful in guiding us through visual and render planning, always taking the time to help refine our ideas and clearly communicate how best to represent them.

He has a strong and practical knowledge of drawing and presentation programs, and he was always willing to share that expertise in a way that was easy for us to understand and apply. Whenever I struggled with visuals for presentations, Barend was patient and thorough in his explanations, ensuring I could move forward with confidence.

What helped Barend standout was his strength in conceptual design. From the earliest stages of a project right through to the final presentation, he provided insightful feedback and direction that helped elevate the quality of my work. His ability to think holistically about a design and its presentation made a significant impact on my development.

I can confidently recommend Barend as an outstanding lecturer and mentor, particularly in areas related to design, visual communication, and presentation.