How to Become an Interior Designer08 Nov
An interior decorator gives the house a put-together look according to the clients’ tastes and the space available.
An interior decorator uses his or her creative abilities, sense of style and aesthetics to make a house look better, maximize the use of space and usually remove clutter. He or she works with many people, contractors, builders, carpenter, and painters, suppliers of upholstery and curtains, lighting fixtures, furniture and accessories to help bring out the personality of the owner in the house.
The Work
The work requires extreme creativity, use of imagination and visualization. Interior decorators usually work on project to project basis and often work on a consultancy basis, but there are large interior decorating firms which usually get big jobs and may specialize in homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, spas, resorts, hospitals or other places.
You have to have a sense of color, aesthetics as well as space, because something which looks good in a shop, may not look good in the home or place you are designing. You have to be able to coordinate looks, styles, colors of wall paints or wall papers, curtains, upholstery. And you must have an adequate knowledge of period and modern ‘looks’ and furniture.
Personal qualities
Apart from having a good imagination and being creative, you also need organizational skills and people skills to direct and work with various suppliers on the one hand and please your clients on the other. You should also be able to network and do a fair bit of public relations to get more work.
Academic qualifications
You don’t need any specific qualifications to become an interior decorator. However, if you have taken subject like business studies, accounts, finance, public relations and art in school or some vocational course in interior decoration, it will help you a great deal initially.
There are also short courses in interior decoration which are available at private institutions and also online. If you are keen on studying there are four degree courses in various universities and community colleges also available.
Jobs and prospects
Jobs are available as assistants to established interior decorators, in interior decorating firms and other companies which may employ an interior decorator full time. This gives a good grounding to freshers and novices and a few years’ work experience will help you build your portfolio and branch out on your own when you have developed enough confidence in your abilities. Once you have experience you can even teach and work with interior decoration magazines full-time or part-time. You can also work in furniture stores and high end service apartments to ‘design’ rooms or even whole houses for sale.
While an office helps, this is work you can even do from home. However, when you take on a project, you have to see it through from start to finish. So it is hard work. Prospects in this line of work are very good, considering how many television channels now feature interior decorating shows.
Earnings
The average interior decorator earns $48,000 per year, but this is an average figure. You may start out with as little at $20,000 a year. Those who have their own clients can make a lot more depending on how much work they do annually. The top interior decorators can virtually name their own price.
Some interior decorators also make a commission on sales if they tie up with various contractors, furniture suppliers, painters, and even artistic painters and antique furniture suppliers. If you start your work from home, you don’t even need a great deal of investment apart from advertising, transport and phone expenses.
Other Resource:
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol112/interior.htm
http://www.interiordezine.com/index.cfm/Products/interior_decorating_ecourse
http://www.interior-decorating-schools.com/
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