Dreaming of Becoming an Interior Designer? Here’s How

If there is something about the design that inspires you and makes you want to create, then interior design might be for you. A well-thought-out and well-executed design plan in a commercial setting can enhance a business and attract affluent customers or clients, while a residential design plan can make homes comfortable, beautiful and the talk of the town.

Both interior design and decoration would include such things as choosing fabrics, colors and choosing appropriate furniture. But the design goes much further and deals with the architecture of space, including the layout and placement of structures such as doorways, windows, and more.

Having a knack for design and taste that accommodates clients is a good sign that interior design is for you, but it’s not the only thing you can depend on. There are other things that you will need to excel at it.

Interior Design Degree: While it’s not an absolute requirement, but if you plan to work for a design company, you’d need one. If you plan to work solo, you can do so without a degree but that would be risky. You can probably get some projects here and there that wouldn’t require a degree to get the work done, but you’d be limiting yourself drastically. A bachelor’s in interior design is your ticket to a more successful and stable career because the basic difference between decoration and design is that degree. Keep in mind that some states will require that you have a degree.

Additional Knowledge: Interior design may seem fun but there are other aspects to the job that are probably anything but fun. Besides, what you learn in a design school, you would also have to be familiar with building codes, inspection regulations and knowing about universal standards in design and construction to name a few. You’d also probably be working with contractors, architects, and builders. This means you’ll need to increase your knowledge and understand a bit about the work of others.

Taking Care of Business: Don’t let the creative side of design fool you. It’s a business that involves timelines, deadlines, and handling the financial affairs of it. You have to keep track of where and to whom the money that’s been allocated to you for a project is going. Knowing about the payments and how you will get paid is a tedious job which can be made easier by using invoicing for interior design professionals to handle these sorts of administrative tasks of designing your business. By having a prepared invoice template, you will have all payment details neatly organized for you and your clients. This will give your work a much more professional profile.

Portfolio: Nothing speaks better to clients than pictures and a strong portfolio. Competition is tough, and your previous work needs to be out there to get noticed.

In any career, you have to start somewhere and that somewhere is usually at the bottom. By time you can begin to stand out with your special gift of design, along with your education and business-mind. You’ll learn more as you further into the career and become the successful interior designer you are determined to be.