How to be an interior desinger

Do you constantly look at your room and visualize different ways to redesign it? Do you regularly rearrange your furniture to spruce up your space? Then you might consider a career in interior design.

Get a college degree in interior design. 

Having a degree in interior design will help educate you on different design requirments and different aspects of design that you may not already know.  If your wanting to get a job with an established design firm then a college degree is usually a requirement. Most colleges and universities offer an interior design program. It’s important to find a school that meets your needs and expectations. Develop a list of possible schools your interested in  and see when they have tours, you may also call and schedule a tour. Once you choose a school and start class remember the number one success tool in college is to actually go to class and when it gets hard remind yourself of your goals and it’s going to take hard work to get there.

Develop attention to details

You may think interior design is all about being creative with colors, textures, and patterns but there is so much more to interior design. You must also be technical and take into account the functionality, safety and legal/environmental requirements of your design. If you overlook a small detail it could compromise the safety of your client. Overall your design may be exceptionally modern and beautiful to the eye but it wont do any good if your client cannot comfortably sit on the couch or eat at their table. Being an interior design is more than being creative it’s also being technical.

Keep up with the trends

To be a good interior designer you  must stay in the know. You need to relate to your clients and know what the current trends are and how to accomplish them. Subscribe to all interior design websites, magazines and groups to stay up to date on the latest trends. You may also want to shop around at least once a month to see what retailers are merchandising. If you see turquoise in a few stores then you can conclude that it is probably an important trend you want to pick up on.

Build a portfolio

Most clients want to see what other work you’ve done before hiring you so it’s important to build a portfolio. If your just starting your career you may start your portfolio with you own home designs. Your portfolio should include high quality large photos of rooms you’ve designed. It should also include your qualifications, design boards you’ve created, and a completed project process.