If you are being appreciated for the way you have decorated your own home or if you have received compliments about the excellent taste in interiors then it indicates that you have it in you to choose a career in interior designing. Though the path to become a successful interior designer would not be smooth as it requires hard work and dedication along with some marketing skill; still, if you have the passion, then you can overcome all challenges and follow your dreams with ease.
You need to understand first that what does an interior decorator do? The primary job role of an interior decorator is to design a model for living and working space and then to create it after sanctioning the plan from the client. Either the decorator is a freelancer, or he/she can work with a firm. It is possible that some designers prefer to work with the residential spaces, whereas some are specialized in creating commercial designs. Educating yourself more and more can open many possible aspects for you; thus, you can understand your specialization and start working then.
Here in this article, I am gonna provide you some tips on how to become an interior decorator.
Get a Degree
Though it is not must; that you need to have a degree to become an interior designer; still it is recommended that you obtain a degree for your own good. It can be possible that you might not have that much experience working as a freelancer and you do not have the capital to start your own design firm; so to work as a designer in a company you need to have a degree. After you gain the required experience, you can start your career as a freelancer. There are many universities offering you a number of subjects like color theory, Graphic communication, computer-aided drafting, etc.; don’t choose all at once, go slow and take your time to reach to the top. The education will polish up your talent and also can open your mind for new ideas.
Train Your Eyes to Choose The best
It is advisable to train your eyes to choose the best and gain practical knowledge as much as you can. You might have a great taste in interiors; still, no matter where you go take a look at the room; keep practicing on your mind that what will look good in that room; what item is not going with the room and how you can alter things to change the entire look of the room. These types of practices are required only to improve your knowledge; you can also start reading magazines and search the internet for more ideas.
Create Your Portfolio and Build Contacts
The competition is hard; to make the clients know about your business, you need to be proactive while advertising your skill. There are so many ways to make your business visible, but initially, you can create a portfolio of your designs and show it to the potential clients. If this means that you have to work as an assistant, then do not hesitate. Ask your clients to recommend your work to others and obviously get references as much as you can. Building contacts can help you with many more clients.
Practice A Lot—Take Pro Bono Projects
If you are thinking of getting paid jobs at the very beginning, then that would be a problem; as the clients always want interior designers who are experienced in their fields. It is not possible that you can gain experience just by learning the books or searching the internet; you need to do some practice, so for that reason, it is recommended that you go for some pro bono projects. You can start by designing your home or can offer your services to friends or family members even to some non-profit organizations. Once you gain experience from practices and the people are satisfied with your work, then you can ask them for references, and thus you can expect paid jobs.
Learn as much as you can
Decorating does not mean that only you can style a room with beautiful things, you have to keep in mind the adversities too. There are many important factors that require your attention, like the toxicity of the material you are using, if the materials are flammable or not, as well as you need to know the weather condition of client’s place to be sure that the materials will not behave weirdly as the climate changes. To understand this, you need to learn so much, be dedicated to your work; one negative review can be a high risk while building your goodwill.
Working as an interior decorator does not only come with cash after you complete a project but also it comes with the satisfaction that you have made a place beautiful for the client and they are happy with it, and there are not so many jobs that can offer you the both.
