10 Things You Should know about becoming an Interior Designer

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT BECOMING AN INTERIOR
DESIGNER

1
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DECORATORS
AND DESIGNERS
ANYONE CAN BECOME AN INTERIOR
DECORATOR; BUT AN INTERIOR DESIGNER
MUST HAVE AN ACCREDITED EDUCATION; AN
ASSOCIATE OR BACHELOR’S DEGREE IS A
REQUISITE FOR WORKING IN THE INTERIOR
DESIGN FIELD.

2
YOU
MUST HAVE A KNACK
FOR DESIGN
IT MAY SEEM OBVIOUS, BUT IN ORDER TO
BECOME AN INTERIOR DESIGNER, YOU NEED TO
HAVE AN INNATE FLAIR FOR COLOR, SPATIAL
ARRANGEMENTS, ARCHITECTURE AND TEXTILES

3
INTERIOR
DESIGN ISN’T ALL
FABRIC AND FUN
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER TASKS THAT ARE
REQUIRED OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS — MANY OF
WHICH MAY SEEM LESS LIKE FUN AND MORE
LIKE WORK.

4
THE
SALARY ISN’T AS HIGH
AS YOU THINK
OF COURSE, THIS DEPENDS ON A LOT OF
FACTORS, SUCH AS EDUCATION, LOCATION,
WORK EXPERIENCE AND SIZE OF THE
FIRM/COMPANY. AN INTERIOR DESIGNER AT A
FURNITURE COMPANY WILL MOST LIKELY
MAKE LESS THAN A DESIGNER WHO WORKS
FOR A HIGH-END ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.

5
YOU
NEED TO BE A PEOPLE
PERSON
A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR DESIGNER IS A PEOPLE
PLEASER AND A MITIGATOR (AND SOMETIMES A
MIND READER) — SOMEONE WHO CAN STEER
CLIENTS TOWARD A FAVORABLE OUTCOME
WHILE MAKING THEM FEEL THEY ARE IN FULL
CONTROL OF THE DESIGN CHOICES.

6
YOU
NEED TO DEVELOP A
PORTFOLIO
A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS, AND
THIS IS DEFINITELY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO
AN INTERIOR DESIGNER’S PORTFOLIO. YOU CAN
TALK ALL DAY LONG ABOUT COLORS AND
TEXTILES, BUT UNLESS YOU HAVE AN
OUTSTANDING PORTFOLIO THAT SHOWCASES
YOUR DESIGNS AND PROJECTS, YOUR
SUCCESSES WILL BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

7
COMPETITION
IS FIERCE IN
INTERIOR DESIGN
THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS GETTING YOURSELF
NOTICED. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, AN AMAZING
DESIGNER PORTFOLIO WILL CERTAINLY HELP
YOU LAND JOBS.ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR
IS ACQUIRING AN EXTENSIVE EDUCATION. THE
MORE YOU KNOW, THE BETTER OFF YOU WILL
BE.

8
VIRTUAL
DESIGNERS HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY
WHEN PEOPLE HIRE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER,
THEY MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THEY CAN
ACTUALLY HIRE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD. YES, DESIGNERS CAN TELECOMMUTE,
TOO! THANKS TO TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATIONS SUCH AS SKYPE AND DESIGN
SOFTWARE, DESIGNERS ARE DISCOVERING A
WHOLE NEW WORLD OF VIRTUAL DESIGN.

9
DESIGNERS
MUST KNOW
LOCAL LAWS AND CODES
LEARNING ABOUT PLUMBING CODES,
ELECTRICITY AND LOAD-BEARING WALLS MAY
NOT EXCITE YOU, BUT IT IS REQUIRED. STAYING
ABREAST OF SUCH THINGS GIVES INTERIOR
DESIGNERS AN ADVANTAGE AND
MARKETABILITY THAT DECORATORS SIMPLY
DO NOT HAVE.

10
IT’S
NOT ABOUT YOUR
STYLE, IT’S ABOUT THEIRS
WHILE DESIGNERS CAN OFFER THEIR CLIENTS A
WIDE RANGE OF DESIGN STYLES TO CHOOSE
FROM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT IT
IS UP TO THE CLIENTS TO CHOOSE WHAT STYLE
SUITS THEM BEST.JUST BECAUSE DESIGNERS
ARE EDUCATED AND HAVE GOOD TASTE DOES
NOT MAKE THEIR CHOICES SUPERIOR TO THEIR
CLIENTS.

TOP COLLEGES IN INDIA FOR
INTERIOR DESIGNING
Jain University, Bangalore
National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad
CEPT, Gujarat
Pearl Academy, New Delhi