Careers in interior design

By Cornelius Beeler


Like many creative industries, interior design often comes with its own range of misconceptions. More than just throwing a couple of scatter cushions on a sofa and reapplying a layer of paint, interior designers are involved in all areas of interior decoration, and often work with property developers to also influence how a home should be laid out suitably.

Much of the time spent as an interior designer is researching and brainstorming. Keeping up with what's in store is possibly the second most important aspect (just behind natural creativity) as sourcing the right products can make or break a design. As mentioned, having a knack for being creative and an understanding of art and design history are the most important attributes for a budding interior designer to have.

Excellent communication skills are also important to establish what the client wants. Interpreting their lifestyle and translating it into a liveable space can be somewhat of an art in itself, as the goal of any interior designer is to create an interior that looks great but one that is also functional and personal to the client.

Predicting up-and-coming trends for the next two or three years, being able to stick to deadlines and being intuitive are also very important attributes for an interior to have in order to be able to plan all aspects of the project. Being able to juggle the client's demands within a budget and working with other decorators or craftsmen to complete the work requires excellent organisational skills.

There are many courses, certificates and degrees in interior design helping to give the prospective designer a good grounding in the industry. But other than having a piece of paper, being an interior designer is all about perseverance (as skills and vision can develop overtime) and perhaps most importantly of all, passion. Visiting various and regular trade shows, showrooms and interior design stores is a very important part of the job, so anyone without the passion may find it boring after a while. Having the vision to translate all the information, from the client's lifestyle to the products in store, is something that can grow after years in the industry, but ultimately it all comes down to natural creativity which all great designers and artists naturally have inside of them.




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