What types of professional interior designers are available?

Have you heard of Interior redecorators? These professional interior decorators transform your home using things you have accumulated over the years. The end result is a balanced, harmonious space that reflects the personality of the people who use it. Many interior designers have added this service to their repertoire. Alternate terms for professional interior designers specializing in interior redecorating are interior redesigners, interior arrangers, interior stylists, one day decorators, visual coordinators or interior refiners.

What is a Certified Interior Designer? (from B&P Code Section 5800,5538)

A Certified interior designer is a competent design professional who is qualified to design, prepare, and submit any type of nonstructural, non-seismic interior construction plans and specifications to local building departments. Certified interior designers have demonstrated through education, experience, and examination their knowledge of the Uniform Building Code as it relates to space planning, life safety, flammability, and disabled access code issues. Most interior designers have a minimum four-year education. Many have Master of Interior Design degrees or other additional education in architecture or interior design. Interior designers who have many years experience may not have a Bachelors in Interior Design, but usually are well educated and have many years of qualified experience. All qualified interior designers will indicate that they have passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Certification) examination and/or are registered/ certified/ licensed in their state.

How do Interior Decorators charge for their services?

Flat Design Fee: The client pays a flat fee for the professional interior designer’s services based on the design plan, time required, and scope of services.

Hourly Rate: The interior decorator bills a negotiated rate per hour.

Cost Plus Method: Professional interior designers charge a set percentage on all merchandise purchased and tradesmen’s services rendered.

Mixed Method: The client pays both a set percentage on purchases and a base design fee for hourly rate.

Per square foot: This method is used especially in new construction.

What to ask at the first meeting:

• Ask to see the interior designer’s portfolio, but remember that the designs reflect other people’s tastes,¬ not necessarily the interior decorator’s, and possibly not your own.

• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what was the budget range.

• Ask how the established budget will be handled, and the kind of payment schedules the interior decorator requires.

• Ask about the types of services the designer can provide.

• Ask for a list of references.

What you may be asked at the first meeting:

It is a good idea to prepare for your first meeting with a professional interior designer by creating your own folder of clippings from magazines, catalogs, and books of design ideas that appeal to you.

You may also be asked some or all of the following questions:

• For whom is the space being designed?

• What activities will take place in the space?

• How long do you plan to occupy the space?

• What is your time frame for completing the project?

• What is your budget?

• Are you relocating or remodeling?

• What image do you want to project?

• What colors, style, and effects do you like?

• What are your objective and lifestyle needs?

• What is the approximate square footage to be designed?

If a professional interior designer, or anyone, for that matter, tells you the process is easy, stress-free, and will be complete in two weeks, they’re either lying or stupid. Don’t hire that person.

If you would like a career in interior design, then it is essential that you take interior design courses. Interior design courses will cover the basic principles and elements of interior design and ensure that you have the knowledge to embark on a career as an interior designer. It’s important to understand that there is a difference between and interior designer and an interior decorator. An interior designer is a trained professional who deals with the underlying concepts of design as they pertain to space. An interior decorator focuses on the decorations of a room, where the designer is the one with the training who determines the best use of design principles to transform a space into a visual work of art.

There are many signs that a person would make an excellent interior designer. Interior designers are often very alert, taking in their surrounding environments with a keen interest. If you find that when you go some place, you are quickly observing the surrounding physical space and are redesigning the area in your mind, you should consider a career in interior design. Those who have a natural talent for interior design are often very artistic as well as creative. If you think a career in interior design is right for you, then you should consider taking interior design courses.

It’s also important that those who are interested in careers in interior design know how to work well with other people. Not only will the interior designer be part of a team that must work together to complete the project, but also he and she must be able to communicate well with clients and contractors. Taking interior design courses can help many gain the skills they need to become professional designers.

The area of interior design is vast, and there are many interior design courses that you will need to take to ensure that you are prepared. You might choose to take a diploma course as this is convenient and can be completed in a time frame that works with your schedule. One important class that you will need to take will focus on drawing and the aspects of making models, using computers, and creating 3D objects for the purpose of design. As an interior designer, you will focus on much more than simply choosing fabrics or art prints. You will focus on the overall design of structures from an architectural point of view. It is this knowledge that will be used later in your career, to ensure that you can fully maximize a room’s special potential.

Another very important aspect of interior design has to deal with color. It isn’t enough simply to understand space and design. You must know the principles of color and light and use them in a variety of ways. There are numerous ways in which interior designers use light and color to create a number of different effects. Choose interior design courses that offer these classes.

In addition to architecture, light, and color interior design courses must also focus on the business side of the job. Interior designers must know how to market themselves in the business world and understand the correct tactics used for interacting with contracting companies as well as clients.

 

You love to bring a theme to a room, to make things look just so. Perhaps friends who visit your home make remarks about wishing they could hire you to fix up their place or that they never know what goes with what. If you seem to be a natural at interior decoration, why not become an interior designer?
There are steps you can take that will ease you onto the road to becoming a professional interior designer, bringing your passion to life.
The terms interior designer and interior decorator are often used interchangeably. Both generally mean that you will create a pleasant space in the dimensions given that you won’t make major structural changes in the house. This is important as actually altering the configuration of a house, or a room, may need a permit, license and there may be other red tape which involves building contractors and other professionals.
That said, if you want to do interior decoration for a living, the following considerations may be of help.
Education and training:
While you may be able to hang out a shingle and proclaim yourself an interior designer, you may also not have too many clients. In general, people looking to hire you will want to know where you received your education. There are a lot of schools out there, many of them reputable. However, be sure to do your research before you pay for a series of classes that will never do anything except take your money.
Training will likely be more important than the mere fact that you’ve been educated in interior decoration. While it may take longer, getting a job with an established interior designer may make things easier for you in the long run. Not only will you make a salary (though just starting out may mean the salary is rather small), you will learn on the job and receive real-world training.
Prepare a portfolio:
No matter what you do, a prospective employer or client will want to see what you can do, in a range of interior design options. Can you create a chic country look? How about a warm, modern feel? How can you prove it? This is where your portfolio comes in. When you work on an interior decoration project, you’ll want to take lots of pictures, have them organized and easy to go through. Your portfolio will sell you, so make sure it’s a tool that shows off the best you have to offer.
Practice:
Your home is your personal showcase. Try different looks within it, just to see what looks good. While you may have found the perfect interior decoration for your living room, try switching things up. While it may not be the look for you, someone else may like it. Plus, you’ll have the chance to step back and figure out why something doesn’t look right—or why it looks great.
Tap your friends for help. There’s no reason you can’t offer your interior design services to friends, as long as you get to take pictures of the finished product for your portfolio. Be sure to take before-and-after pictures to showcase your interior designer talent as you create a wonderful living space. If cost is a problem, try using what is currently there or find different, cheaper options, like moving furniture from other rooms in the house.
Network:
Attend home shows as an interior designer. Take your portfolio, dress up a corner of the booth, or raffle off a free interior design consultation. Your name needs to be out there in order to create a business.
Try and visit home shows even if you don’t rent any space. Introduce yourself to the various participants and hand out business cards. Get in touch with established interior designers; ask them how they got started, if they have any tips for someone just starting out. Usually there is plenty of business in an area to go around. Talk to builders and contractors, offering interior decoration for their model homes.
Make sure you have good business cards. They are often your longest-lasting impression on potential clients, and a badly designed card doesn’t fill people with confidence that you’ll do great interior decoration. You don’t want to be a nuisance, but giving your business card when you are introduced to someone is a good way to get your name out there.
Specialize:
What type of interior design do you want to do? If you want to work on office buildings, building a portfolio of cozy bedrooms will not help you much. If you want to create wonderful interior decoration on a shoestring budget, talking to a contractor who works on multimillion dollar homes will likely be a waste.
Continue to learn your craft:
Even if you take every step known to man to become an interior designer, if you forget to continue learning your craft, you will likely not get far. Interior design changes regularly. Trends alter, offices and homes change, and you should be prepared to adjust. Subscribe to interior design magazines, join a group of decorating professionals, make sure you watch trends– basically take steps so that you and your work never become stagnant. Only in this way can you offer fresh ideas to your clients.
There isn’t a quick way to be an interior designer, particularly if you want to be a good one. However, the above steps will hopefully ease your way along that path. Above all, be sure to enjoy your chosen profession, for that’s the best way in which you can always please yourself and your client.