What does it take to be an Interior Designer?

When trying to decide if Interior Design is right for you, it helps to know what that really means. Interior Design is not simply the profession that "makes rooms and places pretty"; it takes a little bit more than that. You need to know how to do some of the technical aspects of design also. Some of these technical things include:

Designing and reading blueprints: This is particularly for the projects that require a great change in the area's structure like wall removal etc. This is also required in order to make additional rooms, build gazebos, and adding extra rooms. You will need to draw up blueprints of the entire house or read the originals copies, so that you can do your job without causing much disturbance to the rest of the house or environment.

Environmental Analysis: Once you can read blueprints, you will have to analyze the information that is listed so that you can best decide where to go with your ideas. You need the ability to effectively create or remove space in a particular environment so that you can cause little or no disturbance the environment as a whole when making your changes.

Environmental Lighting: Many people forget that lighting is included in any space changing project. You must have knowledge of how lighting works, and have a general idea of what is needed to install light fixtures in areas that do not have them already. Many homes are not equipped with lighting fixtures in some rooms. Of course, if you wish to change the lighting fixtures from general lamps to say, track lighting, you may have a problem if you do not understand how to install it.

Basic Plumbing & pipe structure: If adding or changing spaces in kitchens and bathrooms, plumbing fixtures are often changed or re-organized. You will need to understand their basic functions in order to effectively plan a change that involves them, or is to be done around them.

Before you consider Interior Design as a profession, you should ask yourself these questions.

Am I Creative?

Creativity is a subtle, but important quality to have when considering interior design as a profession. Much of your advancement will depend on your ability to be original in your creative efforts to design any space. Clients will always want to keep a designer that can offer them something that nobody else has.

You will also need to be able to turn whatever items that they already have into works of art. Sometimes clients do not want to change everything, or buy new furnishings and draperies; they simply want to make whatever they do have look and feel different. Creative thinking is the only thing that is going to help here.

1. Colors are your friend, and creativity can help you in setting colors against one another. Many designers love to add color to a room and change things just using this method and perhaps adding accents to existing items.

2. Accents in a room can vary. You can create a great space by adding throw pillows, valances, and vases. This is the perfect career choice for a person that likes to be creative, abut not idle and/or isolated.

Am I Organized?

1. Believe it or not, Interior Designers have to be extremely well organized to be able to handle all of the little details that go into doing a good job. You have to be able to keep track of your entire inventory, while keeping on top of other things also like, materials, tracking orders, employees, and making sure that you stay on or below the budget that your client set out for you.

2. It is no easy feat to try and keep track of all the things that have to be done; especially when you've got people constantly surrounding you. You must monitor what everyone is doing and still manage to keep up on what you should be doing. Do not forget that you also have to appear calm because your clients will likely be asking you a great deal of questions. If you are scattered and panicked, it will be difficult to answer all the questions and look cool at the same time.

3. The ability to know where everything is at, and where every person is at is another aspect of organization. It is very hard to keep jobs if you are constantly wondering where things, and employees are.

4. You will need to be very well organized if your design projects lead you to having to add or remove a room and/or wall. This type of work requires the use of blueprints. You must be able to read them as well as draw them up, you cannot do this without a great sense of organization.

How Good am I at Problem Solving?

1. The ability to problem solve is a necessity for an Interior Designer. As an Interior Designer, you will encounter glitches, and it is a must that you can deal with them. Many times, these glitches will need to be solved on the spot.
2. Your organizational skills will come in handy when you need to solve a problem as well. An organized workplace will help you to have an organized mind. Thoughts have a way of being cluttered when your work space is likewise.
3. Being able think quickly and under pressure is a definite asset to problem solving. Your problem is not going to get easier if it takes you too long to come up with a solution for it. Actually, waiting can just give the universe more time to make the problem get bigger.

Can I Multitask?

1. Most jobs require a good ability to multitask. None of these jobs requires it as much as Interior Design does. The reason for this is because Interior Designers are often doing more than one thing at a time. You can be giving instructions to your contractors, working with your assistant on the fabrics, all while explaining it your client. This can cause a little bit of stress, but if you are good at multitasking, it is not so bad.
2. If you are not particular good at multitasking, you need not worry. Some people have just never been put to the test as far as that's concerned. You may have had a relaxed job setting, or you may have worked on an assembly line for a few years. Many jobs require you to do regular tasks. They can be quite monotonous. But you have to work hard and perspire in this field.

Am I Personable?

1. The ability to meet and associate yourself with people is a good and necessary skill when seeking to be an interior designer. Much of your job will require you to meet and convince people that you are the best person to design their space. A friendly, outgoing, and professional attitude is the easiest way to accomplish that.
2. You must be able to speak to people at their level. Speaking above them is going to confuse your client; while speaking below them is insulting.
3. You must be able to read people in order to properly assess how to deal with them. This is a quality that you cannot afford to be without. Much of your job as a designer is negotiation, and knowing how read other people is the key to success in this area.
4. People have to feel at ease when they talk to you. You should always try to exude warmth and intelligence when speaking to your clients and possible clients.
5. Since you are to be aware of what other people's body language says about them, know that they are looking for the same thing when they are speaking to you. Be aware of all of your facial expressions and hand gestures.

Can I Be Versatile?

1. The ability to be versatile and change with the times is a definite must. As Interior Designers are expected to be ahead of the pack when it comes to the newest trends and fads, your ability to change your current way of thinking will be critical to your success.
2. Most people hire Interior Designers so that they can keep up and stay modern. If the designer is only capable of sticking to the basics and originals, it will be a disastrous career as a designer.
3. Of course, that is not the only reason why versatility is a necessity. Clients sometimes change their minds about what they want. It's annoying, but it happens. You have to be able to change with them. Your ability to give the client what they are looking for can be the difference between your being on top of the field, and your finding yourself unemployed.

How Is My Business Sense?

As an Interior Designer, you will need to have a head for business. You will need to have the ability to estimate and put a value to your work. To do that correctly, you will have to calculate the cost of all materials, extra employee labor, furniture costs, paints etc. The ability to negotiate is going to be a priceless skill that you must have or be willing to learn.

1. Negotiation is the key to almost all of your dealings as an interior designer. You will be negotiating with your clients, either to get them, or on budget requirements. You will be negotiating with contractors at times, furniture dealers, and everyone else that can play a role in you getting the job done to your client's specifications

2. Marketing is another aspect of business that will be very important for you to be familiar with. Interior Designers spend a great deal of time in marketing their services. The easiest aspect of the marketing that is needed in Interior Design is that the demand will always be there. Buildings, shops, homes etc will always be in the world, as well as the need to design the interiors of them. All you will need is the ability to produce the supply.

3. Advertising can be the most effective tool in developing your interior design business. It will be difficult to get the public to know that you are there without it. If your budget is small there are many thing that you can do for a cheap price or even free. You can pass out flyers, build a internet homepage from a free host supplier (many of these have their own wizards to help guide you if you are not html savvy), pass out business cards or leave them in stores that will allow it. There are many things that you can do, just be creative.

4. Bookkeeping is a necessity for the self employed. You have to know how to manage your business' financial statements. You also have to handle payroll, accounts payable (money you owe) and accounts receivable (money people owe/give you)