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How
to Become an Interior Decorator
Interior
Decorating vs. Interior Design
If
you have been searching for information about interior
decorating, you have almost certainly come across
the term interior design. While there are some
similarities between the two, there are also some significant
differences. It is important to know these differences
because they have a direct impact on the types of jobs
you can apply for. Here is a basic overview of the two
careers:
Interior
Decorator
Just
as the job title says – an interior decorator decorates
(or redecorates) interiors of buildings, with
the aim of making rooms more attractive, comfortable
and functional. Most interior decorators are hired
to decorate homes (including yachts!), but they may
also be hired to decorate interiors of businesses such
as boutiques, restaurants, and offices. They may work
on the entire interior of a building or a single room
such as the living room, kitchen or bathroom.
An
interior decorator’s work may involve a variety of elements,
including:
- space
planning or “layout”
- color
schemes
- furniture
- paint
and wallpaper
- window
coverings
- fabrics
- flooring
and carpeting
- lighting
- art
objects
- hardware
fixtures
- accessories
(e.g. vases, pillows, bookends)
- plants
A
decorating job may be as simple as rearranging furniture
yourself, or it may involve hiring and supervising contractors.
As an interior decorator your tasks may include:
- meeting
with clients to determine their wants and needs
- reviewing
and taking measurements of the space you will be decorating
- preparing
proposed room layouts
- obtaining
cost estimates
- showing
samples (e.g. colors, fabrics, tiles) to clients
- arranging
and overseeing painting, wallpapering, flooring, etc.
- selecting
and purchasing furnishings and other items
There
are no formal educational requirements to enter
this career. You can start calling yourself an interior
decorator as soon as you start doing interior decorating.
This
guide will tell you how to get started and succeed as
an interior decorator. You will find resources to teach
yourself any parts of the job you are not familiar with,
information on how to get hired for a full-time job,
and advice on how to start your own interior decorating
business.
Interior
Designer
While
anyone can become an interior decorator, it is considerably
more difficult to become a certified interior designer.
Professional standards for the interior design profession
are set by organizations such as the American Society
of Interior Designers or the Interior Designers
of Canada.
In
both the U.S. and Canada, interior designers are certified
through the National Council for Interior Design
Qualification (NCIDQ) after passing an examination.
To be eligible to write the examination, you must have
an acceptable combination of full-time work experience
and two to five years of post-secondary education in
interior design.
While
some people who call themselves interior designers are
not certified, in 18 states it is illegal to call yourself
an interior designer unless you are licensed.
You
are probably wondering why it is so much more difficult
to become an interior designer than an interior decorator.
The reason is because interior design involves much
more than decorating.
According
to the official definition endorsed by the NCIDQ
and the Foundation for Interior Design Education
Research (FIDER), an interior designer is qualified
“to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces
for the purpose of improving the quality of life, increasing
productivity, and protecting the health, safety, and
welfare of the public.” Obviously, this goes well beyond
making an interior look more attractive!
Interior
designers may work on a wide variety of interiors, such
as office buildings, airport terminals, hospitals, manufacturing
plants, government institutions, and many other types
of buildings.
To
do their job properly, interior designers must be educated
in a number of areas. To quote from the official definition,
the skills they need include:
- analyzing
“clients’ needs, goals and life safety requirements”
- preparing
working drawings and specifications “in compliance
with universal accessibility guidelines and all applicable
codes”
- “working
with other licensed practitioners in the technical
areas of mechanical, electrical and load-bearing design
as required for regulatory approval”
In
addition, their work can include interior decorating tasks
such as the selection of furnishings, fixtures, and lighting.
Your
Career
As
you can see, the two careers are similar because they
focus on improving interiors, and a number of people
who become interior designers also do interior decorating
(the part of the job some find the most fun and interesting).
In case you decide at some point in the future that
you would like to become an interior designer, chapter
2 of this guide gives links to interior design educational
programs.
However,
many people who want a career decorating homes or businesses
do not want to become an interior designer. They may
have thoughts similar to the following:
“Interior
design doesn’t sound like what I want to do. I don’t
want to have to spend years studying, worry about things
like building codes, and write an examination to be
certified. Can’t I just start decorating people’s houses
without going through all that?”
The
answer, of course, is “yes!” While some jobs clearly
require the services of an interior designer (e.g. upgrading
the interior of an airport terminal), there are many opportunities
open to interior decorators.
For
example, if you want to start an interior decorating
business, you can offer your services to the many people
who want their home to be more attractive, but simply
do not have the time or the skill to do it themselves.
This article is
an excerpt from the fabjob.com How to Become an Interior
Decorator. Visit www.fabjob.com
for information
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