Interior Designer

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Become An Interior Designer

If you like your personal space to reflect your personality—or—when forced to sit in a dreary waiting room with cheap furniture, poor lighting and thrift store art on the walls, you find yourself daydreaming about how you'd redecorate it, you might consider becoming an interior designer.

Interior Design in a Nutshell

Interior designers use color, fabric, lighting, furniture and art to enhance the aesthetics and function of a particular space - be it the lobby of a five-star hotel or a chiropractor's waiting room. As an interior designer, you will meet with clients to assess the needs of a space, estimate the costs, and develop a timeline for your work.

Education Requirements for Interior Designers

You'll need some training and experience before you can hang out your shingle:

Professional design schools, as well as some colleges and universities, offer two- to four-year training programs in interior design. Upon successful completion of these programs, you will have an associate's degree and can qualify to become an assistant to an established interior designer.
A bachelor's degree in art, design, interior architecture or architectural studies is highly recommended for entry-level positions in interior design. In addition, 24 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, require interior designers to be licensed or registered within the state they operate.
If you graduate with a bachelor's in interior design, you can enter into an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship programs are more formal than assistantships; apprentices take courses such as computer-aided design, spatial planning, perspective, drawing, color and fabrics, architecture and future design.
You'll need your apprentice or assistant experience to prepare you for taking your licensing exam. Once you pass your exam, you can become a Certified, Registered, or Licensed Interior Designer, depending on the state. Many states additionally require that you continue your education to maintain your license. If you operate in a state that does not require licensing, you should consider joining a professional association to indicate your qualifications and provide you with solid professional standing within your community.

Day in the Life of an Interior Designer

Interior designers aim to make the world a more beautiful place, one room at a time. In essence, they are artists who marry the "form" of a room to its "function." Imagine, for instance, the comforting feeling you get when you walk into a relaxing day spa filled with soothing colors, warm lighting and a welcoming atmosphere. An interior designer knows how to create the appropriate environment and mood for any space.

Traditionally we think of interior designers as "interior decorators" who simply pick a color, find the right furniture, and add artwork and lighting to a room. Increasingly, however, interior designers are becoming involved in architectural detailing, such as installing crown moldings, planning stairways and deciding on the window placement in a space. This advanced work requires that interior designers be comfortable with blueprints, knowledgeable about building and fire codes, and adept at designing handicap accessible spaces. Interior designers often collaborate with specialists such as architects and building contractors so that designs are safe, functional and meet the required construction standards.

If you are employed by a large interior designer firm, you will probably work a 40-hour week in comfortable (and well-designed!) offices. Smaller companies often hire interior designers on a contractual basis, and as a result, you may choose the flexibility of being self-employed.

Job Growth for Interior Designers

Job opportunities for interior designers are expected to grow as fast as the national average for all occupations through 2014. However, designers will face strong competition for employment, as interior designing attracts many talented and creative individuals. For this reason, education and apprenticeships are integral keys to establishing a long-term career.