Learn to be an Interior Designer

What Is Interior Design All About Anyway?

Interior design is a widely misunderstood profession. People get the romantic notion this business is all about picking out colors, working with lush beautiful fabrics, and being creative all the live long day. That isn't so. It is about making the sale, organizing the details and making sure EVERYTHING is perfect for Mrs. Smith's installation on Friday. It's about negotiating with installer's, paying furniture manufacturer's, keeping accurate billing records, ensuring you have met codes for your local municipalities, getting more of that fabric you ran out of, making sure the wall paper hanger is in the room when he needs to be, and making all of it seem effortless and stress free.

If I had known that design was so much business and so little creativity, I possibly would have never allowed the thought to enter my mind. But it did and now I am addicted.

Interior design does have some major advantages, however. There is a very small "community" that is created among designers within a city or region. You get to interact with a wide variety of individuals and you do get to spend time surrounded by innovative, creative people with drive, passion and brilliance for what they do. Design allows the creative genius in you freedom to play and be.


Interior design is a profession with a vast array of advancement. You may begin as a junior designer, assistant or specifier and soon become a senior designer, project manager, or partner in a firm. Where ever your mind can go, so too can you move!

It is my belief that with the ever growing economy interior design and a need for it grows. People are becoming busier and busier these days and they don't have time to decorate and create environments that represent who they are, they rely on professionals, interior designers. As long as there are homes, offices, restaurants, malls, stores, etc., there will be a need for interior designers.

School and Classes to Study

The field of interior design is an ever changing field. Years ago there were no programs for interior design in universities or colleges. Slowly they started to appear. Today, we have an entire accreditation process that certifies a program will teach certain principles and practices at a very high standard. This organization is called FIDER,

Interior designers are now licensed to practice, much like a doctor or architect. In order to even sit for the licensing test through NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification), you must have a combination of six years of work experience, two years of schooling plus four years of work experience, or four years in a FIDER accredited university or college plus two years of work experience. Licensing helps to create responsible, educated designers.

At minimum, I suggest you seek a university or college that is FIDER accredited and work towards a bachelor's degree. In commercial work, a bachelor's degree is a minimum. You may decide to further your education with a master's degree or a doctorate.

Some of the classes that would help you to become a better student and a better designer are things like AutoCAD by AutoDesk, computer aided drafting. If you have some experience and knowledge of this software program, you will begin your career at a higher pay rate. They are in high demand today and it would behoove you to have this experience.