How to Become a Professional Interior Designer: A Guide

If you have an eye for color, texture, and design, you could have all the makings of a professional interior designer. 

However, there is more to the profession than picking fabrics and organizing furniture layouts. To succeed, you will need a firm understanding of space planning, architecture, color schemes, building codes, floor plans, and much more.

If you are ready to work hard and perfect your craft, read this informative guide on how to become a professional interior designer.

Boost Your Skills

If you have received praise for your beautiful home, then you might believe you have what it takes to become an interior designer. While natural ability is a good starting point, you must improve various skills if you want to secure clients and earn a positive reputation in the industry.

A one-year interior design course will not only boost your knowledge and skillset, but it could help you land a job at a successful interior design company. Once here, you will gain hands-on experience, and it will provide an opportunity to learn about project management, fabric supply options, and more. Gaining work experience at the start of the year could help you become a better designer when you go it alone.

Gain a Degree

It’s important to be aware that some US states will require interior designers to earn a National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certificate before they can work professionally. To qualify for the exam, you must gain an interior design degree or a similar diploma, and you may need to complete two years’ work experience.

During the NCIDQ exam, you will answer questions on:

• Building codes
• Building permits
• Construction standards
• Inspection regulations
• Contract administration
• Professional practice
• Design application
• Project co-ordination

Develop Your Design Style

Your design style will set you apart from other professional interior designers and help you secure many clients. Developing an eye for design will require you to alter how you view and interpret your surroundings.

For example, you might believe a stunning work of art could affect the mood or style of a room. To become a professional interior designer, you must pay closer attention to your environment and analyze designs you view each day, including in homes, cathedrals, clothing stores, and more.

Do Not Go It Alone Right Away

It is a wise idea to gain experience at an interior design company before going it alone. It is here where you will have the freedom to make mistakes and learn about how a successful studio works and the importance of teamwork.

Plus, you will have an opportunity to work alongside experienced interior designers, who could provide advice, answer your questions, and teach you tactics you might never have learned by yourself.

Embrace 3D Renderings

Sketches and drawings can convey ideas to a client, but photorealistic 3D renderings could help you finalize a project. Many professional interior designers use this innovative 3D home design tool to communicate their vision quickly to a client. Plus, the realistic images will increase trust in your design skills and professionalism, which could convince them to hire your services.

Create an Impressive Portfolio

You might believe it is impossible to build an impressive portfolio if you have not secured many clients, but this is not the case. Instead, you can create mood boards and schemes to showcase your design eye. As mentioned earlier, you can also create 3D renderings of your interior design ideas, which you can then share with potential clients or employers.

You could even professionally style your own home or transform your friends’ and family members’ interiors. You should then hire a professional photographer to snap high-quality images to create a jaw-dropping portfolio.

Improve Your Communication Skills

Passion and an eye for interior design are not enough to make it as a professional. If you want to flourish in the role, you will need exceptional verbal and visual communication skills. If you cannot articulate your vision, alleviate concerns, or provide regular project updates, you could struggle to retain clients and develop a negative reputation.

Start with Styling Contracts

You will likely enjoy more success with styling contracts at the beginning of your career. Some clients might be willing to risk a new designer for a home transformation; however, companies will often want to hire experienced designers to work on expensive architectural projects. Once you have built a strong reputation and portfolio, you should then move toward architectural work.

Find Opportunities

Experienced interior designers often do not need to actively promote themselves, as they could secure many clients through their industry reputation and word of mouth. However, as you are new to the field, you must work hard to find interior design opportunities. 

Browse marketplaces for interior design requests or promote your services locally on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You could even build a reputation and portfolio by providing some interior design work for free in return for a testimonial or to be considered for a paid styling contract.

Manage Contractors

There might be times in your career when you will need to manage various contractors on a project, such as electricians, plumbers, decorators, and carpenters. To do so, you will need to develop a friendly rapport with each contractor and adopt an effective communication style.

If a project is falling behind schedule, you cannot be afraid to get tough with them to ensure it finishes on time and within budget. Remember, your career and reputation are on the line if a project is delayed or more expensive than the projected sum.

Conclusion

While every professional interior designer will have different experiences on the path to success, the above steps could help you kickstart your career. If you are serious about becoming an interior designer, you must be willing to boost your skill set, gain the appropriate certifications, and create an impressive portfolio. Plus, you must embrace technologies, build a rapport with clients and contractors, and improve your soft skills to develop successful projects and a growing industry reputation.