Earning a living as an interior designer may be really tempting to someone looking to cash their skills and creative talents. However, like any other job, a career in interior design also has its good and bad points. If you’re set on trying this one out, no one should be able to stop you. Still, it’s important that you’re fully aware of what you’re getting yourself into. Sometimes, passion and creativity alone are not enough to keep us happy on the job.
1. What To Expect From This Career
As an interior designer, you can rely on your skills, talent, and inspiration when it comes to design and décor. However, this is not all.  Most people in this line of work have to seek security by teaming up with a specific company. Doing it alone is a very risky endeavor. Basically, if you’re hired to do a design job, you probably won’t have the freedom to impose your own ideas.
On most occasions, you will have to follow the instructions of the people who hired you. This doesn’t mean that designing interiors like these can’t be fun, but it has its creative limits. There are also many other factors to consider. There will be the question of budget, as well as the proper functionality of the interior you’re designing. That’s why a great technical knowledge is necessary to back you up in this career.
2. Can You Learn This Trade?
If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to learn how to be a great interior designer, the answer is yes – of course, it’s possible. If you’re already aware that you possess the necessary skill and an eye for detail, taking decorating courses can work out for you. However, it’s worth mentioning that this job requires much more than just your skillful hands and creative mind.
Be prepared to learn a lot about technical stuff such as material quality, spatial concepts, ergonomics, building structures, etc. There’s a lot of theoretical knowledge you’ll need to acquire, and the thing is – you will have to use the theory to create both functional and beautiful interiors.
3. The Source Of Inspiration
If you’re an artistic soul, you already know that inspiration can be found everywhere. This statement is true for interior designers as well. Essentially, you can draw your inspiration from other renowned interior designers and their work. Moreover, you can always find your own style by drawing inspiration from your other interests. These can be various books, music, artwork, etc. In the end, one can find the needed inspiration in nature, emotions, particular atmosphere or simply the weather. When it comes to inspiration, there’s no limit.
4. Start With Smaller Projects
If you’re not sure if this line of work is the best possible choice for you, you can always try it out at your own home first. Basically, give yourself different projects and improve the look of your personal environment. Experimenting with colors is definitely the simplest way to start. The next step could involve different furniture placement.
Finally, you can test your skillful hands and make your own furniture pieces. Reupholstering is the basic practice. However, you can create various designs by re-purposing. In the end, using different tools and materials to create something completely new, unique and functional can be the best way for you to see whether this type of work suits you or not.
5. To Be Or Not To Be – Interior Designer
Once you do all your research and consider every single factor that makes interior designers great in what they do, you will have all the necessary information to assess your ability to succeed in this career. Moreover, thanks to your home projects, you’ll be able to see for yourself whether or not you have a knack for interior design. Essentially, this is not something that you should do on a whim or just because it seems cool.
Being an interior designer is a very fulfilling and rewarding job – if you have the talent and patience to learn, create and deal with other people. If you think this is the break you’ve been waiting for as well as your ultimate dream job, go for it! It’s never too late to learn how to decorate.