Becoming an Interior Designer

An interior designer decorates and furnishes enclosed spaces, from private homes and commercial buildings such as offices and hotels to the interiors of boats, ships and airplanes. Interior designers may also plan additions to a home or design the remodeling of homes and other buildings. They frequently specialize in a particular venue, such as office spaces, private homes, or even specific rooms within homes, such as bedrooms, kitchens, or baths.

Education, Training & Degrees for Interior Designers

A number of colleges and professional design schools offer associate and bachelor's degree programs in interior design. Certificate and associate's degree recipients normally qualify for positions as assistant interior designers. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design reports that there are currently about 250 postsecondary institutions that offer programs in interior design, and that most of these programs lead to degrees in interior design. The Foundation for Interior Design Education Research recognizes 137 bachelor's degree programs in interior design in the U.S. These programs are typically located in schools of art, architecture, and home economics.

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in interior design usually qualify for entry into a formal one- to three-year design apprenticeship program in which they gain relevant experience by working under the direction of a professional interior designer. Following this apprenticeship, the aspiring designer qualifies to take a licensing exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). On passing, individuals are granted the title of Certified, Registered, or Licensed Interior Designer, depending on the state.

Job Responsibilities and Desired Skills for Interior Designers

As the field of interior design is so large and widespread, designers often choose to specialize in a specific area. Some concentrate, for example, on decorating commercial buildings, while others focus primarily on private residences. Regardless of the specialization space, interior designers share a number of basic responsibilities. These include conferring with clients to determine their budget, artistic preferences, and special requirements; advising clients about design factors such as space planning, layout, furnishings, and color coordination; rendering and presenting designs to clients; estimating material requirements and costs; selecting, designing, and purchasing furnishings, art works, and accessories; and often subcontracting the fabrication, installation, and arrangement of carpeting, fixtures, accessories, draperies, paint and wall coverings, furniture, and related items.

Nearly one-third of all interior designers freelance or operate their own independent interior design businesses. About ten percent work for architectural or landscaping firms. Others find employment in retail furniture, home furnishing and department stores.

Interior design is centered on the idea of aesthetically transforming a space according to the desires and preferences of the owners, whether that space is a private home or a private jet, a small bathroom or a high-rise office tower. The interior designer needs to balance artistic taste with business acumen. Excellent communication skills are vital in order to clearly understand the client's desires even if the client is unable to articulate them clearly. Computer skills can prove invaluable, especially with budgets and in rendering potential designs. The interior designer needs to be organized, schedule oriented, flexible and persuasive.

Interior Designer Salary Range and Employment Outlook

According to projections by the U.S. Department of Labor, about 65,000 people were employed as professional interior designers in 2004, and employment opportunities for interior designers are expected to grow at about the same rate as the average for other occupations. Economic growth is expected to substantially increase the demand for interior designers, as is an increased interest in interior design partly due to the popularity of such television interior design programs as "Trading Spaces," "Design on a Dime," "Find & Design," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "While You Were Out," "Designed to Sell," "Clean Sweep," "Divine Design," "24 Hour Design," "Merge," "House Rules," "Design Match," Design Remix," Designer Guys," "Designer's Challenge," "I Want That!" and "reDesign," among others. Designers with a specialty such as safety design, environmentally-friendly "green" design or geriatric functionality will find increased opportunities. Competition for interior design assignments, however, is also expected to be high as more and more individuals are attracted towards this occupation which combines art, creativity and profit.

Figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the median annual earnings of interior designers in 2004 were $40,670, with a range running from a low of less than $24,000 to a high of more than $71,000. Since nearly one-third of all interior designers are self-employed, these figures can vary widely depending on such factors as the area of specialty, geographic location, and the experience of the interior designer.