How to Become an Interior Designer

You love to bring a theme to a room, to make things look just so. Perhaps friends who visit your home make remarks about wishing they could hire you to fix up their place or that they never know what goes with what. If you seem to be a natural at interior decoration, why not become an interior designer?
There are steps you can take that will ease you onto the road to becoming a professional interior designer, bringing your passion to life.
The terms interior designer and interior decorator are often used interchangeably. Both generally mean that you will create a pleasant space in the dimensions given that you won’t make major structural changes in the house. This is important as actually altering the configuration of a house, or a room, may need a permit, license and there may be other red tape which involves building contractors and other professionals.
That said, if you want to do interior decoration for a living, the following considerations may be of help.
Education and training:
While you may be able to hang out a shingle and proclaim yourself an interior designer, you may also not have too many clients. In general, people looking to hire you will want to know where you received your education. There are a lot of schools out there, many of them reputable. However, be sure to do your research before you pay for a series of classes that will never do anything except take your money.
Training will likely be more important than the mere fact that you’ve been educated in interior decoration. While it may take longer, getting a job with an established interior designer may make things easier for you in the long run. Not only will you make a salary (though just starting out may mean the salary is rather small), you will learn on the job and receive real-world training.
Prepare a portfolio:
No matter what you do, a prospective employer or client will want to see what you can do, in a range of interior design options. Can you create a chic country look? How about a warm, modern feel? How can you prove it? This is where your portfolio comes in. When you work on an interior decoration project, you’ll want to take lots of pictures, have them organized and easy to go through. Your portfolio will sell you, so make sure it’s a tool that shows off the best you have to offer.
Practice:
Your home is your personal showcase. Try different looks within it, just to see what looks good. While you may have found the perfect interior decoration for your living room, try switching things up. While it may not be the look for you, someone else may like it. Plus, you’ll have the chance to step back and figure out why something doesn’t look right