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Interior Design Education and Careers for the Artist of the Inside

Posted: Monday, October 26, 2009

Interior design careers require not only a sense of design, but also technical aptitude and sophisticated communication skills. A bachelor’s degree and passing mandated government exams is just the beginning of this highly competitive – but rewarding and inspirational career.

Designing your life with a career in interior design can give you the lifetime reward of living with a job you love. Interior design careers are for the creative individual who also has the ability to manage the creativity logically and enjoys working with materials. An interior designer works for their client. The client will issue their requests, demands and specifications for the interior design.

The interior designer will then take those specifications and create a design, using creativity and talent to create a design, and educational background and on-the-job experience to make the design a reality. Textiles and materials, form and function, safety and security are all areas of study that the interior designer has to master. Your Interior Design major will begin with the fundamentals. Safety courses will include fire regulations, building codes, ADA regulations, and space constraints.

Most states require an interior designer to be insured. Once you complete your education, complete the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. Section One is “the Principles and Practices of Design (Building and Barrier Free Codes included), Section Two is “Contract Development and Administration,” and Section Three is “Schematics and Design Development.”

An interior designer can work in general interiors in residential or commercial buildings, or they can specialize, working for just restaurants, hotels, skyscrapers, or any other specialty that they’ve found their talent for. An interior designer might work for a large corporation, a small design firm, or out of their own home. The interior designer’s education, license, portfolio and work experience will determine reputation and career.

Interior design takes a great deal of creativity, skill and knowledge. Years of education and training take place before your interior design career becomes a reality – but once it does, your life will be designed for success.

A. How to Choose an Interior Designer or Redecorator
What types of professional interior designers are available?
Have you heard of Interior redecorators? These professional interior decorators transform your home using things you have accumulated over the years. Many interior designers have added this service to their repertoire. Alternate terms for professional interior designers specializing in interior redecorating are interior redesigners, interior arrangers, interior stylists, one day decorators, visual coordinators or interior refiners.

What is a Certified Interior Designer? A Certified interior designer is a competent design professional who is qualified to design, prepare, and submit any type of nonstructural, non-seismic interior construction plans and specifications to local building departments. Certified interior designers have demonstrated through education, experience, and examination their knowledge of the Uniform Building Code as it relates to space planning, life safety, flammability, and disabled access code issues.

Most interior designers have a minimum four-year education. Many have Master of Interior Design degrees or other additional education in architecture or interior design. Interior designers who have many years experience may not have a Bachelors in Interior Design, but usually are well educated and have many years of qualified experience. All qualified interior designers will indicate that they have passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Certification) examination and/or are registered/ certified/ licensed in their state.

How do Interior Decorators charge for their services?
Flat Design Fee: The client pays a flat fee for the professional interior designer’s services based on the design plan, time required, and scope of services.
Hourly Rate: The interior decorator bills a negotiated rate per hour.
Cost Plus Method: Professional interior designers charge a set percentage on all merchandise purchased and tradesmen's services rendered.
Mixed Method: The client pays both a set percentage on purchases and a base design fee for hourly rate.
What to ask at the first meeting:
• Ask to see the interior designer's portfolio, but remember that the designs reflect other people's tastes, not necessarily the interior decorator's, and possibly not your own.
• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what was the budget range.
• What activities will take place in the space?
• How long do you plan to occupy the space?
• What is the approximate square footage to be designed?

B. Take Advantage of Quality Gold Coast Interior Design Services
Red Door Interiors is a personally run company specializing in all aspects of interior design and decorating (refer to our Services page for a list of services) in the residential as well as the commercial areas of interior design. Red Door Interiors has been offering Interior Design services in the Gold Coast Area of Australia.

Any one or all of the following services are offered by Red Door Interiors:
Design and Planning: Making the most of your space by planning your interiors and solving your design problems.
We design bathrooms, kitchens, plan office layouts and design custom cabinetry for bars, libraries, studies, reception counters and anything that needs to be custom made.

We supply plans and drawings.
Design Concept: Forming the overall concept for the whole project, this is presented in a visual form that shows fabrics, furniture, colours and finishes.
Interior Decorating Consultation: we can provide you with decorating advice on a once off or hourly basis if you need some guidance or expert assistance in the choice of colours, finishes or selection and placement of furniture. Elements included in this service are the specification of wall finishes – paint, paneling, wallpaper- floor coverings – tiles, carpet, stone, timber - light fittings and bathroom tiles and fittings.

Quoting, supply and installation of furnishings: creating a budget by obtaining prices and quotes on the items required for the interior and then managing the ordering and installation process.
  • Soft furnishings: bed covers, bed heads, cushions, bed valances.
  • Furniture: dining tables, chairs, occasional chairs, entertainment units, coffee tables.
  • Accessories: artwork, mirrors, rugs, lamps, plants, decorative objects

Colour consultancy: by selecting the best paint colours to suit your architecture, your lifestyle and your outlook we can create or change your image. A full colour consultation will result in a colour board and specification list.
Furniture packages and styling: complete turnkey packages to suit various budgets can be supplied for the investment unit or presale presentation.
Corporate Design: Good interior planning and interior design of your office space can instantly upgrade your professional image and has been shown to improve staff morale and increase productivity.

Red Door Interiors has been offering Gold Coast Interior Design Services for 25 years and has vast experience in planning office layouts and decorating corporate interiors. We handle all aspects from planning and layouts, designing receptions and boardrooms, colour schemes to suit or change your image, selecting office furniture, and supplying blinds, artwork and accessories.


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