What Does An Interior Designer Do? Life of an Interior Designer

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In our own way, we all have good taste, right? We dress ourselves to look fabulous every morning, we create beautiful meals, and marketing, and advertising projects, we purchase exquisite artwork (even if they are from local artists), and we find beauty in the mundane.

These are all innate human qualities that make us who we are.

So who is an interior designer to a commoner who wants their home decorated? What does an interior designer do?

These are questions we are sure you often ask yourself. You undoubtedly have great taste and you know what you like. So why hire an interior designer to bring your vision to life?

In today’s article, we will discuss in detail what interior designers do and what makes them so important when you renovate or build your dream home, especially when combined with powerful tools like interior design software.

Who is an Interior designer?

An interior designer is an accredited member of a worldwide conglomeration of design professionals who brings joy and fulfills dreams, much like Santa Claus. They are trained in the art of interior decorating with segregated studies in various interior design courses.

Most professional interior designers work on a freelance basis or at high-end interior design firms with a prolific design team where they bounce ideas to meet the requirements of potential clients and customers. Their design services are unique as each artist has their own rendition of reflecting the beauty in the world and the personality of their clients.

How to become an Interior designer?

Although having impeccable creativity, and people skills are crucial to becoming an interior designer, there are a few mandatory course requirements and qualifications one should have to become an interior designer.

Aspiring designers typically pursue a degree in interior design from an accredited institution. Programs accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) are highly recommended, as they meet the industry’s standards for education. Degrees can range from associate to master’s levels, covering essential topics such as design principles, color theory, textiles, space planning, architecture, and CAD. 

Practical experience is just as important, if not more than the educational qualification. Internships and apprenticeships provide invaluable on-the-job training, allowing students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world projects. These experiences help budding designers understand the complexities of the industry, and cement their path to succeeding in the real world when they meet and interact with tough clients.

This is the traditional route to becoming an interior designer. There are other routes, and those who pursue them can be successful too. Learning through industry-recognized online courses, interning under an interior designer, and then passing the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Certification exam is required to be able to show yourself as a credible professional, attract high-ticket clients and come off as a trustworthy designer.

Read also – Most Famous Interior Designers

Why do you need an Interior designer?

When building your dream home, it is common to run into snags. You may have an idea of what you desire, design plans that appeal to you personally, and excellent taste. However, interior design projects are works of art. You need a thorough understanding of the properties of reflective surfaces, the utility of fabrics, textures, and patterns, and most importantly, the psychology of colors.

Don’t get us wrong. We strongly believe that homeowners can easily plan and execute the design process, especially when you have our array of articles with a multitude of design ideas at your disposal.

Nevertheless, there are subtle nuances of the design elements that a design professional may be able to use to transform your house into your dream home. There’s space planning, form and functionality, color schemes, and an innate understanding of building codes that stem from their years of experience and interior design qualification.

As homeowners, you certainly know what you want. But an interior decorator takes their client’s needs into consideration and all the external factors such as budgets, preferences, interior space, and utility into consideration when planning the interior design work.

So, simply put, you need qualified interior designers because they don’t just purchase and install what you like. Instead, they take all the items, paint colors, pieces of furniture, lighting, and framework to tie them together in a neat little bow. They have formal training from interior design programs that taught them how to combine different design elements to create aesthetic value.

Read also – 6 Best Home Design Games For Home Designers To Boost Creativity

Much like any profession, design professionals serve a specific functionality to find beauty in the world. You have to live in that house. If anything appears to be out of place or you need to compromise at some point, then keep in mind, that compromise is permanent.

An interior designer can bypass all those qualms and give you exactly what you need. That is why we hire them.

So, what does an interior designer do exactly?

Now, this is a million-dollar question.

We’ve already explained the importance of hiring interior design services. Professionals in this field possess formal training and years of experience, making them well-equipped to transform your space. But does that justify the costs associated with hiring interior design services?

In one word – Yes.

You see, interior design is not just about choosing a variety of décor items and scattering them around the house. It is the art of finding the right place for the right objects with the right colors and the right kind of lighting. It engorges the aesthetic value of your property. It is what subliminally cues tranquility and good vibes into your home.

So if you are wondering what interior designers do, then here are a few challenges that they help you overcome when designing your dream home.

Read also – Why Should You Choose Interior Design As Your Career?

Evaluate the Interior space

One of the primary problems that homeowners face is evaluating their floor plans and square footage accurately before choosing their furniture and fixtures. But not interior designers.

A good interior decorator understands the schematics of interior space and how to use it to your advantage.

For instance, let’s say you just moved into a studio or one-bedroom apartment. Most design plans that require additional space are immediately eliminated. Now, you need space planning that will help you not only install the necessities in your new home but also make it look pretty.

This is where the exhaustive coursework of interior design programs comes into play. These design professionals are rigorously trained to identify various ways to use small spaces to your advantage.

In a small home, they will find innovative ways to use the vertical space available to improve functionality.

Similarly, in a bigger house, you do not want the floor area to look bald and empty. Again, the interior design degree programs equip professional interior designers to find new and effective ways to use the available space without cramming it. Their design services are fine-tuned to find a perfect balance between functionality and tranquility.

Pick the right color scheme for your personal sensitivity

If you refer to our article on the psychology of colors, you will find that different paint colors and color schemes have varying effects on an individual’s psyche.

What interior designers do is identify colors that work best for you and your loved ones on a personal level and incorporate them methodically to enhance your productivity and mood.

A good design team will evaluate the available interior space in your home and the colors that inspire you. Then they will put together mood boards and design plans that make you feel tranquil while initiating conversations and creativity.

Each room has a different function therefore they must be use colors that reflect the functionality of the living space. These color schemes largely affect the way you conduct your business, how much passion you feel, how well you connect with your loved ones, and your overall disposition when you are at home.

Select the theme of Interior decorating

In an interior design firm’s work environment, you will find the interior decorators display various themes and design plans for different types of homes. You can choose rustic, contemporary, modern rustic, Japanese, Scandinavian, conservative, minimalist, gothic, and the list just goes on.

Interior design projects mostly revolve around one of these themes or mixing and matching them to suit the client’s needs. Although it may seem easy to just pick one, trust us when we say that the design process calls for more than that.

It is not just about choosing a theme but the kind of furniture and fixtures that go with it. Some design plans do not support claw-foot tubs while others seem dull if you use too many neutral colors such as black and white.

Each theme has its USP and a professional interior designer will help you select the one that best suits your sensibilities. After all, you have to live in that house. Do you really want to second guess your choices every time you get home?

Choose appropriate pieces of furniture

Speaking of choosing furniture and fixtures, design professionals have a wide network of businesses from where you can acquire your pieces. The increased accessibility to locate and obtain various antique or designer furniture pieces is nothing short of a blessing.

Furthermore, some home designs call for furniture and fixtures such as ramps, sliding chairs, etc. for healthcare. You may have difficulty in finding the right balance between your desired items and these BLS pieces. But the exclusive training in interior design programs enables these professionals to naturally fit them in your home without stealing from its aesthetic value.

Read also – 10 Best Furniture Design Software

Pick out artwork, wall hangings, and décor items

Interior decorators not only help you choose furniture but also the art deco, wall art, and décor items that add personal touches to your home. These little items are what make the space feel homely and comfortable.

Additionally, if you are an artist yourself, having designed beautiful DIY items, or maybe you acquired some auction pieces recently, a design professional will help you create focal points to display them in the best possible way. If you want your guests to admire them then professional design plans are the way to go.

Define form and functionality in the entire living space

A professional interior designer can help you organize the necessities in your home to maximize its functionality. It is not about which room is allocated for what function, rather how functional the room is in itself.

Fulfill client’s needs to the letter

Image credits: All images featured in this blog are AI-generated or created using Foyr Neo, an advanced interior designing software.

For a group of people who work on a project basis rather than a defined annual salary, the bureau of labor statistics demonstrates just how useful it is to hire an interior designer. It is excellent if you know what you want. However, finding a balance between what you want and what you need is more important in your home.

A design professional will keenly listen to their client’s needs and use interior design software and computer-aided designs to first help you visualize your wants. Then they will make suggestions wherever necessary to incorporate what you need.

Regardless of whether they are an entry-level designer or a full-time designer with years of experience under the belt, they have a natural talent to give you what you desire. By the end of the design work, you will find that you have what you actually wanted all along.

They have put in their due time in acquiring their licensure so you can have your dream home.

Conclusion

Now, you see. Interior decorators are a necessary cog in the day-to-day phenomena of life itself. They help bring forth your desires and reflect your personality in your home. This is the space that makes you feel comfortable and loved. It has to be more like you.

If, however, you still want to continue decorating your beautiful home with personal touches, DIY objects, and love, here is an idea.

Consult with an interior designer to identify the theme that best suits your personality. Then Sign up to Foyr Neo to design the home as per your liking. The best part about this cloud-based application is that it allows you to visualize your home in a 3D rendering. This computer-aided design will give you a clear idea of what you want and how to combine the design elements with ease.

Consider hiring an interior designer if you want to stay above the hassle. Their degree programs for professional interior design courses sure teach them a lot of things about colors and patterns that we miss. It may be worth your while.