However, if you are hoping to use your creativity to possibly put you into a better tax bracket, you may prefer to do commercial work. This type of work is generally on a larger scale than in residential jobs. The offered pay per room is usually a bit higher as well. Both fields are great to work in, and both offer many rewards.

Choosing a specialty is often easy, but it can be more rewarding for you to have one. It doesn’t really matter which area you choose because they all have their rewards and difficulties. The most advantageous reason to specialize is obviously to set yourself up as an expert in your field.

Many people would prefer an expert to a designer that does work in all areas. It adds to your professional status.

• Do you often have ideas about friends and families homes, and what would make them look better?

• Are you finding that people often ask your opinion about their own homes, and what you think may make it look better?

• Do you like planning the rearrangement of your home before you do it?

• When decorating your own home, do you find yourself wondering how best to incorporate colors into your space?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, than you already have the passion to become an interior designer. These questions merely touched on the very thing that drew you to this guide in the first place. It just helped you realize that you were right in doing so.

The second thing that may need to become an interior designer is the interest. This basically explores whether or not your actual interest is genuine. Many people consider a great many careers before they develop a genuine interest in choosing one. We know that you have the passion, but does that passion mean that you have enough interest to follow through? I have some more questions for you to answer if you really want to know if the interest is really there for you.

• Do you feel the need to learn how best to coordinate the colors in your room before you seek to change them?

• Do you seek outside advice from professionals on how best to accent a particular object or color?

• Do you seek to know the history behind a particular style of décor when you notice one?

• Do you find yourself wondering what sort of planning went in to the creation of a glorious room you’ve been in?

• Would you prefer to read a design magazine above any other? (Modern Living, or Country Style Home)

• Do you think that Martha Stewart is nothing compared to you?

Again, a yes answer to any of these questions means a yes to your interest. But there is another aspect of interior design that must be covered. You may wish to be a certified interior designer. If that is the case, you will need to get a formal education in this field.

Some of these schools are accredited and can give you the certification that you need. (Know that your credentials will not be as high or recognizable as those from a College or University) These schools do offer many of the same courses but they are condensed, and blended together to suit a shorter course duration.

You can generally expect the entire course to last from one year or two. The tuition is generally half of what you could expect to pay at a College or University. Your tuition could cost as little as $8,000 for two years or $4,000 for one. Materials are generally included in the tuition, and financial aid is also available.

Some Trade Schools do not have a set schedule for the finish of a program. Some will let you go at your own pace and finish as quickly or slowly as you need to. If you chose to go this route, be sure to check to see that it is an accredited school, and ask what is included in your tuition. Also ask what type of certification you will receive.

Good people skills and negotiation techniques are a vital aspect of this specialty as well. After all, you are dealing with business people. They respond well to a good business person. You could be required to design an office space, a hallway, lobby, and possibly and entire interior building. The possibilities are endless here.
This is a specialty where your ability to estimate the value of your own work will come in handy because many businesses accept bids from the designers that they are interested in working with. Also, you will often have to work under specific instructions as to what the client is looking for, so listening skills will be important here.

This type of specialty can be very lucrative if you can establish a good rapport with your client. Doing a good job will lead to a steady, return client, and your ability to satisfy this client will often guarantee you more work as the client’s word of mouth can lead to other businesses desiring your services.

You may also have to work a little more closely with your client in this field as well because business people like to be on top of things to ensure that they are done right. It may be a little bit annoying at times, but it is worth it in the end.

You can be giving instructions to your contractors, working with your assistant on the fabrics, all while explaining it your client. This can cause a little bit of stress, but if you are good at multitasking, it is not so bad.

If you are not particular good at multitasking, you need not worry. Some people have just never been put to the test as far as that’s concerned. You may have had a relaxed job setting, or you may have worked on an assembly line for a few years. Many jobs require you to do regular tasks. They can be quite monotonous. If this sounds like you, I will list a few tips on how to help you learn to multitask.

Tips for Multitasking

1. Using computers can be a great way to save time and get many things done at the same time. Windows programs allow you to use more than one program at a time. Get familiar with it.

2. Review the tasks ahead of you before hand, and work on one item at a time. It helps you to prioritize your day. Focus on the most important tasks first, and the less important later.

3. Use your down time to prepare for the next day. This will help you to be more organized at the start of your day, so that you can keep your tasks at a comfortable level, and minimize stress.

4. Having constant access to your employees and clients is invaluable. Cell phones are a must for the successful multitasker. It keeps you in touch with everyone you need to talk to during the course of your day. (remember to start each day with a fully charged battery)

5. The ability to keep calm is a must. Practice relaxation techniques as often as possible. Some of these include deep breathing, warm soaks in the tub, and reading. If you already have great techniques, use them.

These are really general estimates, but they are as was listed in 2003 in Decorator’s Home Journal. Every person that is interested in Interior Design as a career can expect to make as much or as little as they want. You can virtually decide your financial potential on your own.

Extra Information: Many Interior Designers create their own products and product lines. They design everything from furniture, to furniture accessories. It can be a great way to promote your design services, and make a little bit of extra money. It’s relatively common practice among designers, you may want to consider it.

It will certainly make for a better interior designer portfolio, and will allow you the time to become an expert designer in that field. Here are some of the specialty fields that you can go into.

Sometimes designers choose to specialize in residential areas, and sometimes they choose to specialize in commercial properties. Some even narrow their field that they specialize in by only doing work for certain types of homes and businesses.

It is also quite common for designers to refuse to specialize at all. Some will work wherever the work is. This leaves the field a little bit wider for them, but specializing is a more professional route to take. It is also better for your portfolio in the long run.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of courses for interior design that are offered online. Finding one that has the right information you will want to learn will require some research on your part, but it’s not that difficult. Course prices for internet schools of design can start as low as $19.00 and go as high as $500.00.

Some online courses that are offered through legitimate Colleges and Universities are much cheaper than campus courses and offer the correct certification that you will need. Generally, these courses require that you take your exams on campus or in a monitored way of some sort. Again, research is needed to ensure that you are not being scammed.

There are some alternatives to taking any formal courses at all. This called “self teaching”. This is where you will study the necessary information that you will need to do Interior Design as a profession, but you will not be certified.

5. Put your best work forward. Do not show any work that you are not proud to have done.

There are of Course a couple of items that Interior designers always have on hand at all times. These are rather necessary, even if you are just starting out or want to get started.

Here is a list of some of the things that will be invaluable to you as you start your own Interior Design business.

1. Sell yourself: You will want to sell the public on your services and abilities. Do as much promotion as you can. Go everywhere that you can think of that hosts design events, and set yourself up as a contender.

2. Mingle: Try to meet as many different types of people as possible. Go to golf and country clubs with a load of business cards on hand. Be sure to have your portfolio on hand in case you get any bites. Go to all of the popular events in your area and start talking to people.

3. Start-Up Help: There are many places that you can go to get help with start up money. This only applies to people who are seeking to lease a studio outside of the home. Check your local government or business assistance programs.

4. Establish your Position: You want to ensure that you can let your community know that you are out there. Handing out flyers, offering special discounts or free services to your neighbors can let the people get a sample of your work. It is a good way to get your neighbors to spread the word.

5. Build your Clientele: I cannot express too much, the importance of approaching homeowners and businessmen with your ideas for refurbishing their spaces.

You will also need to be able to turn whatever items that they already have into works of art. Sometimes clients do not want to change everything, or buy new furnishings and draperies; they simply want to make whatever they do have look and feel different. Creative thinking is the only thing that is going to help here.

• Colors are your friend, and creativity can help you in setting colors against one another. Many designers love to add color to a room and change things just using this method and perhaps adding accents to existing items.

• Accents in a room can vary. You can create a great space by adding throw pillows, valances, and vases. This is the perfect career choice for a person that likes to be creative, abut not idle and/or isolated.

• Drawing

• Building construction

• Drafting

• History of design

• Furniture design

• Architecture

• Auto CAD

• Project management

• Design

• Computer aided Design

Of course there are many more courses that are a part of becoming a certified designer, but this at least gives you an idea of where you might start. You will also have to have certain high school courses to your credit before you should consider going to college or university to study design.

These are:

• Mathematics 4 years

• English 4 years

• Physics 1 year

• History/Social studies 1 year

• Computer Science 1 year

• Architectural Drawing 1 year

• Shop class 1 year

Tuition at any one of these schools can be quite expensive. You can expect to spend anywhere between $8,000 a year to $15,000 a year. A general certification course will run for four years. Getting certified could cost you anywhere from $32,000 to $60,000.

Of course, financial aid is always available for those that need assistance.
If these numbers and time frames scare you don’t worry, there are alternatives to this type of formal schooling. There are also cheaper alternatives to getting certified. You can try any of the following.

Designing and reading blueprints: This is particularly for the projects that require a great change in the area’s structure like wall removal etc. This is also required in order to make additional rooms, build gazebos, and adding extra rooms. You will need to draw up blueprints of the entire house or read the originals copies, so that you can do your job without causing much disturbance to the rest of the house or environment.

Environmental Analysis: Once you can read blueprints, you will have to analyze the information that is listed so that you can best decide where to go with your ideas. You need the ability to effectively create or remove space in a particular environment so that you can cause little or no disturbance the environment as a whole when making your changes.

Environmental Lighting: Many people forget that lighting is included in any space changing project. You must have knowledge of how lighting works, and have a general idea of what is needed to install light fixtures in areas that do not have them already. Many homes are not equipped with lighting fixtures in some rooms. Of course, if you wish to change the lighting fixtures from general lamps to say, track lighting, you may have a problem if you do not understand how to install it.

Basic Plumbing & pipe structure: If adding or changing spaces in kitchens and bathrooms, plumbing fixtures are often changed or re-organized. You will need to understand their basic functions in order to effectively plan a change that involves them, or is to be done around them. Before you consider Interior Design as a profession, you should ask yourself questions.

Many Interior Designers prefer this type of work because it is less stressful, and the deadlines are usually a little bit more relaxed. Homeowners rarely harass you to keep them posted on every aspect of what you are doing, so it can be a rewarding specialty. When you are allowed to create something that makes both you and the client happy, the feeling is much better.

The money that can be made doing residential design can be a little bit less lucrative at times, but there are always wealthy people that can use a great interior designer as well.

Sometimes, the work for residential areas can be quite small also. This type of work is generally for the designer that is in love with the aspect of being creative, rather than the need to be rich. If you are thinking of Interior Design as a means of expressing your creativity, this could be the right place for you.

Question 1) What are my principle interests?

Well, if you are more inclined toward the creative aspect of interior design, then you'd prefer being a residential designer.

However, if you are hoping to use your creativity to possibly put you into a better tax bracket, you may prefer to do commercial work. I'll just remind you here that this category's work is usually on a larger scale than in residential jobs, and so pays higher.

Interior design for a home is slightly different from that of commercial design. The needs for a home are quite different. I guess it's up to you to explore the different styles, materials and skills involved to decide on whichever you prefer.

Question 2) How will I specialize?
Now that you've chosen what you'd like to specialize in, you'll have to get ready to do what it takes!

Of course creativity and interest are important but definitely not the only requirements you'll need. Indeed certified education is the biggest and most useful tool when you choose to specialize.

In order to receive your certification, you must learn all of the technical aspects of design as well as the creativity that goes along.

Technical requirements:

* The ability to read and design blue prints
* Knowledge of color coordination and painting
* Difference between furniture brands and styles
* How to coordinate and organize a room to create a comfortable environment.
* How to correctly estimate the length and size of materials needed
* How to correctly estimate the amount of paints or wallpapers needed
* How to maximize interior space to the room's advantage.
* How to correctly identify different types of furnishings, and to incorporate that knowledge into a legitimate design plan.
* How to create an environmental plan because this is a practical, conducive and esthetic approach to your eventual goal of raising productivity, and selling your merchandise.
* How to explain space planning, lighting, layout and color schemes to your clients. People often like to know why you are doing the things that you are doing.
* How to arrange carpets, accessories, drapes and wall coverings.
* Knowledge of fine arts, sculptures, music etc. These will often be included in your design changes and must incorporate properly into the area. (you would not want to hang a Picasso in a Victorian themed room)
Business-related requirements
* How to communicate your ideas effectively to your client
* Basic marketing skills are needed to further your business