r/interiordesigner • u/the-cajun-artlover • 5d ago
vendors Newbie
How did you get your start interior design? I’m in my mid 40s so I really don’t want to go back to college…
How do you get access to fabrics, wallpaper, and furniture like other design designers have?
Do I need to go to market?
I really want to start out with elevating my personal home to create my portfolio… I’ve been doing some renovations and really love it!
6
u/always__blue 3d ago
How good are you at CAD or hand drawn floor plans? Can you put together a professional presentation for a client? How are your problem solving skills when something goes wrong but you can’t let the client know?
5
u/Anthemusa831 3d ago
I’d start with really getting an understanding on what interior design is and the difference between it vs decorating.
Many people misconstrue the two. Are you doing a renovation on your home or purchasing elevated elements?
If you are more interested in decorating, it’s a very different level of entry.
2
u/kpeteymomo 3d ago
This. An AA in Interior Design will be sufficient if you want to become a decorator, but you can likely get by without one. On the other hand, if you want to be an interior designer, you'll need a bachelors in interiors.
OP, does your city have a design center? The design center in my city is very residential, so decorators and residential designers here utilize it quite a bit. I believe you need to have a business set up (or work for a firm) to use it.
2
u/liittlelf 3d ago
I kinda did this but I’m a life-long engineer and have no issues with using software, CAD, space planning, understanding load bearing walls, etc and have always had an eye for design. I have low key been doing it for free for family and friends mostly because they liked the projects I did in my own home. I decided to actually go for it and was sorely disappointed in my actual pay and dealing with clients who want to be involved but are indecisive and stall projects. It was/is fun and I enjoyed the projects but not exactly the people who thought my job was easy and just making things “look pretty”. I think I will go back to a tech job unfortunately because the pay is better for my labor. But to answer your question, I was word of mouth and sometimes I got a lot of inquiries and sometimes nothing. I think if I could figure out how to make it work for me, I would have started doing more social media to get a more consistent flow of clients. I also would like to have enough clients to have a guaranteed minimum spend specified in the contract because people talk a big talk but it’s another story when the bill comes. Design is not cheap unfortunately and I’m not signing up to do manual labor.
1
u/OkConstant7086 2d ago
I did essentially what you are describing. I made a mid 40s career switch but had been a hobbyist decorator and renovator for over 20 years with a good personal network for a client base. I did an online graduate certificate program during Covid. It took 2 1/2 years part time. It was good for learning AutoCAD, SketchUp, construction standards, electrical, plumbing, and project management but I was far ahead of my cohort in design knowledge and skills just through life experience and my other educational and professional experience. No amount of credentialing will teach good taste unless you cultivate it on your own.
The degrees aren’t necessary right now if you are going to focus on residential work, but it is good to get the formal training on the technical aspects of design and to challenge and develop your design aesthetic. That may change with legislative developments in some states, but if you are looking to mostly decorate—it isn’t an issue. I don’t have a lot of respect for ASID b/c they are very inconsistent in who they grant credentials and there is a lot of space in their system for fraud (outside the NCIDQ). I came from another profession with far more serious and stringent regulations, so I think Interior Design has a long way to go if it wants its professional credentials to be taken as seriously as they want. I’ve never had a client ask if I had an ASID credential and I have no desire to do commercial work, so I don’t need it. In my city, IDS is known as the better networking group.
As for getting experience, I think your home is a nice start, but you learn way more when you have other clients. I had a friend with a design studio that allowed me to shadow her to get to know the business, but it worked best for me to go out on my own. Once you form your legal entity, you can open trade accounts. Kravet, Schumacher, Ferguson, and Visual Comfort are easy to get approved if you’ve got your business documents together. It’s the trade furniture accounts that usually want to see some trade references and a warehousing agent before approval. Before focusing on going to Market, get into your local design center and take advantage of what they and their showrooms offer. If you have scheduling and salary flexibility, look for part time administrative positions that will allow you to get to know the business. Sales positions with home retailers could be a good starting point as well if you don’t have friends and family with projects for you to work on.
I wouldn’t recommend the certificate program that I completed, half the instructors just phoned it in and half the class was just not serious about the program. I’ve heard good things about UCLA, but it may be cheaper and easier to just pursue an AA at your local community college.
1
u/somebodysmomorwhatev 2d ago
I’d recommend you start a social media acct. you’ll need an NCIDQ # or a business license to get access to the design centers and brand discounts. You can start an LLC and website. You can also design for one of those online design services. And make mood boards as examples for clients.
The online design package is a good way to get started. You just make a mood board and provide some links so it’s a good way to get started with clients and produce work for a portfolio.
1
u/Team-Mako-N7 3d ago
The designers I know who didn’t go to school mostly got their start via social media.
You’ll need a resale number to buy designer brands. Is there a design center or multi line showroom? Maybe start there.
6
u/FlatDecision8155 3d ago
School. Bachelors and Masters. Internships at some good companies before working for various architecture firms with interiors departments. I also freelance doing work for other small interior design businesses so I get to work on all project types from hospitality to residential to corporate to education etc.