5 Insightful Ideas to Be a Better Interior Designer

Read up on the rules

Concepts and Beyond

If you are an interior designer, you have surely come across questions like the ones above.

With the million and one options in materials and decor available, it is no surprise that business proprietors and homeowners would want the best for their space or home. Whether it is for building a new nest or doing renovations, the choices are endless.

The questions mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more to consider that will challenge you as an interior designer. Being one is not just about fun, fabric, and fabulous tête-à-têtes with celebrity clients. It is not only about coming up with extraordinary concepts and designs.

What a Wonderful Space

Interior designing is so much more. It requires not only the basic skills that you learn from school. It’s also a character building profession that, when taken seriously, can help develop you into someone with a brilliant personality.

Interior designers do not just have magical minds that turn dull spaces into fantastic works of art. They are also good listeners (and sometimes mind-readers) to their clients, tuning in closely to what they want. They turn dreams into reality through translating concepts into masterpieces.

If you want to be more than just one of the many, then you need to get to work. Here are five valuable tips to follow if you want to become a better, more well-rounded interior designer:

  1. School is cool: Having a knack for decorating is good. But to become better at interior designing, getting formal training would be ideal.

    It is a blessing to have a natural eye for beauty and putting things together to create a lovely space. When you have a degree in interior design, however, you will have the necessary knowledge to enhance your innate talent.

    School is cool
    Image Source: Google Image

    You will learn not only about the history of design but also about the fundamentals of art, spatial design, proportion, and other related fields. You also need to keep abreast of the latest trends and information in the industry. Even taking supplementary classes on the newest technological tools like computer-aided drawing (CAD) will greatly augment what you already know.

    Lifelong learning is key to being on top of the game. What you learn will be the foundation where you will base your concepts and ideas.

  2. Pack a powerful portfolio: No matter how many hours you talk about your colorful concepts and ingenious ideas, when you don’t have a breathtaking portfolio to show, then you can easily be overlooked in the sea of competition.

    Design a portfolio that shows off your work. If you’re a newbie, especially, show your design process and complement your artwork with well-written descriptions. Clients would want to know that you have the ability to think things through, especially when problems arise.

    Pack a powerful portfolio
    Image Source: Google Image

    When you have the experience to show for it, then flaunt it in the most spectacular way possible. Make use of the wonders of technology. Don’t just present your portfolio when going to interviews. Leave a snippet of your body of work through a “mini-portfolio” such as a creatively designed flyer or business card. You’re artistic. Make good use of it.

  3. Read up on the rules: Being an interior designer is not just about working with colors, textiles, or materials. You also need to get into the nitty-gritty of things. This includes learning about laws and codes.

    You need to educate yourself about the existing local laws. You need to know the building codes. You have to be armed with the proper regulations before you even start presenting to your clients.

    More importantly, knowing the standards and codes will also keep your clients safe from substandard materials or haphazard construction. You know which materials to use for walls or what works best for bathrooms. You’ll know the correct specifications needed for safe kitchens or the right LED to use for retail areas. These are important aspects of your work and you need to know them by heart.

    Read up on the rules
    Image Source: Google Image

    When you know the rules, then you know how to come up with the right design that will satisfy your clients’ needs without breaking the law.

  4. Polish your people skills: You will need to speak and interact with a lot of people in this business. Not only will you need to converse with clients and understand what they want, but you also need to connect with architects, building consultants, project engineers, and other professionals.

    You will deal with service providers. You will engage in discussions with suppliers who provide interior design solutions – from floor tiles, walls, kitchens, and baths to LED lighting solutions, sanitary wares, and kitchen appliances.

    Polish your people skills
    Image Source: Google Image

    Forging good relations with a professional network will also gain you points with your clients. This will assure them that you are someone who has good work ethics based on how well you get along with the many home and space suppliers you work with.

  5. It’s not you. It’s them: As a professional, you want to always take into consideration the specific personalities and preferences of your clients. They take center stage.

    They want a dream house? You make it happen. They want a rock in’ retail lounge? You make it rock.

You take into account their distinctive lifestyles and tailor the design of the house accordingly. You consider the target market of the business, who uses the space, and how the space will add to the overall brand look. You will use what you know to design the space of their dreams.

Beautiful inside and out

In the face of fierce competition, you need to make an effort to stand out. You will need to keep on working on your skills and talents to show that you have the capability of a masterful interior designer. Your education, experience, and expertise in this field will mean a lot to your clients. Take what you learn to heart and translate it into artistic expressions of space.

As an effective interior designer, you also want to create lasting relationships with people that you meet at work. These are your clients, your colleagues, your network of suppliers and service providers. It’s even admirable if you can build rapport even with the ones you have a healthy competition with.

Whether it is the interior spaces they design or their own internal characters, professional designers make sure both aspects of their lives are worthy of admiration.

About Yahya

YahyaZarka is the Managing Director at Concept Bath Trading RAK FZE in Dubai. Backed with 28 years of experience in catering to the Middle Eastern market, the company supplies water-saving bathroom and kitchen solutions as well as tiles and LED light products, all delivered in high quality and stylish designs.

View all posts by Yahya →

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