Are you interested in interior design but unsure about how to take your passion to the next level? Then this article is for you! Keep reading to learn all about how to turn your love for interior design into something bigger and better.
Feed your passion
Before anything, you need to know what your passion is. Interior design can be a lucrative career, but only if it’s something that you’re willing to pour your heart and soul into every day. If you’re not totally enthralled with the idea of designing interiors for homes or offices, then don’t force yourself into doing something that you don’t want to do.
Following your passion means that you will be happier with what you’re doing, and ultimately better at it. It also makes the workdays much more enjoyable!
Find your specialty
Just as you shouldn’t force yourself to pursue a career path that doesn’t make your heart sing, you shouldn’t try to do everything. Specializing in one type of interior design means that you will have more knowledge and expertise with what you’re doing. It also allows potential clients to come to you specifically for your specialty, which opens up the opportunity for more jobs.
Once you have decided on what your passion is, it’s time to find out where your specialties lie within that subject. Invest in books or take classes that teach everything related to that area. If you’re already an expert in something, others will recognize this and come to you with jobs based around that. Otherwise, you have to prove yourself.
Get some training
There are many ways to get training as an interior designer. You can take classes at a trade school or local community college, attend workshops and seminars, or even go online for courses.
No matter what method you choose, it is important that you leave with some sort of certificate or diploma demonstrating your new skills and knowledge. This way, clients can be sure that you have a certain level of understanding and ability.
Consider any overheads
There are always overheads to consider when running a business. From property taxes to payroll, you need to understand how much it will cost to start your interior design business. Because there are so many different ways to operate as a designer, you have to consider all of the potential costs.
For example, if you plan on running your business from home then think about how much rent will be and whether or not that is feasible given your budget. On the other hand, if you want a studio where clients can come in for meetings, you have to ensure that it doesn’t infringe on your living space.
Build a portfolio
A lot of great designers never show their potential clients any previous projects or designs they’ve done, because they are afraid of having their ideas copied. While you shouldn’t show off your very best work in case it is stolen, you should definitely add examples of previous work to improve your credibility and marketability.
Even though building up your portfolio takes time, it’s something that you can do along the way to each project. As soon as you finish any interior design job, take pictures or videos of before and after shots so that you have them on hand to put in your portfolio.