Have you ever wanted to turn your hobby into a career path? Decoration and Interior Design careers demand profiles willing to work full-time with passion and creativity. Today we share the creative skills to become professional interior designers and decorators. 

Interior design and decoration are similar career paths because both involve spaces, a sense of style, and the visible expression of a creative concept. While decorators usually are in charge just to apply cosmetic changes into spaces, an interior designer is more suitable to work within the actual space, changing the proportions, heights, and perspectives, as well as, of course, the decoration.  

To become an interior designer or an interior decorator, you should know relevant aspects of the practice. Both jobs require a combination of soft and hard skills for an accurate professional outcome. They both want to create cohesive and beautiful spaces, satisfying the client’s wishes and needs.

If you have always enjoyed decoration and design, but yearn for more knowledge, we share five qualities that you must develop in order to be ready for the job you want. 

 

  1. Think Intuitively and Creatively on Any Task

Design (in all of its variants) is a problem-solving process. Academic studies through the years have shown that creative professionals tend to be more expressive, spontaneous, flexible, and less controlled or inhibited in their behavior. To become an interior designer or decorator you must foster your ability to think intuitively and explore your non-verbal capacities for working under visual terms. This intuitive perspective will help you see connections or relationships where others cannot, and develop trust in your own instinct, judgment, and ideas.

Creative people are not afraid of challenging assumptions or trying a new approach. This trial-and-error phase is part of the creative and design process. In practical terms you must be able to find more than two pathways to approach a decoration or interior design project; approaching the project from different perspectives allows you to know how to get the most out of it. 

 

  1. Be Curious and Culture Your Eye

Foster your desire to investigate and learn every single day. Interior designers and decorators are always looking for inspiration, and it can be found in so many places. You need to find interests that lead you to inquiry, as culture is one of the main drivers in society. 

A well-educated eye and brain will help you bring the best creative concepts to your interior design or decoration projects. 

The decorator’s “eye” is more related to formal education and a deep understanding of interior design styles than possessing magical abilities. Do your homework and dive into French, Industrial, or Contemporary styles. You must study, learn the key basis of the style, and jump to another, Mediterranean, Bohemian, Minimalistic, Baroque or Scandinavian, nurture your brain with historic references, eye-catching photographs, and build a personal criterion.  

Keep an eye on trends, travel, and society changes. All of these ideas and references can guide you to understand aesthetics and techniques to create your personal signature style. 

 

  1. Have an Accurate Vision 

The vision of a decorator or an interior designer consists of a full and wide 360º comprehension of the space. Your vision will lead you to discover what a space could be. Fostering spatial awareness and the ability to envision a space is one of the most valued qualities of the job. 

Every project is a blank canvas; spaces require details to translate the designer’s vision into a structured project with specific instructions to follow. In other words you must be able to develop a vision, and execute it. 

 

  1. Communicate Effectively

You must care about people and foster your communication skills. Interior designers need to work alongside many professionals, as it is a customer, service-oriented job. Communicate your ideas clearly and directly to cultivate professional relationships. Ask clients what they want and try to be flexible adapting your working methods to different personalities and tastes. 

Communication is an art and will definitely help you in all aspects of your career. Foster your oral and written communication skills, practice active listening, and improve your presentation pitch. 

 

  1. Be Courageous and Have a Problem-Solving Attitude

 

Projects are often full of unforeseen events. Missing pieces, continuous changes in the decoration, production errors are the typical issues a decorator or interior designer will have to solve on the go. 

Foster your process management, prioritize daily tasks, benchmark options, and be flexible to do ongoing improvements and follow-through. These qualities will help you to get through the entire process. 

One of the most valuable qualities that creative professionals have is courage and passion. Be proud and follow your own sensibility and drive, to become the professional you always wanted to be.