A modern person pays special attention to the convenience and beauty of his home and workplace. It is important that the room in which he spends most of his life is safe, comfortable, ergonomic, and stylish. It’s hard to think over such a project from scratch on your own, so an interior designer comes to the rescue. An interior designer is a specialist who analyzes, plans, and manages the process of creating interiors for residential, office and industrial premises, thinks over the layout, zoning, lighting, and use of technical systems, and selects building materials, furniture and decor.
Responsibilities of an interior designer
The customer comes to the designer with a request to transform the interior. It can be an empty, newly built house, or an already lived-in apartment in need of updating. Perhaps this is not a living space, but an office, a restaurant or a boutique – quite often they order the design of commercial premises.
So, the order is received, and here is what the designer does next.
1. Draws up the terms of reference.To do this, he talks with the client, finds out from him all his wishes regarding the future interior. Then he goes to the object, takes photographs and measurements of the premises, decides whether redevelopment is necessary. Based on the results, a TOR is drawn up.
2. Comes up with an interior concept and draws a sketch . Usually the sketch is done by hand, the drawing shows in general terms the style and layout of the future interior.
3. Working on a design project.
This is a whole package of documents, which includes:
Information about the color scheme of the interior, furniture and accessories;
· Information about how many and what sources of lighting will be in the apartment, where they will be placed;
· Drawings: diagrams of the premises indicating the location of utilities, heating systems, sewerage, electrical wiring, sockets, etc. This includes plans for the placement of plumbing, kitchen equipment, furniture.
4. Makes a computer 3D visualization of the interior , so that the client can see with his own eyes what he will receive in the end.
5. Draws up an estimate , where he paints what it costs, and calculates how much his interior will cost the customer.
6. Selects building materials , components and furniture from catalogs. Often he or together with the client goes shopping to buy everything necessary for the repair and decoration of the interior.
7. Carries out architectural supervision. He supervises the work of the construction team, makes sure that the workers make exactly the same interior as he conceived it.
And only when all the previous points are completed, the designer’s work is completed, and he delivers the finished object to the client.
Qualities necessary for an interior designer Of course, the designer first of all needs an artistic taste and a sense of beauty, but this is not enough. That’s what’s important for an interior designer. Willingness to work hard Sometimes you have to spend the whole day at a construction site or run around the shops in search of a particular model of curtains or ceramic tiles. On other days, you will have to sit at your desk for 12 hours straight, sketching, making blueprints, or rendering interiors. Please note that the work of a designer is not for the lazy! Communication skills
An interior designer is by no means an office profession. Get ready to communicate a lot: with customers, with suppliers, with contractors, with workers on a construction site. You cannot do without the talent of a psychologist in order to understand what exactly the customer wants and be able to negotiate with him in order to find a balance between his desires with your creative idea.
The desire to constantly learn
No matter how many courses you complete, you cannot say that your education is completed. An interior designer must know a lot, and constantly be aware of everything new in his field. You need to attend exhibitions and conferences, read specialized literature, study the work of competitors, make connections – otherwise you will be left behind very quickly.
Love, and even passion for design
Interior design is not just a job, it’s a way of life. You have to generate ideas around the clock, constantly think about the next project, and if you are not on fire with design, you will not be able to do this. If you greedily absorb books and articles about design, never confuse classical style with baroque, and at the sight of any apartment you start thinking about how to make redevelopment in it – welcome to the profession!Special offer for those who read to the end. Becoming a designer is not a matter of one day. It is worth starting with small steps. You can read thematic literature, subscribe to professional blogs. And take part in a free online workshop from the Perspektiva Design School. Intensive “Design. Quick Start” you will learn about the features of creating a design project, about typical mistakes in planning, about styles in design and their compatibility. It will be interesting!