Any interior designers on here?

[Stuckinarut2022]

I’m a regular poster here but feel a little shy to post this so I’ve changed my name.

I’m on maternity leave and due to go back to work soon. I am dreading it. I’m a qualified, skilled professional. I work in a public service. The system is broken and I don’t think I can keep working in this field for another 30-40 years.

I’m creative and very house proud. I absolutely love interior design and get a lot of comments about being an interior designer when people come over. I’ve always just brushed this off but recently I have begun to dare to wonder if this could really happen for me.

If you are an interior designer, could you tell me how to get into the field? What kind of qualifications would I need? What kind of equipment? I am really hopeless with technology and have no social media, so I know this is something I would have to change.

I am also embarking now on two ‘projects’, with another in the pipeline. One is redoing a room in my own home, the other is redoing a friend’s new flat on a budget. The third, further down the line, is advising on a friend’s extension/remodel. I get asked to do this sort of thing all the time, and I just do it for free as I enjoy it. I spend a lot of time but it’s very casual. However, I am wondering how to build up my experience through these projects, and how to get the most out of them in terms of being able to showcase my work. We did a lot of work on our house with me drawing out the plans by hand and designing everything down to the last detail, and I am very proud of it, but I don’t have much to show for it beyond the finished product.

I hope this doesn’t come across as if I think just anyone can be an interior designer. If I’m honest I expect I don’t have the talent I would need. But there’s just a glimmer of hope and interest there at the moment that doesn’t seem to be going away. I’d be so grateful for advice from anyone in the field or related fields.

I'm not an interior stylist but work freelance in a related career (textile print & graphic design). I went back to uni as a mature student and did a degree, and a few of the graduates from my year went on to become interior stylists, but I wouldn't say this was necessary at all.

It sounds like you have a few projects lined up which is great. I would focus on using these as portfolio pieces. It would be very beneficial to hire a good photographer to take some professional photos of finished projects, and maybe work with a graphic designer to put together a brand identity for your business and your portfolio (could be a website based portfolio). Working on your branding is really important as it will help you identify where you'd like to pitch yourself in the market - i.e high end interiors etc. and will help you win more clients.

In terms of how to build up some more work after this, the way I did it was by pushing myself on social media (mostly Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn work for me) and get out and make connections with local people. I'm lucky to live in an area with a good scene on independent businesses who I've built a relationship with just by being local, popping in and chatting to them etc. and some of them have approached me to do bits of work for them, and it's just gone from there.

Hopefully someone will come along who is more in the line of work you're interested in but I thought my experience might be useful

Also don't think you can't do it because you're not formally trained! If you're passionate about it, spend as much time as you can researching, reading about colour theory, trend predictions etc. Spend time putting together ideas, even if it's just Pinterest boards. It sounds like you have some natural talent and sometimes that's all it takes to get started and build upon.

DH and I run a business in Gloucestershire, making and supplying soft furnishings. We always used to employ an interior designer but to be honest, since the pandemic we've scaled right back and help clients out with colour schemes ourselves. I'm not qualified but enjoy helping put rooms together and we're lucky that we've got some really good fabric accounts that allow us lots of choices for all budgets.

There are a LOT of interior designers locally, and we get several who come to us for use of our fabric accounts. I'd agree with the PP about getting yourself out and about locally especially using social media. In a really competitive field, you need to stand out well.

And just as a word of caution, we get people who come in and we invest HOURS of time visiting them at home, doing room layouts etc........ and then they beetle off onto Google and try to supply their own fabrics etc. DH has spent around 22 hours recently with someone at some distance from us, who then went off and sourced everything themselves and asked us to fit it....... to which they got a very polite thanks but no thanks. There are a lot of CFers around in this field. It's certainly not without stress, I can promise you.

Thank you both so much for your advice. The suggestion of a photographer is a really good idea, @woodstocker. I will be doing the work anyway so being able to use it to build a portfolio is a good idea.

@badger1970, that is one of my worries. I can see that I have a good eye and that I have passion for interiors. But so do so many others, and really I don’t think of myself as exceptional, and then I just think well what’s the point then?! But at the moment, the field I work in can be life or death and I just don’t know if I’ve got it in me anymore, post children. It’s a shame as I’m good at what I do and I’ve been working in the field for 10+ years, but it’s so sad and increasingly it’s not even possible to do a good job anymore. I just want to bail! Having said all that, I know that working for myself would be highly stressful and in a sense much higher risk for myself. I don’t know how I’d cope with that type of pressure, as I’ve always been salaried. It’s certainly a good point about the different stresses and I don’t for one second think that starting my own business is the easy option!!

hello,
firstly I really your quire I am an interior designer and have an experience of 20 years. Running my business in the UK with great rank. when I was at school just decided to work for people and give them the best look for their house. My suggestion is never to lose your confidence and always follow your dreams. I knack for going above & beyond the client’s brief and bringing a sense of uniqueness to every project because this is the most imp thing.
to know more please our website anytime
www.vdesignkitchenandbedrooms.co.uk/laminated-worktops

Hi sorry to jump on this. I don’t suppose you have taken the plunge?? I am looking for someone that can do an online consultation and perhaps take it further. Will obviously pay fees, but also a good way for someone new starting up building a portfolio? It’s for an absolutely tiny bedroom that I need help with! Please PM me if you fancy a project!