TIPS FOR TRAINING AS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER IN LAGOS NIGERIA

If you happen to receive constant stream of compliments regarding the way you design your own home and how good your taste is when it comes to shaping up interiors, then a career as an interior designer might just be waiting for you. Though it’s not an easy task, becoming a professional interior designer only requires you have an eye for fashion, an intuitive sense of style and the ability to adapt and create/recreate. Here are some simple and easy tips that could help you start your journey towards a whole new career;

Train your eye to pick up on details instantly

A good interior designer has a natural talent for picking up what is right with the room, which stuff looks out of place and what needs to be altered to change the current look. No matter how good you are (instinctively), it is only honing these skills will make you better. Whenever you walk into a room from now on, just observe what you like, what would you change and how you would improve its beauty. Start the practice for now in your own mind. Flip through magazines and the internet for more new ideas.

Obtain an appropriate degree or certification to get started

If you are setting big goals and wish to go completely professional in interior designing, then this is a must. A school such as Simplinteriors School of Interior Design and Entrepreneurship offers courses that can assist in your career path. The education will not only polish your existing talent, but it will open your mind up to new ideas, past designing trends and latest in the world of style. Certification can be obtained at various skill levels depending on the goals you have set for yourself. Start modest soon you can aim for the peak. A degree in this regard will also help you get a job at a designing firm.

You must have a knack for design

It may seem obvious, but in order to become an interior designer, you need to have an innate flair for color, spatial arrangements, architecture and textiles. Do you enjoy decorating your home and get lots of compliments on your décor? That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be an interior designer, but its certainly a good sign.

The first step to a successful career is to follow your passion; after all, doing something you love will never feel like work.

Get lots of practice- even if its pays nothing

Like in every other profession on the planet, practice is the difference between success and failure. No matter how good you are, you will not understand many practical hassles unless you get down and get things done across the home. Keep alerting your own home constantly and also decorate the homes of your friends and relatives – even if it does not a dime. There will come a day when all this ‘free work’ will pay off in a big way.

Make a portfolio and build your contacts

In the world of fashion and design the two most important aspects that define your success are your portfolio and your contacts. A picture says a thousand words, and this is definitely true when it comes to an interiors designer’s portfolio. You can talk all day long about colors and textiles, but unless you have an outstanding portfolio that showcases your designs and projects, your successes will be few and far between. Make a great portfolio initially and if that means working as an assistant to someone for a small amount of time, so be it. Then make sure you have some good contacts. As your contact list and the amount of work grow, your portfolio looks more impressive and clients can be roped in, it is like a chain that sustains and grows! Always remember that a portfolio that showcases your projects is key to landing jobs.

Always keep learning- Design locally, but think globally

It is important to work keeping in mind the local sensibilities, tastes, climate patterns and needs. Try to mix and match with new trends and be connected with the world; stay with the pulse of the industry. Interior designing is a very dynamic field and those who fail to keep up will have to face the ‘axe’.

Designing interiors for a living is a great feeling as you take home not only the cash but also the satisfaction that you have touched, altered and improved the life of someone. It is a feeling that not many professions have to offer-a combination of aesthetics, cash, creativity and functionality.

You need to be a people’s person

Ask interior designers to share their experiences, and they will surely relate some horror stories of past clients. People are finicky, especially when it comes to their homes. While some clients have clear goals in mind, others may think they know what they want only to discover that they hate the final product and are dissatisfied with your work,

A successful interior designer is a people pleaser and a mitigator (and sometimes a mind reader) – someone who can steer clients towards a favorable outcome while making them feel they are in full control of the design choices. Interior designers are constantly balancing their design decisions and their client’s desires. It’s not a cakewalk, to say the least.

Get and stay up-to-date with interior trends

This industry is constantly changing and you need to know what is going on in the trade. If you enjoy decorating, this will be easy and fun for you. Follow color trends, read magazines and attend market and home shows. After all, learning never stops!

A successful designer does much more than pick out pretty fabrics and rearrange furniture. In a typical day, they may deal with cabinet spacing, steer a homeowner away from a budget-blowing item, track down a missing tile installer, work on a seasonal installation for a business storefront, make a presentation in front of an architectural review board…and the list goes on.

If after going through this and you feel the interior design thing is for you then enroll in one of the best interior design school – Simplinteriors school of interior Design and Entrepreneurship. At Simplinteriors, we would train you to become a certified interior designer. Call us today on 0812302337, 09090008527 or visit our training center at no 71, Falolu road off Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. You can also visit our website @www. Simplinteriors.com.