General Description:  Does it seems like every time you turn on the television these days, there is another home decorating show on the screen?  From full-blown renovations to creative ways to spruce up a home for the holidays; Americans are spending time and money learning how to make their houses into treasured homes.

If you've been bitten by the decorating bug, now might be a great time to transition into the design field.  Fortunately, there are many different ways you can earn your living within this industry:

Professional Interior Designers are the "gold standard" in the industry.  They meet stringent licensing/certification/educational requirements (see www.asid.org and www.fider.org for more details).  According to the ASID website: “Interior designers must know how to plan a space and how to present that plan visually so that it can be communicated to the client. Interior designers must also know about the materials and products that will be used to create and furnish the space, and how texture, color, lighting and other factors combine and interact to make a space. In addition, interior designers must understand the structural requirements of their plans, the health and safety issues, building codes, and many other technical aspects.”

Interior Decorators are mainly concerned with the decorating finishes of a home, i.e., wallpaper, fabrics, furniture, window treatments, etc.  While courses and training are helpful for success, there is no standardized educational or certification path for people who want to be decorators.

Home Stylists or Home Staging Professionals help people quickly make their homes more attractive or saleable without spending a fortune on new items.  They work with clients to rearrange furniture, use accessories or choose a new paint color to freshen up their homes with minimal "muss and fuss".  People with a flair for design can become stylists without any official training or certifications.  However, if you'd prefer to get the training, there are a number of home styling professionals who now offer short training workshops (generally under one week) for people who want to go into this business.

Options for Flexibility:  Very flexible - most people meet with clients at their homes for scheduled appointments.  Interior designers who deal with commercial projects may need to travel and be on-site for longer periods of time.

Successful designers/decorators can earn over $100,000 per year.

Clients can be charged by the project, on an hourly basis, or as a percentage of goods purchased (decorators can often buy furniture and decorative supplies at a discount and then sell them to the client with a mark-up). 

Resources for Further Exploration:

Associations:

Other Books: