How To Choose An Interior Designer Or Redecorator

What types of professional interior designers are available?

Have you heard of Interior redecorators? These professional interior decorators transform your home using things you have accumulated over the years. The end result is a balanced, harmonious space that reflects the personality of the people who use it. Many interior designers have added this service to their repertoire. Alternate terms for professional interior designers specializing in interior redecorating are interior redesigners, interior arrangers, interior stylists, one day decorators, visual coordinators or interior refiners.

What is a Certified Interior Designer? (from B&P Code Section 5800,5538)

A Certified interior designer is a competent design professional who is qualified to design, prepare, and submit any type of nonstructural, non-seismic interior construction plans and specifications to local building departments. Certified interior designers have demonstrated through education, experience, and examination their knowledge of the Uniform Building Code as it relates to space planning, life safety, flammability, and disabled access code issues. Most interior designers have a minimum four-year education. Many have Master of Interior Design degrees or other additional education in architecture or interior design. Interior designers who have many years experience may not have a Bachelors in Interior Design, but usually are well educated and have many years of qualified experience. All qualified interior designers will indicate that they have passed the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Certification) examination and/or are registered/ certified/ licensed in their state.

How do Interior Decorators charge for their services?

Flat Design Fee: The client pays a flat fee for the professional interior designer's services based on the design plan, time required, and scope of services.

Hourly Rate: The interior decorator bills a negotiated rate per hour.

Cost Plus Method: Professional interior designers charge a set percentage on all merchandise purchased and tradesmen's services rendered.

Mixed Method: The client pays both a set percentage on purchases and a base design fee for hourly rate.

Per square foot: This method is used especially in new construction.

What to ask at the first meeting:

• Ask to see the interior designer's portfolio, but remember that the designs reflect other people's tastes,¬ not necessarily the interior decorator's, and possibly not your own.
• Ask what size projects the interior designer has worked on, where, and what was the budget range.
• Ask how the established budget will be handled, and the kind of payment schedules the interior decorator requires.
• Ask about the types of services the designer can provide.
• Ask for a list of references.

Interior Design Decorators

When architecture and design come together a field known as interior design is born. If you need to do some interior decorating then there are a few important points to keep in mind. The point is to make a coordinated space that has harmony in which the architecture, the space and its functions are all brought together to maximize the room's functionality while being aesthetically pleasing. The color, lighting, texture and proportions are important for this task. Choosing the right, quality furniture like Barlas Baylar or Brancusi, is the other big step.

Begin with the lighting and color scheme. Both of these should complement the architecture used in the space and it should set the tone of the room. If the room is going to be used mainly for television and video games then lighting is not a big issue. If this room is instead a reading room then the amount of sun light, and lighting in general, becomes a much bigger point of interest. If the room is a recent college graduates bedroom then perhaps blue is not the best color choice. If the room is a young boy's bedroom then blue may be the best choice.

Texture is another point that needs to be addressed. If the room is going to be used as a living room then rough textures should be avoided while soft, inviting textures should be maximized. However, if the room is a playroom for children then playfulness and whacky colors are acceptable.

Now, you need to get high-end furniture to make the room complete. The furniture is going to be used on a daily basis, so choosing furniture that is sophisticated and well built such as Barlas Baylar or George Nakashima, is essential. Make sure it is proportional to the room. You don't want an long dining room table in a small room. This will make the room awkward. The furniture should fit comfortably so the room isn't seemingly empty nor is it cramped. You also want the furniture to compliment the criteria listed above. For example, if the carpet of a room is grey, a grey couch is probably a bad idea.

Interior Design Decorators

If you want to further educate you and need to learn how to be creative as well as learn the techniques required to become a good interior decorator, then you need to enroll in colleges to earn at least a bachelors degree. There is much that you can learn including planning, equipping, and designing as well as furnishing both residential as well as commercial interiors, and a qualified interior decorator should have no difficulty in enjoying a good career after having studied in college.

Learn Computer Aided Designing

Students who go to colleges will also get a chance to learn how computer applications can be used in drafting as well as for using graphics in their interior designs and there are other subjects taught as well including acoustics, interior lighting, coordinating colors, integration of systems and also learning about furniture as well as furnishing.

It covers a whole range of subjects that in addition to those just mentioned above also include textiles, textile furnishing as also learning about a number of different period styles. Another topic that you will learn at different colleges is structural design as also building codes while inspection regulations are also a part of the curriculum, and you will also learn the ways in which inspection regulations can be used in commercial as well as residential interior designing.

You can be sure that there are a number of good colleges as well as some schools that provide a well drafted curriculum that brings out the best as far as a student’s creativity is concerned, and there is also the business angle to being taught and students will also learn how best to deal with customers so that everything and anything that is related to their field and are taught to make students have an all-round awareness of what they are all about.