Professional Interior Designer

Often confused with the interior decorator, a professional interior designer requires more than just an eye for beauty. While an interior decorator simply applies the principles of decorating to make a space more beautiful, an interior designer makes wide aesthetic changes and is licensed to coordinate such large projects. An interior designer obviously has the qualities of an interior decorator but looks much deeper than the surface of the room. An interior decorator is a professional person who has one or more qualifications to their name. A professional interior designer needs a specific set of qualities to make a success.

A professional interior designer must be a technically minded person. That means they must be able to not only read but also design blueprints. This is often required in those projects where large changes need to take place. Along with the ability to understand blueprints comes the ability to perform an environmental analysis. A designer must be able to use the information provided so that a space can be altered, added or removed. Not only must a designer be able to alter space to suit the needs of the new design but it must also be done with as little disturbance to the environment as possible.

Connected to the technical side are two very technical aspects that a professional interior designer must be able to handle. These two aspects are lighting and plumbing. In any grand project where things are being changed and rebuilt, the lighting of the area or space may need to be rewired. A designer must have the knowledge of how lighting and wiring works even if the designer is not the one who is going to do the actual rewiring. The same applies for plumbing and pipes. In projects that include places such as the kitchen, bathroom or pool, the designer needs to be aware of where and how pipes do what it is they do. Again, like with the lighting, even though the designer may not be the person doing the actual work, the knowledge of how to organize and plan the plumbing is essential.

Aside from the technical aspects, a professional interior designer also needs to have other characteristics. Probably most importantly, a designer needs to be creative to make your clients’ visions come to life. A designer also needs to be well organized. Keeping track of various projects at the same time while also keeping tabs on the people working on the projects requires some organizational skill. A designer needs to be good at solving problems when they arise. No project is without its ups and downs and a good designer must be able to handle every situation that arises.

Designers must also be able to multi-task. Being able to handle several things at once while still keeping all the things organized is the sign of a true professional. An interior designer also needs to be friendly since they work with people on a daily basis. There are likely other criteria, depending on whom you ask, but these mentioned above are a good indication that you have a truly professional interior designer on your side.