Any interior designers?

amother

Mon, Jan 13 2020, 9:59 am

Interested to hear from interior designers. I was always interested in learning interior design for homes but never went to school for it. What should I look for? Associate degree or a good program with a certificate is enough? How long does it take to complete? Is it possible to do it mostly online? I’m part time working and a mom so looking to do most classes from home if possible. Also, I’m planning for Aliyah one day, I’m not sure how popular it is in Israel abd if I should just study it over there. Any information will be helpful.

amother

Mauve

Mon, Jan 13 2020, 11:30 am

Interior decor has become a very popular job in Israel. Lots of women especially go into it.
A decade ago no one in Israel would dream of hiring an interior decorator (except for the very wealthy). It was considered totally unnecessary. Today, a lot of people do - but in certain cities/areas. There are cities/communities where nobody is hiring them. You have to know the area and its mentality.

I don't know about studying online - I would think it's the type of thing you'd have to do in person? It's not a two dimensional field.

There are different names for the field in Israel - , הומ סטיילינג, מעצבת, הלבשת בתים. You have to be EXTREMELY detail oriented. The field always seemed like fun to me until I spoke with an acquaintance who had worked as a designer. You have to be in touch with all the different professionals (kitchen, lighting ,floor, etc) and make sure they are doing things exactly as you requested. You have to know measurements and so on.

I guess if you ONLY work in home styling you could avoid some of that (in other words, no renovations, only choosing textiles, paint color, furnishing). But I assume there is less work if you limit yourself like that. Most interior decorators offer different 'packages' from hourly rate to full renovation.

amother

Goldenrod

Mon, Jan 13 2020, 1:10 pm

There is a difference between interior design and interior decorating. If you just do decorating its more of a hobby, if you have an artistic eye you can help pick out fabrics, furniture, accessories etc.
Design take a lot of skill. You need to learn computer programs and standard measurements and a lot about the construction of a home.
I went to college online through Art Institute of Pittsburgh, but they are closed now. College is important to get a basic idea of the field, but experience is a must!

Rubber Ducky

Mon, Jan 13 2020, 2:10 pm

I do residential and kitchen design (and sell cabinets) — primarily space planning, and very closely related to what you want to do. Consider getting an AA degree in interior design, and then take the tests for interior design certification. I believe you need to do an internship as part of the degree, but there are online degree options. You will need to master a CAD program if you want to do more than be a decorator.

You will learn more in the field than in school. Wishing you hatzlacha — I love my work!