Your home is a reflection of your personal style. Choosing an interior designer should be a well-thought-out decision, to find someone who will provide you with the luxury interior design that you desire. The following characteristics are important for successful interior designers to possess.
What is an Interior Designer?
Interior design is the process of making a space more aesthetically pleasing. There are many different styles of interior design. An interior designer researches, plans, and manages the design of a space. There are many facets of this position because there are so many different steps involved in the re-making of a space. Interior designers can work in both residential and commercial areas, and usually have an area of specialty, for example, modern home design.
Qualities of a Successful Interior Designer
There are several qualities that interior designers should possess:
1. Education and Training.
Interior designers most often have a bachelor’s degree, with coursework in design and drawing. Some states require that interior designers hold a license from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). In California, certified interior designers are qualified by the California Council for Interior Design Certification. In states that do not require a professional license, an interior designer should be a member of a national council for interior design as an addition to his/her education. The requirements to become a member of such an organization are similar to those for the professional license.
2. Good Communication.
An interior designer must be able to communicate well to many different types of people. The designer will be interacting with engineers, contractors, retail stores, and clients on a daily basis and must be able to handle different personalities. The designer must listen to what the client wants and be able to communicate that well to others.
3. Management Skills.
An interior designer may be working on multiple projects (for the same client, or for different clients) at the same time. Project management skills are necessary to complete the work on time so the next step of the project can go forward.
4. Problem-Solver.
Deadlines are a part of the design process. Clients have specific deadlines, as do certain steps of the process. Things will inevitably go wrong at some point in the process. It is up to the interior designer to stay calm and find a solution to the problem quickly so the project’s timeline is met.
5. Planner.
Clients have specific wants and needs for a space. An interior designer must be able to plan out a space according to those needs. The plan should be laid out using drawings, models, or computer-aided design software.
6. Knowledge.
A designer has to be able to translate the client’s needs into the space with furniture, color, lighting, and flooring. The arrangement of these elements and how they work best together is what really what makes a designer stand out. For example, pairing high-end furniture with lower cost accents is a skill that designers can do without sacrificing the integrity of the design. If you have basic knowledge of art, then it will be very easy for you to evaluate the knowledge of the designer on many scales. You can easily master various aspects of art and design like acrylic painting for beginners with consistent efforts.
7. Love of Decorating.
When an interior designer loves to create, it shows in the work. A true love of decorating will make the process smoother and the results better.
8. Inquisitive.
Design is an art that is always changing. A designer should want to change with it. Being on top of the latest trends in interior design will help a designer create spaces that are unique.
Finding an interior designer with these skills will help ensure that your project achieves the results you want. Kern & Co. offers full-service interior design in both residential and commercial arenas with access to the best luxury brands.
