Fancy a room makeover?

An interior decorator can make your dream room come true!

What does an interior decorator do?

An interior decorator furnishes and arranges decorative elements to bring a space to life.

Room with sofa in the middle and two chairs facing an open window.

Should I Be an Interior Decorator: The Job Responsibilities

Interior decorators work with the client to:

  • decide on the look of the space

  • set the budget

  • plan the schedule for the room makeover

  • shop for items to decorate the room

Colourful paint palette Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Two men discussing in a room

The interior decorator then carefully selects elements like:

  • paint palette

  • lighting

  • furniture

  • home accessories

Where Do Interior Decorators Work?

building, city, hotel, office icon

Design firms: as part of a team in a design company.

business, doctor, employee, man, manager, person icon

Independent contractors: at their own business designing for clients.

business, ecommerce, market, retail, shop, shopping, store icon

Retail industry: in a store specializing in interiors.

user, interface, video, camera, media, movie icon

Film industry: as a set decorator on a movie set.

Should I Be an Interior Decorator?

Laptop with colour palette and markers on a table Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

While it's possible to call yourself an interior decorator without any training, certification is highly desirable in a competitive industry.

There are different ways to train as an interior decorator. You can enroll in:

  • a university degree or diploma program at an approved school — this can take up to a few years to complete

  • a certificate program that can be completed in a much shorter period

Once you've completed your certification, you can join a professional decorators association to keep abreast of the latest developments in the industry.

You also need to have lots of practice to build your portfolio — even if it's for free.

You'd Love It If...

  • You're artistic and have a passion for design and colours

  • You're interested in home decorating

  • You're detail-oriented

  • You're personable and enjoy talking to people

  • You're computer literate and proficient with using design software

Red rose petals become a heart

Look For Another Career Path If...

  • You don't find decorating enjoyable

  • You prefer to sit behind a desk in a 9 to 5 job solving mathematical problems

  • You don't enjoy meeting people and chatting with them

A cartoon crab smashing a laptop

How Much Will I Earn?

Should I Be an Interior Decorator? Canadian salaries for Interior Decorators The average interior decorator salary in Canada is CAD $40,558 per year

Should I Be an Interior Decorator? American salaries for Interior Decorators The average interior decorator salary in the US is USD $42,272 per year .

Pick The Future Interior Decorator

avatar, user, woman, female, person, young icon

Anna

  • likes reading the finance section of the newspaper

  • loves working with numbers and data

  • prefers to have a desk job

avatar, girl, user, young, child, female, kid icon

Layla

  • loves going fishing on a boat with her father

  • likes spending time in the library reading

  • enjoys growing vegetables and flowers

avatar, boy, male, user, young, child, kid icon

Sōsuke

  • likes watching home makeover shows on tv

  • loves shopping for home decor items in thrift stores

  • enjoys meeting new people and finding out about their interests

Quiz

Who do you think is most likely to become an interior decorator?

Take Action

A person choosing carpet fabrics When you're ready to plunge into the world of interior decorating:

License:

Your feedback matters to us.

This Byte helped me better understand the topic.

Get support to take action on this Byte