what is an interior decorator?
As an interior decorator, you are a professional trained to design and decorate interior spaces in homes, offices, commercial buildings, or similar. You aim to create visually appealing designs that remain functional and meet the customer's needs.
You work closely with your clients to understand their preferences and, more importantly, what they need from their space. You require good communication and collaborative abilities, as miscommunications in this line of work can be costly and cause a project to be drawn out much longer than it should.
Where necessary, you work with contractors who can carry out specialist work, such as electrical, plumbing, and other tradespeople, to complete a project. In some cases, bringing in contractors will speed up the project, while in others, it may be necessary—as would be the case with electrical matters.
To succeed in this profession, you use good time-management and organisational skills to ensure your projects remain on time and within budget. You display strong creative and technical skills and an eye for design. Knowledge of relevant laws and building codes is also necessary, and part of your job is to ensure you are up to date with such things.
Does a career as an interior decorator sound like it would appeal to your creative but organised personality and your excellent communication skills? If so, read on to find out what skills and qualifications are needed to succeed as an interior decorator.
interior decorator rolesaverage salary of an interior decorator
According to Payscale, the average salary of an interior decorator in India is approximately ₹27,50,000 per year. This figure is more or less central to the average pay scale for this profession. At the entry-level end of the scale, interior decorators can earn upwards of ₹3,00,000, while the highest paid can earn as much as ₹60,00,000 per year.
factors that affect interior decorator's pay
Several factors can influence salaries. Education is important during the hiring process, but experience plays a much bigger role. Employers like being able to see past examples of your work. Location is also a factor in your potential earnings, with urban areas and large cities tending to offer higher salaries for interior decorators than less densely populated and rural areas.
Another factor in how much you can earn is the type of projects you work on. If most of your work revolves around high-end residential or commercial projects, you are likely to earn more than if you are working on budget-conscious projects
types of interior decorators
As an interior decorator, you possess the skills to perform your function in a wide range of settings and scenarios. However, it is possible to specialise in specific areas of interior decoration. Here are the most common types of interior decorators:
- residential interior decorator: as a residential decorator, you work primarily in homes—be they houses or apartments—often dealing with the person who lives in the property you are decorating.
- commercial interior decorator: working on commercial properties, you design and decorate retail spaces, hotels, and even office spaces. While the basic premise of the role is the same, a different methodology and design language apply when dealing with commercial properties.
- corporate interior decorators: you work in corporate environments, designing and decorating spaces like meeting rooms and offices.
- kitchen and bathroom interior decorators: naturally, working with bathrooms and kitchens requires some specialist knowledge as you factor plumbing into your designs.
- healthcare interior decorators: working as an interior decorator in a healthcare setting requires a different approach when compared to decorating a home or retail outlet, as medical concerns need to be taken into account.
working as an interior decorator
Are you wondering what a interior decorator does daily? Read on to find out a interior decorator's work routine and duties.
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duties and responsibilities
An interior decorator's specific duties include:
- consultation with clients: before you can put an interior design plan into action, you need to understand what your clients want and need from their interior space. You consult with them to find all the necessary information to achieve this. Consultations may happen several times throughout the project, depending on the client and the project.
- plan and design: once you have established your client's needs, you begin the planning phase. You put together a plan for how the interior will look after decoration. Typically this stage will involve producing visual aids to present to the client, such as sketches or 3D renders.
- project management: interior decoration can involve many moving parts, and you use your excellent communication skills and collaborative nature to ensure the project stays on track. You supervise other contractors and tradespeople who are brought in to take care of aspects of the job.
- time and budget management: in addition to working with other people on projects, you use your strong organisational abilities to ensure the project does not run over budget or take longer than was estimated at the start.
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work environment
The nature of your role as an interior decorator means your work environment can change regularly. If you work specifically on one type of interior decoration project—such as corporate—your environment will always be within that corporate world, often in new buildings still under construction. Working in such an environment requires adherence to regulations about health and safety—both for your safety and that of others—and may occasionally require you to wear protective equipment. Some of your work takes place in an office environment. This will usually be the case when working on the design stage of an interior redecoration project.
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who are your colleagues?
Your colleagues as an interior decorator can vary, but will often be contractors and tradespeople who are there to work on the same project. You will also work closely with the clients themselves, particularly during the project's conception, where their design input is necessary.
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work schedule
A typical working week for an interior decorator in India is around 48 hours per week. This time typically takes place during regular business hours throughout the work week. However, there will occasionally be times when you work less sociable hours, particularly when providing interior decoration services for a business that may not want construction work going on during the day when customers are there.
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job outlook
Demand for interior decorators in India is rising, with more and more people looking to benefit from attractive and functional spaces in their homes and workplaces. The skills and experience you gain from this profession are transferrable to other, more senior roles. For instance, being an interior decorator can be a step towards becoming a project manager.
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advantages of finding an interior decorator job through randstad
Finding your interior decorator job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an interior decorator is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad tool.
education and skills
Some of the academic qualifications for interior decorators include:
- 10 standard: there are no hard rules about what qualifications are needed to become an interior decorator. In theory, you can enter into this profession with no education at all. In practice, most employers will require at least a basic education, if not more.
- 12 standard: there are no specific subjects to aim for if being an interior decorator is your intended path, but some higher education can be extremely beneficial. To reach that higher education, you must have completed 10+2 in any stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks.
- undergraduate degree: pursuing an undergraduate bachelor of science degree in interior design will give you a thorough grounding in the field you are entering. It will also help you stand out when applying for interior decorator jobs. A degree should be considered even if you are planning to start an interior decorating business of your own, as clients are more likely to hire an inexperienced interior decorator with qualifications.
skills and competencies
Some of the qualities of an interior decorator include the following:
- creativity: you can certainly be a successful interior decorator if you are not a naturally creative person, but having that creative flair can help you in the design stages of your work.
- technical skills and knowledge: as an interior decorator, you are not always the one doing the physical work. However, you understand what goes into every aspect of the decoration process. This prevents your design from being unworkable due to physical constraints, building codes, or other things that a less knowledgeable interior decorator might have missed.
- organisation: an interior design project—especially one that involves contractors—requires a good deal of organisation to keep things on time and within the agreed budget.
FAQs about working as an interior decorator
Here are some common questions about working as a interior decorator:
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how can I become an interior decorator in India?
While there is no mandatory qualification or single path to becoming an interior decorator, having appropriate qualifications will make it much easier to find work. The highest qualification in this field is a B.Sc in Interior Design and Decoration. You might also consider a Diploma in Interior Design.
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is interior design a good career in India?
Interior design and decoration is a growing profession that is in high demand. It is also one that can pay quite well (depending on experience, qualifications, and the type of client). If you enjoy exercising your creative side and are good at keeping projects on schedule, becoming an interior decorator can be a very good career.
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what is the minimum salary of interior designers in India?
The minimum salary of an interior designer, based on averages in India, is around ₹3,00,000 per year. The full range of pay for this profession in India stretches up to ₹60,00,000 per year.
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is interior design a stressful job?
The amount of stress you feel in this profession will depend on personal resilience and susceptibilities. Working as an interior decorator can be quite a stressful job when compared to other professions. This is largely due to managing complex schedules, keeping projects within budget, and satisfying customer expectations.
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how do I apply for an interior decorator vacancy?
Applying for an interior decorator job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
