The job of an interior designer is not just related to decorating homes. There is much more to it, says Satabdi Gantait

Are you creative minded? Do you fancy beautifying the interior of your own home? Do you have passion for new designs, colour and aesthetics of a house and think of giving a makeover to the mundane surroundings? Do you often change the existing decorations of your house? If ‘yes’ is your answer to all these questions, Interior Designing can be a potential career for you.

The idea of a beautiful home is always fascinating to all. Since ages, people have dreamt of building a home, which could be a reflection of his/her personality. The taste and preferences of owners have also evolved with time and often they look for recommendations, which would provide the comfort of all modern amenities. The role of an interior designer comes into play to create a healthier and aesthetically pleasant environment with creativity, art and design strategy.

The job of an interior designer is not restricted only to mere decoration of the interiors but they are given the responsibility to strike a correct balance between convenience and beauty for their customers. Interior designer is responsible to deal with everything from floor to ceiling designing. He/She has the opportunity to show creativity in wide range of fields. He/she should have the eye to foresee, what the space will look like. The conceptualisation and execution is completely the responsibility of the interior designer for both commercial and residential properties keeping in mind the budget, time frame and safety standards.

The interior designers are required to have a sound knowledge of the history of design before taking up any projects. The key skills required for pursuing the course are as follows:

• Good Artistic sensibility
• Planning &Administrative skills
• Communication skills
• Computer skills
• Drawing skills
• Maths sense
• Leadership Skills

The designers generally are required to work not only with homeowners, but also builders, architects, government agencies and business owners. Hence, it is extremely crucial to be a qualified individual with the right skill set before choosing this as a career option.

After completion of the interior designing course, the graduates can explore their career by either joining the industry as professionals or going for higher studies or they can even venture into entrepreneurship. With a booming real estate and hospitality sector, the demand for interior designers have increased in the recent years. Even the workplaces are also built on themes to enhance the efficiency of the employees. It is also projected that the interior designing industry is expected to grow 4 per cent by 2024 and hence career prospects are much higher in the near future.

Eligibility criteria for BSc. in Interior designing course is Class XII pass from any board. Often the universities conduct Common Entrance Test followed by a personal interview.

It is extremely important to pursue interior designing from a good college to have a good portfolio. In addition, one should definitely go for one or two internships  for hands-on training. In India, the starting salary of an interior designer ranges between Rs 20k-30k and eventually it gets directly proportional to the years of experience and scale of projects associated.

The interior designing industry in India is on a fast track mode and hence a career in this is likely to witness higher level of employability.

The writer is Assistant Professor, Dept of Interior Designing, NSHM School of Design