If you love interior design, you know how much it takes to bring a room to life. Art and color theory, construction, installation, lighting, and real estate all combine in this lucrative field. If you want to remodel your home, go into a new career, or learn something new, this is the perfect field.
These expert-approved educational materials are aimed to expand your knowledge of interior design. Try them out to improve your skills and create value-adding additions to any client’s home.
Try Contractor Training
If you want to expand your career in interior design, a great place to start is with a contractor license. This enables you to work as a contractor in your state and the local area. A contractor can build, install, and design some features that are essential to home remodels. With a license, you only add to your value and increase your reputation as an expert.
To obtain a license, you will need to pass an exam. These exams are not as difficult as they appear. If you lack experience, though, the best place to go is contractor training.
These training lectures, classes, and programs will guide you through every step of the process.
Read a Book or Two
People refer to interior designers as “having an eye for design.” This isn’t something you have from birth. You can train your brain to think in terms of color, aesthetics, textures, and spatial organization. Learning about art and design theory is best done by studying the works of other professionals in books.
There are hundreds of high-quality books to help people learn about interior design. Some of these books are memoirs or biographies. Some are picture-based archives. Many of these books are even textbooks used for colleges or art schools. You don’t need to be an expert to benefit from them. These books exist for all levels of experience, from beginners to seasoned experts.
Be sure to try classics by Carl Dellatore, Mark Hampton, and Melanie Acevedo. These pros give you learned lessons in their own words for you to read at your leisure.
Find the Right Magazines
Magazines may not feel like educational material. In the world of design, though, some of the world’s best experts publish their content in style magazines. This method of learning may not be as intensive as a contractor license or textbook study, but it is much more accessible.
Magazines are much more current and relevant. Studying a textbook from the 1980s can tell you a lot about the history of design, but it doesn’t tell you everything. It is essential to understand the annual design trends. For home projects or others, keeping up with the latest styles is important.
If you are hoping to expand your ideas about interior design as a hobby or for a simple home renovation project, magazines are a great way to start. These three publications are excellent sources of interior design content:
- Architectural Digest
- Dwell
- House & Garden
The Bottom Line
No matter your budget, time, or experience level, there is a way to learn more about interior design. There are complex and diverse skills necessary to fulfill the job of an interior designer. This means that there are many opportunities for people of all experience levels to find something they love.
Experts recommend contractor training, textbooks, and design magazines to help you get your footing in the field. Those who try these methods can develop a deeper knowledge of design as a whole – you’ll come out at the other end as a competitor in your field, ready to take on new clients!
