Here is some good news for aspiring interior decorators: It is easy to get interior decorating experience. Unlike some careers – where it is very difficult to get hired without experience, but very difficult to get experience without a job – you can get all the experience you need now to help you break into a fab job in interior decorating. In this article you will discover a variety of ways to get experience. Of course, you are not expected to do everything we suggest below. Choose the ones that fit best with your personal interests.
To get the most benefit from these activities, make sure you arrange to have photographs taken of everything you decorate. The photos will be proof of your interior decorating experience to show to prospective clients and employers.
Most interior decorators get their first decorating experience working on their own homes. Even if you feel every room in your home looks perfect the way it is now, redecorating your home can be useful to you in a couple of ways. You can always change it back later! First, it gives you an opportunity to practice decorating while you are learning more about it. Even if you have just one small room to experiment with, you can get handson experience with a variety of decorating techiques. For example, you may have heard you can make a dramatic change to any room, quickly and inexpensively, simply by rearranging the furniture or painting the walls a new color. Experiment with techniques you wouldn't ordinarily use. Consider this room your "lab" where you can try things out before recommending them to a client.
Redecorating your home is valuable for another reason - you can get more photographs of "your work" to show to employers or clients. Imagine being able to show photos of one room with several different looks. This can be a great way to impress employers with your versatility and your ability to decorate for a variety of clients with different tastes.
Your friends and family members may already have asked for your advice about decorating matters, but if they haven't yet asked you to actually decorate their homes, why not offer?
Of course you wouldn't say something like "Gee, I've noticed your home doesn't look very good. Why don't I come over and make it look better?" To avoid offending anyone who feels their home is already well decorated, simply ask for their help spreading the word that you are looking for opportunities to volunteer your services as a decorator. Explain that you need to get practical experience to help you become a professional interior decorator. The people who care about you want you to achieve your dreams, and eventually they – or someone they know – will want to redecorate. Some of the times your family or friends may need to redecorate are when they are experiencing transitions in life, such as:
Also remember that the definition of "home" can go beyond what we usually think of. For example, see if anyone you know can use your services to decorate any of the following (you can probably think of other possibilities).
When someone wants to use your services, try to treat them the way you would treat a "real" client. Meet to discuss their needs, and make sure you discuss any budget. If they want you to buy materials for them, arrange to receive payment for materials in advance. To avoid misunderstandings, it's a good idea to prepare a simple contract even if you're working with family members. Let them know you need the practice.
Another thing to let your friends and family know in advance is that you will want to take "before" and "after" photos for your portfolio. You can also ask for a letter of recommendation once you have finished decorating for anyone who has a different last name than yours. Unfortunately, a recommendation letter from your mom probably won't impress future employers.
When you put the word out that you are looking for interiors to decorate, you can let your friends and family members know you are available to decorate their businesses as well as their homes. Here are some possibilities:
When you find someone who wants to use your decorating services, work with them the same way you would with a paying client. Also let them know that you will want to use them as a reference if they are happy with your services.
Imagine being able to do what you love, get valuable experience, and make a difference in your community at the same time. You can do all of these things by volunteering to decorate interiors for charity. While opportunities will vary from one community to another, here are some possibilities:
Habitat for Humanity is an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping people have "decent, affordable houses." In each Habitat for Humanity community, groups of volunteers build houses from the ground up. More than 100,000 homes have been built so far. The houses are then sold to needy families at no profit, through no-interest loans. Habitat for Humanity needs volunteers to work in all areas of home construction, including the interior. This could be an opportunity to meet people and learn more about how new homes are constructed, as well as get decorating experience. Even Martha Stewart and Rosie O'Donnell have decorated a Habitat home. They teamed up to decorate the home's interior in a "who's the craftiest of them all" contest against This Old House host Norm Abram and talk show host Sally Jesse Raphael who helped build the exterior.
Some communities have fund-raisers in which a house is raffled off (usually for $100 per ticket) to raise money for a local charity. Home raffles may be promoted through flyers delivered door-to-door, newspaper or television advertising, booths in shopping malls, etc. If you hear about a home raffle, you could call the organizer and volunteer to help decorate the interior.
In every community there are scores of charitable organizations that need volunteers. When you find a cause you believe in, see if there is any opportunity to volunteer your decorating services. If your timing is right, you might end up with the chance to decorate the organization's offices. Even if they don't need an office decorator, you could volunteer to be the decorator for special events. You won't have much of a budget to work with (if any) but the experience can be valuable in many ways.
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1. Get an Interior Decorator Internship
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