Career Course ::: Interior Designing ::: Aptitude One should be creative and imaginative enough to design and formulate new ideas and put them into implementation. One should have sound communication skills in order to interact with and understand the needs of the client. One should also be in track of the contemporary styles in designing and construction.
Since interiors are an extension of one’s personality, an Interior Designer has essentially to be a people’s person. Designers need to understand attitudes, life-styles and cultural preferences, and take all the three into account in their designs. In addition, they have to keep in mind the hobbies and habits and also the budget (good taste need not necessarily be expensive) of the person they are designing for.
It is the job of an Interior Designer to create the look and feel of a room. Hence, an Interior Designer chooses furniture and accessories that gives style and elegance to the room apart from comfort to its occupants.
One can specialize in doing interiors for theatres, art galleries, sets for various events, exhibitions and window displays. Landscaping and designing based on Vaastu / Feng Shui principles are other emerging fields an Interior Designer can explore.
Course: Various course in Interior Designing are available at many institutes across the country. A five-year programme in Interior Designing is available at the CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning Technology). School of Interior Design in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). A four-year course leading to Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is available at the J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai (Maharashtra). Courses in product and furniture design are available at the Graduate Diploma level at the National School of Design.
One can avail of Postgraduate Programmes related to Interior Designing which are recognized by the AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education). Such Postgraduate Programmes---Urban and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Housing, Construction and Project Management – are available at the CEPT (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology).
An undergraduate programme on interior accessories is available at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Bangalore (Karnataka). Other institutes that offer different courses in Interior Designing are the School of Interior Design in Bangalore and Karavali College of Interior Decoration in Mangalore (Karnataka).
An alternative route to study Interior Designing is by taking up a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture with specialization in Interior Designing. This programme is available at many engineering college across the country. The minimum educational qualifications for studying B.Arch. (Bachelor of Architecture) with specialization Interior Designing is a successful completion of the 10+2 examination. In addition, one has to pass in the entrance examination and qualify in the interview.
A three-year course in Interior Designing is available a the SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai (Maharashtra) while a four-year course is available at the School of Interior Design that is under the Institute of Environmental Design in Gujarat. A one-year Diploma course in Interior Design offered by Exterior-Interiors in New Delhi.
Short-term courses in Interior Designing are conducted by the Apeejay Institute of Designers in Mumbai. In addition, polytechnics and vocational training schools in most cities conduct short-term courses in Interior Designing.
A one-year course in Interior Designing is offered by institutes like Exterior-Interiors and Interiors India. A two-year Maters programme in Interior Designing as well as one-year Diploma Programme in Interior Designing is offered by the Sai School of Interior Design. The course fee at these institutes ranges between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 50,000 approximately. The course of study in Interior Designing covers the following areas: History of Interior Design, Construction and Materials, Design, Art and Basic Design, Furniture Design, Furnishings and Fittings, Professional Management, Services, Display Computer Aided Design Exhibition Design, Lettering, properties of Materials, Paint Technology, etc.
Prospects: With Rapid increase in population and shrinking size of living space, cities are growing vertically. Residents in a city are increasingly availing the services of Interior Designers to make small living space attractive, comfortable and functional. Hence there is huge demand for Interior Designers in Metros as well as several other growing smaller towns. A job in an Interior Designing firm is guaranteed for anyone with a professional degree in subject. One can also team up with an Architect, in order to work on specific projects where Interior Designing is required.
One can take up teaching as a profession in this field and find employment in a private or government institute that imparts training courses in Interior Designing. With sufficient experience gained by working at a firm, one can set up a firm of one’s own along with a team of Interior Designers. Name, fame and money are assured in the field if one works hard and has some good projects to show of in the Portfolio.
The profession of Interior Designing is one in which one can carry on consultancy activities independently with the minimum investment. One has the options to work from the offices, one’s own home or on a part-time basic, in this lucrative profession.
Mostly an Interior Designers works as a free-lancing consultant. One can also work under an Interior Designer in the initial years of one’s career. There are various job opportunities as theatre and set designers and exhibition designers as well.
Remuneration: One will get a salary ranging between Rs.8,000 to Rs. 12,000 as a fresher employed with a private Interior Designing firm. With the knowledge of Auto CAD and other related computer programmes, one can earn Rs.15, 000 or more per month. When one becomes an established Interior Designers one will get a salary in the high range of Rs.50, 000 to Rs.75, 000 per month. When one becomes reputed with a firm of one’s own or gets renowned as a free-lancer, the prospects of remuneration get even higher. If one is creative and hardworking enough, one will become a celebrity Interior Designer and command a King’s ransom as fees for a particular project.