Interior design has always had a lot of glam attached to it. Just hearing it is enough to give you images of extravagant rooms decorated with sophisticated materials. Students all over the globe enroll at a holistic interior design school in hopes of making a career in the field. It is a creative field that can be rewarding for those with the right skills.
Unfortunately, interior designers have been subject to many stereotypes from snobbish women in tacky clothes to over the top room decorations. Whether you plan to hire an interior designer or become one, it’s important to let go of some common stereotypes about the field so that you get a clear idea of what to expect.
Interior Designers Work Only For The Rich
Some interior design firms may work exclusively for high-budget clients but most are open to lower budget projects. Once you graduate from your holistic interior design school, you may work for small homeowners, restaurants, shops, etc. In some cases, you won’t design the entire home but just one room or wall.
If you hire an interior designer, you can negotiate a budget in your favor with extra set aside for unforeseen costs. You will find many designers willing to work for small projects as long as the price is reasonable.
Interior Design Is All About Decorating The Room
How to decorate a room is a part of it. Students study interior design to create rooms that are just as functional and safe as they are beautiful. Other than furniture and curtains, they plan the room’s layout based on the architect’s blueprint and the building safety codes.
They Are Snobbish
It’s the most common stereotype spread by TV shows. Remember, shows (including reality shows) are all about drama. In reality, most interior designers are down-to-earth and friendly. They need to be reasonably humble to understand their clients and build strong business relations.
They Know Everything
Professional interior designers stay up to date with interior design education but that’s it. You can expect them to know the current trends but you can’t expect them to know what you want your home to look and feel like. You need to explain what you expect as clearly as possible so that they deliver.
On the other hand, aspiring designers should develop active listening skills to understand what the client expects from them.
It’s Only For Women
No, there’s no gender bar on it. Anyone can study interior design if they want to. Learning it does not make a man effeminate, it just shows their love for creative and well-planned rooms.
It’s All About Creativity
Interior design is a creative field at its core but requires a lot more than just coming up with unique designs. You need technical skills like CAD, negotiation skills, management skills and more.
You Design Unrealistic Spaces
You often see magazines filled with rooms that look good but impractical due to which this myth exists. A good interior design education institute emphasizes on ensuring that the room an interior designer creates is just as practical as it is good-looking.
There’s Nothing Wrong In Asking For Free Services If You Know Them
You may go a long way back with an interior designer but that does not give you the right to ask for free services. Your friend, relative, etc. has put in a lot of time, money and effort to reach where they stand. You should support them by giving them business and recommending others to them.
You Can Study Interior Design From Blogs
Blogs, articles and videos only give you a brief glance at the subject. You need to learn interior design from experts through courses and apprenticeships to truly know what it is.
Only People Who Aren’t Smart Become Designers
This stereotype is both insulting and ignorant. First of all, there are many ways to define smartness. Secondly, designing requires creativity, technical knowledge and critical thinking skills to create something unique. And thirdly, being good at maths and science doesn’t mean that you’re good at everything else.
You Don’t Need A Designer
You don’t need one if you just want to decorate your room, but you need one if you want it to feel like a home. An interior designer studies the subject from some of the finest institutes like the NextGen Design Academy that teach them to think holistically. They understand the core principles of designing and can use it to make your room feel homely.
They Wear the Same Clothes
The word interior design gives you a picture of branded clothes, dark-rimmed spectacles, etc. While interior designers like to look sharp and presentable, they have different ways of doing so based on their personality. Some may wear formals, some semi-casuals and some casuals.
Courses Are Useless
While you don’t need to join a college to become a professional, learning from institutes as NextGen Design Academy gives you an edge. You don’t have to learn on the job, you can learn the necessary skills in college and polish them when you work.