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Interior designers are involved in the design and fit-out of homes, office spaces and commercial premises. For each project, they take into account their clients’ needs, personalities and expectations. A closer look at the profession of interior designer.
What are the main responsibilities of an interior designer?
An interior designer designs and plans private, public and commercial interior spaces. They are responsible for the interior design of flats, houses, shops, offices, museums, etc. Their role is to ensure that interiors are functional, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. To achieve this, they work with shapes, colours, lines, volumes and materials, whilst taking technical and budgetary constraints into account. Interior designers also supervise the execution of the work, ensuring it complies with the original design.
What is the difference between an interior architect and an interior designer?
It is essential to distinguish between an interior decorator and an interior architect. The former is responsible for devising and creating an interior design, without altering the existing layout, whilst the latter is qualified to completely overhaul the interior layout, for example by knocking down partitions or altering a staircase. Furthermore, an interior architect may act as a project manager on a building site. They oversee the work and coordinate the various tradespeople involved on site. There is also another fundamental difference between these two professionals: their initial training.
How does an interior designer work?
First and foremost, they find out about their client’s needs and expectations, whether the client is a private individual or a business. They take into account the budget allocated to the project, including the margin. They assess the potential and constraints of the space to be fitted out. Next, they draw up a preliminary design to set out the direction of the work. This will help to approve the project or reassess certain aspects. Finally, they prepare a detailed version using computer-aided design (CAD) software or 2D or 3D modelling software.
If the client approves the project, the interior designer proceeds to select the contractors who will carry out the work. They put together a dossier setting out the works and the various trades that will be involved on site: electricians, painters, joiners, floor layers and carpet fitters, bricklayers, cabinetmakers, marble workers, tilers, etc. They are also responsible for planning and coordinating the works. The interior designer visits the site every day to supervise the work, check its progress and ensure it complies with the specifications. They draw up a weekly report which they submit to their client and to the contractors working on the site. They authorise payment for the work. Once the work is complete, they carry out the final inspection of the site and raise any objections where necessary. Otherwise, they hand over the site following the final inspection.
Where do interior designers work?
An interior designer may work for architectural firms, design and architecture consultancies, or as a self-employed professional, either independently or as a partner. In this case, they enter into contracts with the tradespeople who will carry out the work. Interior designers may also work as employees within organisations run by the state or local authorities.
What qualities are needed to work as an interior designer?
To work as an interior designer, the most important quality required is undoubtedly creativity. You need to be imaginative in order to bring something new to every project. You must be able to draw and use modelling software – including the very latest versions – to create your designs. Furthermore, you must have a firm grasp of technical matters and a good knowledge of materials and construction. You must also be versatile. Your work depends on a combination of the client’s wishes, the space to be fitted out, technical and safety constraints, and the regulations in force. Interior designers must be good listeners and communicators in order to understand clients’ requirements and convey them to the tradespeople responsible for the structural work and finishing touches.
How do you become an interior designer?
A career as an interior designer is open to those with a four- or five-year degree. After completing a vocational Baccalaureate in Crafts and Applied Arts or a technical Baccalaureate in Design and Applied Arts Sciences and Techniques (STD2A), students can take a BTS in Spatial Design to gain entry to one of the fourteen courses recognised by the French Council of Interior Architects (CFAI). These programmes are offered at public national higher education institutions, higher education institutions for applied arts, and certain private institutions.
Unlike a qualified architect, it is not compulsory for an interior designer to hold a recognised qualification. However, the CFAI awards a certificate of competence to graduates of certain schools to safeguard the integrity of the profession, including: Ensad, École Boulle, Ensaama, ESBA, ISDAT, ESAIL, EDNA and IFAT. This also applies to the École Camondo, EFET, Académie Charpentier, ESAM Design, Penninghen, École Bleue and ESAT École Hourdé.
How much does an interior designer earn?
In Paris, an interior designer earns on average between €2,500 and €3,000 gross per month, or between €30,000 and €36,000 gross per year. If they work on a self-employed basis, their fees are either calculated as a percentage of the client’s total expenditure, charged on a time-based basis (hour, half-day, full day, etc.), or set as a flat fee.
What are the possible career paths for an interior designer?
Interior designers may move into a specialism such as scenography, for example. After working in an architect’s practice, an architectural firm or a design consultancy, they may go on to work as freelancers. Interior designers may also specialise in a specific type of building or interior scheme. Indeed, they may choose to work in product design or join an industrial group.
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