I want to be an Interior Designer

Will I like it?

OK

Yes

What Do Interior Designers

Do?

Interior Designers design the Interiors of Houses,

Apartment Buildings, Churches, Schools, Hospitals, Offices,

Restaurants, Theaters and Every Other Type of Building

You Can Think of

They meet with clients

They sketch,

draw with a pencil,

draw using a computer,

and build models

They select furniture, fabrics, draperies, paint colors, carpeting,

and wall coverings for interiors

They design furniture

They design kitchens and select cabinets, countertops and

appliances

They design lighting for interiors

They estimate costs, write specifications, write letters, and

administer the construction of the interiors that they design

What is Interior Design?

Will I know it when I see it?

Interior Design is the art of creating beautiful

and functionalbuilding interiorsfor use by people

How Can I become an Interior Designer?

Will I like it?

To become an Interior Designer, you will need to study interior design

in college

After graduation from college, work for an

interior designer for three years, and then pass a national examination

Once you are “registered” by your state you can start your own interior

design firm and work for yourself

What kind of skills do I need to be an interior

designer?

When in high school, you should study English,

mathematics, history, social studies, computers, art, and

freehand drawing

The best skill to acquire and practice is to be able to listen, speak and write

and to be able to organize your thoughts and activities

You Should Visit an

Interior Design Firm

You Should Visit an Interior Design School

Read books and magazines on interior

design to understand the designer’s work and the spirit of the profession

Look at Building Interiors and Think About Why they

are Beautiful (or Not)

College Education?

Three possibilities

Two Year Associate of Applied Science degree

in Interior Design

With this degree you could get a job in an interior design firm, or transfer to 4-year school to complete a B.A. in

interior design

Two Year

Associate of Applied Science degree

in Kitchen and Bath Design

With this degree you could get a job in a kitchen and bath design firm

Four Year Bachelor of Arts degree

in Interior Design

With this degree you could get a job in an interior design firm

What will I learn in College?

DrawingDesign

Model BuildingHistory of Interior Design

Architectural History Computer Aided Design and Drafting

Color Composition Materials Contracts

Cost Estimating Construction

Is it difficult to get into an interior design school?

No

There is a college for everyone

Two Year Public Interior Design Schools in Illinois

(cost about $2,700 per year)

College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn)Triton College (River Grove)Harper College (Palatine)

Four Year Public Interior Design Schools in Illinois:

(cost about $12,000 per year)

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale(tuition & fees: $10,309/yr)

Illinois State University, Bloomington(tuition & fees: $12,500/yr)

Four Year Private Interior Design Schools in Illinois:

(cost about $18,000 to $34,000 per year)

Harrington College of Design, Chicago(tuition & fees: $21,260/yr)

Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago & Schaumburg

(tuition & fees: $22,500/yr)

School of the Art Institute, Chicago(tuition & fees: $34,1000/yr)

Columbia College, Chicago(tuition & fees: $18,490/yr)

Is it difficult to get through interior design school?

Yes

It Takes Dedication and Hard Work

(But You Like That)

Will it be fun?

Yes!

(That is the Best Part)

How much money will I make?

• Graduates of interior designer schools are paid from $35,000 to $40,000 per year

• Six to ten years out of college, you may earn $55,000 per year

• You can earn more by owning your own firm or become a partner in a large firm. Partner's average income range is $80,000 to100,000 per year

Other Benefits?

• Satisfaction that you have contributed to the betterment of our world and created something beautiful

• Enjoyment of the work itself• Ability to exercise your creativity and see your ideas

actually built• Every day (nearly every hour) is unique and different• Work in a career that is well-respected by the public

Show me some good examples of interior design

Finis