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How to Start an
Interior Decorating/Design Business
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"This is a Flexible Career Path, with a Variety of Profitable Niches." Bookmark This Page
Wow! The opportunities that await interior decorators spread across the map. This field goes way beyond homes - think restaurants, hotels, spas, art galleries, model homes, corporate offices, even bed and breakfast inns. You may want to select a market that interests you and specialize in that niche.
There is lots to think about when starting your interior decorating business. You want to build a portfolio, price your service, set up an office, pick a business name, design a logo, order business cards and other office supplies, locate furnishing suppliers and of course - find clients. Take it from an expert - don't try and re-invent the wheel.
A good way start your own decorating business is to have an expert in your field draw up a blueprint for you to follow. This way, you have an outline to follow with steps to take that lead you in the direction you want to go.
An interior decorator with 20 years of experience, including owning an interior decorating business would have lots of valuable information to share, don't you think?
How to Start an Interior Decorating Business
Interior Design and Decorating Experts, including Interior Design TV Show Host Debbie Travis, have compiled their years of knowledge and experience into a information-packed guide for interior decorators who want to launch their own businesses. You can't get much better than this.
See what you get >>
- Ways to teach yourself interior decorating, with step-by-step interior decorating instructions
- Tips for creating an impressive portfolio, pricing your services, where to find suppliers and setting up an office
- How to start with little or no money, find clients with minimal effort and do an impressive client consultation
- How to get up to a 50% discount on decorating materials, get free media publicity to grow your business and sample forms and documents that you can use to manage your business
- Download Now: Become an Interior Decorator
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Marketing Your Interior Decorating or Design Business
- Business Cards
Network with other business owners related to interior design, such as furniture stores or architects. Let them see a portfolio of your work and offer them a referral fee for any customers they send you. Business cards can be a great advertising tool for your business - and they're cheap! You can design your own business cards online and save even more money. Get yours now >> 250 Free Business Cards for Your Decorating Business
- Postcard Marketing
Do a postcard mailing to introduce your interior decorating or design company to potential customers in your area. Using low-cost online services makes this an easy marketing task. First, decide on a special discount offer or hold a grand opening sale. Second, design your postcards online using professional postcard templates with VistaPrint (you can get 50% off here). And third, get targeted leads from a lead generation company like Resource Nation.
- Email Marketing
If you have a website for your interior decorating business (it's a good idea to have one), you can save even more money by marketing to your customers by email. No email list? No problem. Email marketing companies like ConstantContact will help you build a customer list with their customizable website sign-up form.
They also give you email templates you can use to design professional emails. Their program delivers emails for you, and they include real-time reporting. You can try their service free for 60 days, no credit card is required. Start now: ConstantContact 60-day free trial. Have a list over 100,000? iContact.com
has special pricing for larger accounts. Watch free video.
- How to Get Listed in Search Engines
SubmitExpress will submit your website to the 20 top search engines free. This way, when prospects search for interior decorating or interior design services using the search engines, they are more likely to find your website. All you do is enter your website address once, and their automated submission tool will do the rest. To use this free tool, you agree to receive their free newsletter by email. Submit now >> SubmitExpress
- Get Listed in Local Search Directories
Some people don't use the yellow pages or local newspapers or publications to find products and services in their city - they look online, and you don't want to miss out on this source of income. Even though shopping online, people often prefer to do business with a local vendor. Local Search is an advertising space that is an easy, low cost way to reach your local target market.
- 29 Marketing Techniques for Interior Decorators
Find out what promotion strategies work - from experts. Get many more low cost, easy and even free marketing tricks with this downloadable guide >> Small Business Marketing Strategies
Interior Decorating Business Resources to Save You Money:
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10 Steps to Becoming an Interior Decorator
Imagine having a career that lets you use your creativity to make homes and businesses more beautiful and comfortable. Welcome to the world of interior decorating!
There are few careers that offer so many benefits. As an interior decorator you will have the satisfaction of making your vision a reality. You will meet interesting people, and because many people who hire interior decorators are wealthy, you will likely spend time in many beautiful homes and businesses.
If you start your own decorating business you can enjoy the freedom of being your own boss. And perhaps most importantly, your "work" will be fun, interesting, and rewarding.
As long as you have the desire, you can become an interior decorator. No special education or experience is necessary to break into this career and succeed. (Unlike becoming a certified interior designer which has strict requirements including two to five years of post-secondary education in interior design.) You can become an interior decorator immediately.
If interior decorating sounds like the career of your dreams, here are 10 steps to breaking into this fabulous job, based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator:
1. Train your eye
Since you are interested in a career as a interior decorator, chances are you already have a "good eye" for design. In other words, when you look at a room you can see what looks good, and what could be improved. But no matter how naturally talented you are, you can continually "train your eye" by studying what people consider to be good design.
Seek out beautifully decorated interiors to look at. You can find numerous examples of beautiful interiors in design magazines or in your own community by visiting show homes, open houses for sale in wealthy neighborhoods, furniture showrooms, historic homes, art galleries, and offices of professionals such as interior decorators and corporate lawyers.
2. Educate yourself
Interior decorators are expected to know about the various elements involved in decorating such as: space planning (how to arrange furniture and other items within a particular space), use of color and light, furniture and decorating styles (for example, Colonial or Southwestern), floorings, wall coverings, window treatments, and use of accessories such as pillows and art.
You can learn decorating basics through courses, books, web sites, and even by speaking with retailers of products used in home decorating (paint, carpet, lighting, hardware stores, etc.)
3. Practice at home
Most interior decorators get their first decorating experience working on their own homes. Even if you have just one small room to experiment with, you can get "hands-on" experience with a variety of decorating techniques.
For example, you can make a dramatic change to any room, quickly and inexpensively, simply by rearranging the furniture or painting the walls a new color.
Give it a try! Experiment with techniques you wouldn't ordinarily use. Consider this room your "research lab" where you can try things out before recommending them to a client.
4. Volunteer your services
Your friends and family members may already have asked for your advice about decorating, but if they haven't yet asked you to actually decorate their homes or businesses, why not offer?
Some occasions your family or friends may want to redecorate are when they experiencing transitions in life, such as: marriage or co-habitation (help them merge two households into one), moving into a new home, childbirth (offer to decorate the baby's room), hosting a special event such as a wedding or dinner party, starting a home business (you could decorate their new office), and selling a home (explain how a well decorated home can attract buyers).
5. Prepare a portfolio
A portfolio is a collection of samples of your work, plus any other documents that can help show why someone should hire you. The most important part of an interior decorator's portfolio is photographs of interiors you have decorated, so make sure you take "before" and "after" photos of every space you decorate. Choose 15-20 photographs of work you are proud of, and arrange them in a photo album or portfolio case.
Your portfolio can also include letters of recommendation and "design boards" (poster boards onto which you have pasted pictures and samples of materials such as fabrics, flooring, wallpaper, etc.) to show clients what you recommend to decorate a particular room.
6. Get a job
Even if you plan to start your own interior decorating business, you can learn about the business and meet potential clients by starting with a job in the industry. Companies that hire people with decorating talent include home builders, manufacturers of furniture and housewares, hotel and restaurant chains, retailers (furniture stores, home improvement stores, antiques dealers, housewares stores, etc.), plus interior design and decorating firms.
To get a job, you will need to prepare a resume that emphasizes your experience with decorating plus any other skills the employer is looking for, such as customer service or organizational ability.
7. Start your own business
Many interior decorators dream of being their own boss. If that's your goal, you'll need to decide on business matters such as your company's name and whether to incorporate or not. Free basic business advice is available from organizations such as SCORE and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Many interior decorators choose to work from home when they start their businesses because it saves on the cost of an office and, unlike many other types of businesses, you won't be expecting clients to come to you - you will usually be going to their homes or offices.
8. Establish relationships with suppliers
Suppliers are companies that supply the products and services you need to decorate. They include manufacturers of furniture, wall coverings, flooring, fabrics, etc. as well as contractors who do painting, carpentry, installation, etc. When you go shopping as a professional interior decorator, you are entitled to "designer discounts" of up to 50% off the regular retail price which you can pass on to clients.
While some decorators charge an hourly rate or a flat fee, others charge "cost-plus." For example, if your cost for a product is 40% percent below the regular retail price, you could charge the client your cost plus 20%, thereby saving the client the other 20% they would pay to buy the same item at a retail store. This opportunity to save money on decorating may convince clients to hire you.
9. Get clients
Your potential clients could include home builders, new home buyers, wealthy home owners, professional couples, advertising agencies, art galleries, bed and breakfasts, boutique stores, corporate head offices, hotels, law firms, restaurants, spas, and many other types of businesses.
One way to market your services is by networking with professionals who can refer business to you, such as real estate agents, architects, antiques dealers, art dealers, home renovators, and owners of businesses that sell home furnishings. Other marketing techniques include putting up a web page with photos of interiors you have decorated and getting publicity in the homes section of your local newspaper.
10. Grow as a professional
Successful interior decorators continue to learn new decorating techniques. Once you have started a business you can continue to develop your skills by attending trade shows, reading decorating magazines and books, and joining professional associations. You can also impress clients and have an advantage over your competition by becoming certified as a professional interior decorator.
Based on the FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator by Tag Goulet. The complete guide gives detailed advice on how you can get paid to decorate homes and businesses, be hired for a job in the decorating industry, or start your own interior decorating business. Visit www.FabJob.com/decorator.asp for information.
Articles & Interviews
- How to Become an Interior Decorator
- Interview: with Charlotte Moss, interior decorator
- Interview: with Lyn Peterson, interior designer
- Interview: with Katrin Cargill, author and interior designer
- 10 Steps to a Great Job as an Interior Decorator
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