Interior Designer

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £45,000

Typical Hours

40 to 42 variable

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Interior Designer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

You could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject like:

interior design
art and design
interior architecture
spatial design

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could take a college course to get started, for example:

Level 3 Diploma in Interior Design
Level 3 Diploma in Art and Design
A Level in Art and Design

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and a creative subject

Apprenticeship

You could do a furniture design technician advanced apprenticeship to get into interior design.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as a design assistant with a company and take further training and qualifications on the job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

design skills and knowledge
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
customer service skills
the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
knowledge of building and construction
the ability to use your initiative
the ability to work well with others
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

meeting clients to discuss their requirements and ideas
developing designs to suit clients' needs, their budget, and the type of building
preparing initial sketches and mood boards for the client to approve
advising on use of space, colour schemes, fabrics, fittings and furniture
working out costs and preparing estimates
creating detailed drawings from the initial sketches, usually on a computer
finding suppliers of fittings, furniture, fabrics, and wall and floor coverings

Working Environment

You could work in an office, from home, in a creative studio or at a client's business.

Career Path & Progression

You could move into related work like theatre set design, visual merchandising, exhibition design or furniture design.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more details about careers and training in design from the British Institute of Interior Design.

You can get information on working in this and other creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.