Interior decorators and designers must use mathematics to achieve accurate measurements and make drawings to scale.

Although the terms "interior decorator" and "interior designer" refer to different professions, they are often used interchangeably. Technically, an interior decorator focuses on a room's surface—its color and decor and the artistic arrangement of the objects within it. An interior designer is more of an architect, concerned with the design and structure of the room. Nevertheless, the two fields have merged, and anyone interested in a career in interior decorating needs the same kind of training and experience. In the United States, this begins with a 4-or 5-year degree program from a school accredited by the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research. These programs typically include course work in interior design, art, architecture, and technology. After graduation and 2 years of work experience, the aspiring interior decorator is qualified for the state licensing examination administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.

As one prominent practitioner comments, being an interior decorator is "more than lingering over fabric swatches or doodling out designs." An interior decorator must know as much about business (including budgeting), engineering principles, materials science, drafting, and building safety codes as about color and arrangement. The interior designer has to be able to take accurate measurements of room areas, angles, elevations, and the like. A critical skill is the ability to envision and make drawings to scale to ensure that furnishings and other objects fit in the space being decorated. It is also a good idea for designers to develop strong computer skills, especially the ability to use CAD (computer-aided design) programs.

See Also

Architect.

Bibliography

Ball, Victoria Ross. Opportunities in Interior Design and Decorating Careers. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 1995.

Gibbs, Jenny. A Handbook for Interior Designers. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1997.