Interior Design Careers

There is more to Interior Design than home decorating. The career opportunities for interior design graduates are endless.

According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of interior designers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations.

If you are interested in a hands-on education, working with the latest design software technology that results in a wide variety of fulfilling positions, this may be a career path for you. Earn a Bachelors of Science in Interior Design or an Interior Design & Decorating Associates degree and start your career as a:

Green Designer - Green designers work with builders, specifying eco-friendly materials from renewable resources and designing energy efficient homes & buildings in Florida.

Healthcare Designer - Designing the interior structure of hospitals, doctor offices, medical clinics and facilities. A healthcare interior designer job is to make sure the medical facility is built within the governed regulations and technical requirements needed to function. Also, a major role of a medical interior designer is to design the clinic for optimal operational productivity and increasing the bottom line.

Buyer or Purchasing Agent - Working for large retail stores, department stores and furniture stores. A Buyer decides what merchandise will be sold at a store. Professional Buyers travel to trade shows and are innovators for the latest trends.

Hospitality or Service Designer - Working with hotels/resorts, sports stadiums and restaurants. A hospitality designer creates a pleasant & functional space for people to gather.

Set Designer - Working on television, exhibit, movie and theater sets. A set designer works closely with the director and studies the script to determine the appropriate set design. This includes selecting the furniture, wall & floor coverings and other props to give the set the desired mood and time period of the script.

Government Designer - Designing the interiors for public buildings such as court houses, training facilities and jails. Designers who specialize in public buildings concentrate on accessibility design and operational design. During the interior design process of government buildings the interior designers make sure the accessible environment meets the needs of people who are blind or have poor vision. Also, the designer is responsible to design the facility to meet the needs of the service it provides.

Preservationist -Working with historic buildings and museums. A Preservationist helps preserve, conserve and protect buildings and its materials of historic significance.

Event Designer - Designing and decorating corporate parties, charity balls or other large gatherings

The author is a marketing representative for career colleges. If you are interested in going to an Interior Design School, please visit us at The Institute of Interior Design and apply today!

Interior Design Degree

Earning an Interior design degree is becoming one of the more popular degrees offered by accredited colleges and universities. At this time, Interior design is regulated in 24 states. Thus if you are interested in entering the world of interior design it is highly recommended that you earn a bachelors degree in Interior Design before applying for your interior designers license.

Not only is an interior design degree extremely important, knowledge of CAD software (computer-aided design) is equally important for the new interior designer. Employers prefer the graduate who can navigate the modern technologies because it is time saving and highly cost effective.

Earning an online interior design degree is very much in vogue, thus the emphasis on the CAD software. Due to the advent of the internet, more and more schools are reaching out to students from around the world.

Interior designers must be intelligent and creative in order to economize the limited amount of space available in some of the world's larger cities. An interior design degree will provide the student with the knowledge and practicality in order to meet the ever-changing demands placed on the busy interior designer.

Clearly, an interior design degree is the first step in building your career in interior design. To develop your natural talent and creativity you need the proper training and education. To become established in the interior design world you must have a formal college interior design degree.

The successful interior design degree graduate will use their creativity to design private homes, corporate offices, retail stores and restaurants. The designer will use their knowledge of color, architecture and creative design to create beautiful living and work spaces.

Interior design degree programs teach skills in graphic drawing, color theory, interior finishing, and space planning and construction technology. Students will learn all aspects of the technical, creative and even the human element factors in interior decorating and design. Building codes and safety factors are also covered in depth.

When researching an interior design degree program find out whether the school offers knowledgeable industry professionals as instructors. You want to learn from the best! Another important factor in choosing a school is whether or not the school offers online training as well as in class training. That way you may be able to study on your own time, which many of today's students require.

Interior design degree programs teach the student the historical perspectives of human environment, interior design practices and the techniques of working with interior design professionals along with the responsibilities and ethics that go along with the profession.

Persian Rug Designs

The art of making Persian Rugs dates as far back in time as 500 B.C. originating in the area now called Iran. Over the years, the art has seen highs and lows, but the fact that 1.2 million Iranian weavers continue to weave carpets for domestic and international markets speaks for the craft's timelessness. Persian area rug design stands out for its intricacy and timeless beauty.

Persian rug designs

Persian rug designs may be rectilinear or curvilinear, the latter being the more complex of the two. Traditional rug weavers commit the designs to memory. In more recent techniques, intricate designs are developed on graph paper and drawn to scale using actual colors. Since each square of the graph corresponds to a weaver's knot, the outcome is exactly like the design. Computerized designs have now replaced the manually drawn ones on graph.

Classic Persian rug designs include motifs or patterns that are laid out within a border or a number of borders. The motif is placed within the confines of the border - either all-over or in the middle or to one side. Adaptations include the repeat medallion in which the central medallion pattern is repeated in a column or grid formation. Gabbeh rugs and Kelims are examples of unsymmetrical designs of Persian rugs.

The motifs are patterned on nature and take the name of the geographical area where the rug was originally woven. With time, the motifs became popular and one can now find a mix of the motifs in a single rug. But the ancient patterns remain as main patterns and the variations form the sub patterns.

Popular motifs used in Persian rugs

Boteh: The word derives from the Farsi word for an open flower bud or palm leaf. Flames, Teardrops, Pinecones, Pears, and Trees are adaptations. The famous paisley pattern also originates from the Boteh or Buta.

Gul: The word means a flower in Farsi. The motif is typical to the Turkman, Gorgan, and Khal Mohammadi rugs. It employs a geometric pattern to depict an octagonal flower that is used to cover the rug in its entirety.

Herati: This is a typical field design with a repetitive pattern of a diamond with a flower within it. The diamond is surrounded by curved leaves, one for each side of the diamond. This design is found in both rectilinear and curvilinear patterns.

Mina-Khani: A design derived from nature, it comprises a field of daisies connected by circular lines. Most suitable for an all-over pattern, Mina-Khani is used by the weavers of Varamin rugs.

Rosette: As the name suggests, this motif is in the shape of a rose. It has a central medallion with petal-like formations all around it. Used in the borders, as well as in the field of the rug, the Rosette area rug design is typical of the Nain rugs.

Shah Abbasi: This design representing a bunch of palmettes is most popularly used in Kashan, Isfahan, Mashad, and Nain rugs. It is used in medallions or all over the rug. This motif is common in Tabriz rugs.

The Perfect Lighting for Your Home

Perhaps you have the most gorgeous home in world. Every room could be immaculately and uniquely stylish, modern and elegant with each and every item of furniture working in harmony to create a stunning and one-of-a-kind room. However it's atmosphere that really counts when you;re wanting to make everything just perfect. You can really put the icing on the with the way you choose you illuminate your room. Some stylish, modern, unique lighting fixtures are absolutely essential when you're wanting to create just the right mood. With all the options out there, choosing the right stuff can be a little daunting. Here are a few suggestions for some modern lighting fixtures that cannot fail to make an impact.



First of all, think Italian. Without a doubt the most stylish and desirable lighting is coming from Italy, and designers like the team at Oltre are really leading the way in terms of innovation and style. You'll find their pieces being favoured by the up-market retailers and with good reason. Their chic, contemporary lamps are tailor made to make a bold statement. They enhance a room while working by themselves to serve as attractive and eye-catching furniture. Some items are such perfect pieces of designer furniture, guests by be surprised to see light emanating from them as they admire!



It's all about finding that new focal point for a room. Bright colours, smooth contours and the kind of shapes and details that make you take a second glance. The best thing about achieving this with a lamp is the extra work it does. There's just so much to appreciate!. Placed amongst the other items in your home, it can take on the role of a piece of art while at the same time illuminating to set everything off, making itself and everything you own look the best they possibly can.

Living Room Lighting, How to Get the Placement Right

The layout or the plan of your living room is essential so you will know the source of natural light and to design the different areas in your living room. Light gives life to any room and as a matter of fact, is one of the most attention-grabbing ingredients in interior design.

How to get the placement right

Thinking of the interior plan of the living room is essential in creating a comfortable and stunning light in the living room. Start with how you will separate the areas and where to put the furniture. A few sources of light will be good so you can have varying lamps if it is necessary. Draw out on a piece of paper your living room design and put a mark where you want the source of light to be as well as where to mount the switches. The latter can be mounted in varying areas. The most sensible area to put the switch is near the main door. This should be the switch for the brightest glow. Every additional lantern must have its own control.



Be sure to have a light for every corner. It should match up with the purpose of the area as well as the furniture and should assist in finding the needed items.



Since the living room is where the family gathers together, a general light that extends equally in the entire room is a must. Floor lanterns with halogen bulbs can lighten the entire room.



Being the central part of the seating room, furniture like couch and armchairs can be lit by a table or floor lamp. But look for one where you can toggle the intensity to suit the time of the day.



A spotlight will be a good thing for the reading area. To put contrast, make use of general soft lights.



Do not place lamps near the television as it will give you a blinding glimmer. If you want a lamp near the TV, find one that gives off a soft beam.



A few decorative items such as sculptures, paintings require extra illumination. Spotlights will do the trick here.



If the living room door is faced towards the street, another light must be installed to lighten up the disparity of the indoor and outdoor luminosity. Warm and soft beams are recommended.



Bear in mind that lighting produces the atmosphere of your room. The bright ones exude energy while the soft ones radiate comfort. It is essential to have lights that do not hurt the eyes. To have the cozy effect in the seating room, you can have floor or table lanterns and candles in warm tones. Lighting can make a different appeal to any room so it is important that you know what you wanted to project in your living room. Likewise, lights also must blend in with the furniture that you have.

Lighting That Matches Your Office Furniture

The lighting design of an area whether in an office, home or public spaces like hotels and restaurants play an important role in highlighting home or office furniture. The importance of lighting to accentuate the pieces of furniture in a particular space or to add class and style to a room dates back to hundreds of years long before the popularity of modern lighting that we see and experience in this modern world.



Ever since lighting was acknowledged to be an essential aspect to beautify furniture and the entire area frequented by people, it has gone through various reinventions and electronic revolution like the coming up of intricate optical system to provide synthetic lighting which is pocket and environment friendly.



This lighting reinvention is a way to modernize and beautify a particular area without having to employ elaborate office furniture and passé decorative items. In addition to that, making a certain working area magnificent and bright, may help the productivity of the people on the job.



There are different types of lighting design that could accentuate your furniture. There are lights for the ceiling, modern chandeliers, pendant lights, lamps, wall sconces, lamp floors, lighting for open air, energy saving lights, spotlights and others.



You can give your home a total make over by merely changing your lights and by providing different lighting systems for the different rooms in your house. The lights will also add elegance to your home and office furniture and suit the ambience you want to have for a particular occasion.



Contemporary lighting systems are not just for highlighting office spaces and the furniture parts situated inside the area. Lighting fixtures also provide wonders inside and outside spaces of restaurants, clubs, ships, business establishments and practically any area that wants to be illuminated and glamorized.



The lighting distribution for areas varies depending on their need and purpose. 300 to 500 lux is suitable for residential areas but it is not applicable for office and other corporate settings. To provide sufficient light for the areas where such fixtures are located, fluorescent lamps are highly recommended.



No matter how you see it, the way a place is lighted contributes to its overall appearance and mood. It can also provide an atmosphere that decorations or office furniture could not provide. So bank on this fact and install the lighting fixture that is suitable for your business including the values and corporate message you want to convey.

Interior Design Trends For 2011

A new year has come and new trends are being set fast in all areas of our lives. A good way to start the new year afresh and with a new burst of energy is to change your interior design, but be careful as there are new rules for this year.



In 2011 trends in interior design will pay more attention to family and will show a high interest for preservation and 'vintage', as one of the first priorities will be saving money.



The present economic situation will make many of us become nostalgic about the old days. The so called "old colours" to remind us of the past will be among the most wanted design trends of this year. The earthy brown, the lime green or navy blue will find themselves both in it for colour, as well as trends in fabrics. What will fuel trends in 2011 will be the interest in 'greening up'. Through the reuse of furniture by restoration, not only will you be saving money but you will also have a good feeling that you have contributed to protecting the environment.



This year even in interior design the attention will be headed for the origins. Because of human desire to relive the past, designers think that interest will be devoted to the origins of existence, so everybody will seek forms and colours with a global influence. African tribal grounds, or symbols of early Amerindians people will be used a lot, many geometric figures. For them to go well together vibrant colours should be used, but at the same time modest ones, as golden reflections with musk, tomato or oceanic blue.



As people will turn their attention to origins, they realise that the most important thing in life is not money. The economic crises will only give them the desire to simplify their lives. Various shades of grey and white will be the most neutral colours used this year; the grey will be used in a lots of combinations with other colours, as well as various shades of yellow, to bring a smudge of colour. You can also create sophisticated combinations, using glass, crystal or even gold or steel. These accessories must be illuminated by various sources, so as to create glow in the room.



One detail that you can't forget are the colours and what they symbolise - as they must denote hope and optimism. Spring in nature symbolises birth and the colours of spring bring hope. Violet, orange mandarin, yellow and green may be used on fabrics. The floral motives with a retro aspect will still be appreciated, as more and more accessories for the interior design combine these colours.



Even if you can't change your furniture every year, there are a few rules to be followed in the interior design or suggestions that you can take into account in a new round of shopping: vintage, etno, Scandinavian, home office, outdoor - indoor are only some of this year's design trends. We're still looking for a comfortable warmth in our homes, privacy but without forgetting the wide open spaces and bright, minimalistics lines.



Vintage : old restored furniture, romantic lines, complicated pieces of massive wood, decorative pieces to remind you of old times. This, a style loved by women, vintage pieces means more than 'old', it's treasuring pieces from past generations, grandparents and great grandparents. Vintage style, both in clothes and furniture, involves pieces whose value and quality has remained untouched in time. But make sure that the vintage pieces you have or that you want to buy fit the style of your entire home.



Etno - heat, fireplace, the smell of spices - this is what this trend inspires. Regarding the interior decoration this trend is guided by the aesthetic "coloured" Orient: from India, Morocco, Central Asia, China, Russia. Explosion of colour, both on a white background and strong different contrasts: red, orange, yellow. However, if you aren't a supporter of this etno style throughout, pick out a few items: coloured carpets, a lot of wood, natural shades and dim light to get the effect.



Outdoor - Indoor is a new, catchy trend for this year, that you will fall in love with if you are an outdoor person. From the desire of an intimate, warm area, one of trends imposed this year is bringing parts of outside, inside for those who would normally sit on the terrace or garden, bring the ambiance into the living- room. So you bring the ratan deep chairs, low, bamboo coffee tables and bulky, large plants inside. For a special effect allow light to enter by the large windows.



A new trend for this year is the chill Scandinavia. Surely we all love the minimalistic look with white pieces of furniture, romantic lines, that are extremely functional. This is more than a trend, it's a way of living. Choose white furniture , walls painted white with colorful accessories thrown in; coloured pillows, nude soft carpet, boxes of different sizes, so you have somewhere to keep your magazines and DVDs.