Every night, once the kids are asleep, she rushed to the living room, grabs the remote, and switches it to HGTV. For the next hour and a half, she's mesmerized by strangers making choices on home decor. And she's more than willing to offer her own advice as well.
"Are they kidding? That color is HIDEOUS!"
"Oh who would want that in their bedroom..."
Or the one that frightens me the most: "Let's do the same thing to our kitchen!"
But this is not an uncommon occurrence. All over the country people are swarming to these home decorating shows, anxious to get their interior decorating juices flowing. And the cable networks are eating it up.
But is there REALLY a market for interior designers out there?
The answer is a resounding YES. Right now, interior design is one of the fastest rising careers in the marketplace. With the popularity of shows like these and the "keep up the the Jones'" mindset that's so prevalent in today's suburbia, more and more homeowners are hiring interior designers to make magic in their house.
And they'll pay anything--ANYTHING-- to make sure it's twice as magical than the folks next door. So the opportunity to make big bucks as an interior decorator is there...but how do you go about getting into this field?
Here's a few tips to help get you started...
--Look into attending an interior design college. Here's where you'll learn how it all works, with courses on everything from proper room acoustics to feng shui. Most programs come with bachelor degrees, so you can get educated and start your own business in just a few years.
--Become a volunteer or an intern: Want a free education? Hook up with an existing firm and learn all of their design tricks firsthand--for only the cost of your time. Many busy interior designer would love to have someone helping them out. And you reap all the benefits of getting your hands dirty from day one. Maybe they'll even offer you a paid position, so you can get trained AND get paid. How cool is that?
--Offer to redecorate for friends or relatives: What a fabulous way to work up a portfolio. If you have a decorator's eye, then offer to do a room (or two) for someone you know. This is a superb method for gaining experience and that all important sample to show potential clients. Plus, your friends and relatives will love you for it!
These are just a few of the ways to get started as an interior designer. So get up of the couch and put your talents to work...for real! And who knows? Maybe you'll have your own show someday, and my wife can question your choices too!