Creative to the core, interior decorators assist clients to achieve the perfect design finishes for rooms and buildings.

There are around 85 interior decorators working in Western Australia. Eighty percent are female. Most of these people work in the metropolitan area.

Each year there are approximately 20 places available in the Diploma of Interior Decoration.

Harmony Of Colours

When you walk into a building and notice that the furniture, wall coverings, fittings and accessories all work together to create a theme, there's a good chance that an interior decorator has been at work. Interior decorators assist clients to select and co-ordinate the different elements that make up the interior of a room or a building.

Changing Rooms

Interior decorators plan and implement decoration schemes in homes, hotels, office buildings, shops, restaurants, clubs and schools. Some of the duties and responsibilities of an interior decorator include interviewing clients in order to determine colour and style preferences, lifestyle needs (no white sofas with toddlers around!) and matching these to budgetary requirements. Their plans, samples, and cost estimates are then submitted to their clients for approval.

''The job involves assisting clients in problem solving. It's a challenge to come up with a solution that will suit both the taste of the client and the characteristics of the building or room,'' says Ryan, a designer from Habitat Furnishings.

Designers also select colour schemes, lighting, furniture, floor coverings, curtains, paint, wallpaper and hardware products (eg curtain fittings) either with, or on behalf of, the client. They then supervise the purchase of materials, and co-ordinate their delivery, installation or arrangement. Interior decorators working in retail shops are also likely to be involved in direct selling.

A Challenging Career

Working conditions vary with the place of employment and sometimes interior decorators have to work extended or irregular hours in order to meet clients' needs. They may need to travel to a client's home or office, and spend a great deal of time there.

It can also be challenging when a client doesn't have the same tastes as a decorator and there is a clash of aesthetic sensibilities. In these instances it helps if the designer is diplomatic or has great sales techniques in order to sell their ideas.

''Sometimes you can put in a lot of work, and then the job doesn't go ahead. Or you might get situations where a husband and wife can't agree on what they want,'' says Ryan.

Artistry and a flair for design are essential in this line of work, as is the ability to visualise ideas. People working in this field must be prepared to keep abreast of any design trends since colours and styles in furnishings date just as quickly as those in fashion. Remember those orange laminated kitchen benches of the seventies!

Varied Work Environments

Around a third of all interior decorators work in property and business services while the remainder provide services in a variety of other areas such as construction and retailing. Prospective employers include department stores, furniture stores, fabric suppliers, carpet outlets, paint and wallpaper retail outlets, decorating services, manufacturing companies, and interior design practices.

Some interior decorators work on a freelance basis and purchase merchandise from retail outlets. Those who have extensive work experience and good business skills may open their own decorating service and employ others.

According to Meryl Hare, an interior decorator and member of the Design Institute of Australia,

''Interior decorating as a profession is different to interior design, but just as valid. More and more practices are employing interior decorators because of their expertise in soft furnishings and fabrics. Educational institutions are beginning to take it seriously as a profession, as reflected by the provision of formal training and the Design Institute of Australia's decision to now acknowledge interior decoration.''

The demand for their services is largely dependent upon the level of activity in the building industry, which can currently be described as sound, and the number of established properties being refurbished. With the introduction of a government rebate for first home buyers building a new home, there should be some short term employment growth in this area. Self-employment is also an option.

To acquire the skills necessary to become an interior decorator, training is usually provided on the job. Interior decorators working in retail may begin as sales assistants in furniture, display and soft furnishing departments. As experience increases and opportunities arise, it may be possible to progress from sales to consulting. After completing their on-the-job training, interior decorators generally work on a commission basis, although this will vary between employers. Incomes, therefore, have the capacity to vary greatly depending on the sales ability and reputation of the decorator.

Starting salaries are around $35,000 per year, with more experienced interior decorators earning around $60,000 per year.

Although no specific education qualifications are required, employers generally recruit applicants who have completed at least Year 12 or the equivalent. Experienced decorators strongly recommend completion of post-secondary programs in interior decoration or visual arts in order to develop presentation and colour co-ordination skills.

The full-time Diploma of Interior Decoration is available through the Perth campus of Central TAFE. Entry requires a minimum C grade in four accredited Year 12 (E Code) subjects including an English, or equivalent, plus submission of a work folio. For further information about the course, check out the TAFE site below.

	TAFE Colleges
	Homepage links and contact details for all TAFE Colleges in WA.
	TAFE Handbook
	An online guide to full-time TAFE courses available throughout WA.

Design Institute of Australia (Victorian Branch)
486 Albert Street East Melbourne VIC 3002 Ph: (03) 8662 5490 or 1300 888 056 Email: admin@design.org.au URL: http://www.dia.org.au

Design Institute of Australia (Current WA contact/ask for the Branch president)
Level 1-225 St Georges Terrace Perth WA 6000 Ph: (08) 9321 6245 Fax: (08) 9481 5478 Email: jr@btsdesign.com.au

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''It's a challenging career,'' says Ryan from Habitat Furnishings.

''You're dealing with people who have set ideas about decorating and what colour schemes they like. Matching the taste of the client with the characteristics of the building or room can sometimes be a bit like tackling a jigsaw.''

But it's challenges like this which make a career in interior decorating an exciting one for him. And, he suggests, if you're an imaginative yet practical person, a career in interior decorating can allow you to show off both your creative talents and your problem solving skills.

Angela, an interior decorator at IKEA, graduated with a degree in Art and Architectural History from Victoria's Deakin University.

Luckily, her expectations about interior decorating have been fulfilled.

''I had an inkling of how demanding the job could be, but I've always been interested in interior decorating. I still enjoy creating, designing, and putting things together,'' says Angela.

Angela has made the change from showroom to retail decorating. Instead of decorating a whole lounge or kitchen showroom, she focuses on using new stock for a shelf display, for instance.

''It's much more chaotic but so much more fluid because there's new stock arriving all of the time. I also do general maintenance, straightening up displays and ensuring they always looks good.''

And while the end result is guaranteed to look amazing, Angela stresses that achieving the desired look is often far less glamorous.

''There's a lot of climbing up and down ladders, and when you work in retail, probably 70% of your work involves maintenance jobs like making sure light globes are working. Corporate work is probably a bit more glamorous.''

Angela says she particularly likes designing new methods of displaying goods,

''I get a lot of inspiration from inhouse manuals and top end magazines like Marie Claire and Living Etc, which show more unusual displays. People are too used to seeing mainstream displays so you've got to keep doing something different to catch their attention.''

Ryan says that good communication skills and personal appearance go hand in hand with this occupation,

''You need to be precise, punctual and stylishly dressed, as interior decorating involves selling design ideas to clients.''

Angela and Ryan both caution though that finding work as an interior decorator is becoming very competitive, so once you're in this occupation you'll need to keep up with the changes.