People often mistake interior designers for decorators with a love of designer furniture. In truth, decorating is only a small part of interior designer jobs. Interior designers are primarily concerned with the function, feel and quality of interior spaces. Rooms created by interior home designers are attractive, safe and functional, while reflecting the tastes and needs of the homeowner.

What Do Interior Designers Do?

Interior designers have a long and involved job description that incorporates elements of engineering, human psychology, budgeting and architecture.

Some of the main responsibilities of interior designers include:

• Arrange for designer furniture, artwork and paint
• Budget interior designer costs
• Coordinate with home improvement contractors necessary for implementing room design
• Make the best use of room lighting and color
• Obtain building permits as necessary
• Prepare plans for non-load bearing interior construction
• Present designs to clients using a variety of media
• Restore heritage home rooms to be historically accurate
• Synthesize client wishes and goals with formal interior design theory
• Work with clients to determine their goals and needs.

Interior designer jobs require a wide range of knowledge. Interior designers have to understand building codes, how human behavior applies to individual spaces, and a general understanding of electrical systems, plumbing and heating/cooling systems.

Interior designers also need to develop a wide range of contacts in the home improvement industry, including home improvement contractors and suppliers of artwork, designer furniture and construction materials.

And yes, while decoration is only a small part of interior designer jobs, interior designers must be able to design a room where colors, furniture and accessories all blend together in a pleasing manner.

Specialized Interior Designer Jobs

Interior designers may choose to work in highly specialized fields. For some home designers this means specializing in one type of home style, such as:

• Asian
• Country French
• Eclectic
• Rustic.

There are literally dozens of interior designer styles. Keep in mind that even if interior designers specialize in their favorite styles, they’re usually quite capable of handling home designer jobs in a range of styles.

Other interior designers choose to specialize in different rooms, such as bathrooms and kitchens. There are even interior designers who work only with closets, providing clients with well-organized and ergonomic storage spaces.

Interior designers can transform your home and offer possibilities for space use that you may never have considered. Interior designers aim to provide a space that improves their clients’ quality of life, and increase their comfort, safety and productivity, while also increasing the beauty of the room.