Careers in Interior Design

Population explosion has led to shrinkage in living space. But the need to live comfortably with style has not minimized. Here comes the need of Interior Designers. Their demand has increased tremendously in the last few years. Interior Designing involves the designing and coordinating of the decorative elements of the interior of a house, apartment, office or other structural space, including colour scheme, fittings, furnishings and sometimes architectural features. It is concerned with designing living space in a manner that is aesthetically appealing as well as functionally useful. Interior Designers do their work, keeping in mind the necessities, requirements and tastes of the client. In Interior Designing, one has to deal in a wide range of areas. One has to deal with construction and finishing materials, lightning, paints and colours for the walls, tiles for the floors, panels for the roof, etc. One has to select and place indoor objects of utility and decoration like television, computer, beds, sofas, wall paintings, carpets, furnishings, etc.

Course Details
Interior Design is offered as a specialization in 4 year Bachelor of Fine-Arts (BFA) programs which can be pursued immediately after 10+2. A 5 year professional program in Interior Design is also offered in the School of Interior Design in the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad. Requirement for the program is a +2 with Science subjects. There are also numerous part time one year diploma programs being offered in India, which requires minimum qualification of 10+2 pass in any stream. Many private learning institutions, meanwhile, offer certificate courses in interior design whose requirement for qualification is a Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC). In addition to professional qualification knowledge about Vaastu and Feng Shui can be very helpful to make a bright career in this field.

Career Prospects
Employment opportunities for interior design professionals are plentiful in India. Graduates from interior design courses can find gainful employment with independent architects or in large architectural firms, building contractors, hotels and resorts. Professionals may also find work in private design consultancy firms, theaters and exhibition organizing companies. The public sector also has a large demand for interior designers. Public institutions such as town planning bureaus, metropolitan and regional development departments and the public works department have a need for the expertise of interior designers. Interior Design profession also offers excellent prospects for individuals who want to work part time and those who aspire to be self-employed and start their own business.

Institutes Offering
Exterior –Interior, New Delhi; South Delhi Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi; Apeejay Institute of Design, New Delhi; Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay), Mumbai; St. Francis Institute of Art and Design, Mumbai; J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai; SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai; CREATIONS-The School of Design and Technology, Pune; Indian Institute of Interior Designers, Mumbai; National Institute of Fashion Design, Chandigarh; School of Interior Design, Bangalore; Karavali College, Mangalore; Centre for Environmental Planning Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad; Institute of Environmental Design, Vidyanagar, Gujarat; Arch Institute of fashion and Design, Jaipur; Anima Institute of Fashion, Calcutta.

Remuneration
The earnings of interior design professionals differ greatly due to a number of factors. The most significant factor influencing an interior designers' compensation package is their talent. Their specialization and the size of the firm where they are employed also plays a huge role in determining their pay scale. Depending on these factors, fresh graduates may receive monthly salaries of Rs.8, 000 to Rs.10, 000. Starting from this base salary, they may then begin to work their way up to Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 75,000 monthly compensation levels when they become more established in their field.