Becoming A Decorator

If you have a creative streak, a great work ethic and a desire to make your presence felt, becoming a decorator could be a great career choice for you. It falls into the unusual career category because it doesn’t follow the typical career trajectory of other vocations. It is a profession with a number of benefits. These include transforming your visions into reality, the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference to someone’s home and flexible working hours. To become a decorator, you don’t need a college degree. While it may be a good idea to become certified, this is not absolutely necessary though it may enhance your chances of getting a job. Certification takes between two and five years.

As an interior decorator, you already have a good ‘eye’ for design. This is another way of saying that you know how to improve a room merely by looking at it. Even if you’re extremely talented, it’s important to train your eye continually to gain more knowledge. Locate and view beautiful interiors to give you a further idea of what great design looks like. This should also give you a range of new and exciting ideas.

No matter how good you think you are, the only way to find out is by decorating a home. Start off by designing a room in your own home before renovating the whole house if it needs changing. Invite friends around for a look. If they are impressed, they may call on you to decorate their home too. This process will give you a much needed portfolio which massively enhances your chances of getting a job. Alternatively, you could simply offer to decorate a friend’s house for free. The experience you will gain will be invaluable.

When you go onto the market looking for clients, you need to bring together your portfolio which should showcase your talent. If you have any documents that show qualifications in the field of decorating, you should also bring these along. Aim to have around 20 photographs of your work. Ensure that you also take ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures for every job you complete.

The ultimate goal of all decorators is to be self-employed. This guarantees freedom and flexibility. It’s also a difficult and brave step to take because you are branching out on your own and don’t have a definite salary to fall back on. You are also responsible for establishing relationships with suppliers. You will need to get in touch with companies who manufacture furniture, fabrics, wall coverings and contractors who perform painting and installation work. Professional decorators may be entitled to large discounts which can be passed on to customers. As you are charging a lower price, more clients may choose your services above others.

Becoming a decorator is not as easy as walking into a classroom and studying. You need to have belief in your vision and not quit when things get tough as they invariably will, especially at the beginning. Gain a client base, improve your portfolio and enjoy the career you’ve always dreamed of. 

Simple Decorating Ideas

Not all decorating ideas have to be excessively expensive or take several weeks to complete. Decorating the home has become synonymous with angst and stress but this doesn’t have to be the case. Most people attempt renovations that are too ambitious instead of concentrating on simple projects that can breathe new life into the home. You should look to complete these easy tasks one at a time. Before you know it, the home has been decorated for a reasonable price and stress is at an all-time low. Below are some simple decorating ideas that will transform your home on a budget.

Add Trimmings

You can add a little extra elegance to all the side tables in your home by purchasing some wood trim, cutting and painting it, adding it to the table before allowing it to dry. Attach with a set of finishing nails and a new doorknob and it looks like you’ve purchased new accessories.

Curtains

Instead of spending thousands of pounds on renovating your bathroom, why not try something a little simpler to start with? Change your old tattered shower curtain and replace it with one that is fresh and new. In fact, you can make this alteration to every set of curtains in the house. This simple tip will add colour and life in all rooms at a price you can afford.

On The Tiles

Purchase floor tiles of different colours at markets. Buy some installation mats which make it easy to position the tiles. Place the tiles on the floor in a host of decorative patterns. The different colours will make it look like you’ve had a new floor installed.

Lighting

You should incorporate different types of light in your home instead of just sticking with the same kind of bulbs. Choose a particular type of light for entertaining, working, relaxing etc. You should purchase lamps, overhead fixtures, pendants and any other form of light you can think of. Ensure that it’s possible to adjust these lights accordingly to create a different ambiance in each room of your house.

Turquoise

This is a serene shade of blue that is known to cause relaxation. Add it to different rooms in the home by various methods. Perhaps you could paint an entire room in this colour while buying vases and other accessories that are turquoise.

Making The Move

Many homeowners have found that the simple act of moving around their furniture to utilise the space in a room has had a profound effect. It really can look as if you’ve renovated the room and it will certainly confuse visitors. Best of all, it’s absolutely free to do.

Welcome

You should add a welcome mat to your front door to give your house that element of change from the moment you walk in. There are thousands of designs and dozens of different colours to choose from.

You shouldn’t be looking to take out a bank loan or dip into your life savings just to renovate your home. There are dozens of easy ways to make a startling transformation that will satisfy your need for change. 

Different Types Of Paint To Decorate With

For most people, the biggest challenge when it comes to choosing a paint is the colour. They agonise for days in an attempt to pick a suitable colour scheme for the home. One thing they often miss out on however is the importance of the different textures of paint available. Choose the wrong texture paint and your decorating effort could be a complete disaster. We will begin by comparing oil-based paint to latex paint before reviewing other types.

Oil-Based

This is a solvent-thinned coating which spreads easily on surfaces. Most homeowners choose this type of paint when they are decorating commonly visited rooms like the kitchen because of its durability and the fact that it cleans easily. Oil-based paint looks ‘warmer’ than its latex equivalent and survives wear and tear much better. It is also effective when used on woodwork because its finish lasts a long time. One downside to oil-based paint is the fact that it is messy to clean up and you require paint thinner to do so.

Latex

This is a water-thinned coating that can be used as soon as you open the tin. It is easily applied and produces an aesthetically pleasing end product. Latex paint is also extremely easy to clean up with soap and water usually enough to clean it. It is also far less expensive than oil-based paint and is generally popular for those on a budget. The downside with latex paint is the fact that it is not all that durable and wears out more quickly.

It should be noted that you must never put latex paint over oil-based paint as they don’t mix with the latex paint certain to flake almost immediately. You’ll need to add oil-based primer on the old coat of oil paint and allow it to dry for a full day before applying a coat of oil or latex paint. This should prevent the paint from flaking and cause less problems when you want to repaint a room.

Emulsion

Water-based paint with a matt finish which makes it suitable for walls. It should only be used on smooth walls but its silk finish will show up any existing dents in a surface. Most emulsions are washable and can be easily wiped off when wet.

Varnish

This is available in a range of finishes and it dries to a hard, glossy shell. You can purchase oil or water based varnish with the oil showing greater consistency. Water based varnish is normally environmentally friendly.

Enamel

Virtually the same as varnish expect for the fact that it has a pigment added. Enamel is extremely tough and is the ideal choice for painting cabinets.

Alkyd

A durable paint that is also relatively easy to clean though paint thinner is needed. Alkyd is often used in kitchens and bathrooms.

Urethane

This is the ideal coating for woodwork because it dries to a hard glossy shell and hides imperfections. It is very durable but turns yellow as it ages and has a strong smell.

These are just a handful of the types of paint available for decorating your home. Be sure to read up on each kind and determine which is most suited for certain jobs in your home. 

How To Decorate Effectively

Your home should be somewhere that allows you to retreat from the outside world. Whether it is bitterly cold and wet outside or else you’re returning from a bad day at work, the home is a place that should be decorated in your image. This is especially the case if you’re intending on making it your permanent home. Decorating is often seen as a time consuming process that is destined to end in ignominious failure but you can prevent this from happening by following a few simple tips. Once you begin decorating, always have a set plan of action so that you know what the finished article should look like.

Your plan of action is what will keep the entire decorating project under control. Without a clear plan, you’re asking for trouble and the odds of completing the project under your time and financial budgets will greatly increase. With so many materials, fabrics, finishes and fixtures available, it’s easy to get caught between two stools and attempt to do to much. It’s important that you have a clear vision of what you want and stick to it. It’s best if you decorate one room at a time as this will reduce the inevitable carnage. By decorating too many rooms at once, you could make your house almost uninhabitable.

When you hire professionals such as plumbers and carpenters, ensure that their work is completed as soon as possible. Allowing the project to drag on will increase the level of cash spent and make you feel as if you didn’t get value for money. You must always ensure that a specific room is nominated as your headquarters and that there is adequate living space for the whole family. For extremely complex decorating projects, don’t be afraid to hire a professional planner who can eliminate problems and speed up the operation. Such an individual will pay for themselves as the project will be finished on time with less delays equalling less spending.

Arranging a room is an art form in itself and can be extremely stressful and time consuming. For example, you need to choose floor tiles with the correct angle to make the room look bigger. You also have to take care of the walls; paint is the obvious choice. But you can also cover your walls with wallpaper, murals and fabrics. You’ll need to place the furniture in certain patterns to make the most of your space and use coverings to bring an air of style to your furniture as well as protecting it from dirt and the elements. There is also the small matter of having the right doors and windows installed by a professional company. If you elect to paint the walls and ceiling, you need to decide on the paint colour and texture.

As you can see, decorating the home is an extremely tough task. There are dozens of things to consider which is why you will be hopelessly lost if you start the project without taking into account all of the factors associated with redecorating a room or an entire house.