How to Start a Decorating Business

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parts

1Learning about Interior Decorating

2Improving Your Skills

3Developing Your Business Plan

4Launching Your Decorating Business

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Article Summary

If you're interested in starting your own interior decorating business, there are a few things that you'll need to take into consideration. You'll want to learn as much as you can about the craft of interior design. There is no formal educational requirement for an interior decorator, but you'll likely want to learn as much as you can about the business before you launch your own firm. Once you feel confident in your skills, you're ready to develop a business plan and consider marketing needs.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Learning about Interior Decorating

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   Visit high-end spaces. Visiting spaces that have been designed by a professional interior designer or decorator will help train your eye, enabling you to learn more about the most desirable trends.

   • Pay attention to color schemes, space planning, and small details.
   • Keep a notebook with you and record your observations, both positive and negative. This is a great way to grow and learn as a decorator.
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   Read relevant magazines. Keeping up-to-date with the most relevant decorating and design trends will help you build a decorating business that will attract your ideal clientele. You will always want to be one step ahead of your clients on the design front, suggesting to them the newest design concepts that are beyond their imagination.

   • Some magazines you should look at include: Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, Design Directions, Elle Décor, Home Restoration & Remodeling Magazine, House and Garden, Interior Design, Interiors & Sources, Metropolitan Home, Style at Home, Traditional Home, and Victorian Homes.
   • Make sure to review commercial interior design magazines as well as consumer-driven interior design.
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   Know the basics of design. Understanding the way your space works is fundamental to interior decorating. Design is visual as well as physical. Elements of design include balance, emphasis, movement and patterns.

   • The single most important element of interior design is lighting.
   • For example, there are three forms of lighting: ambient lighting, which provides overall illumination; task lighting, which provides light for specific activities; accent lighting adds focus to particular elements of the space.
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   Find your focus. Focus on developing you own style and interests to give your decorating business a unique and personalized touch. Do this so that people will seek you out for your particular specialty.

   • Developing your particular niche interest will help your business be more marketable and attractive to your clients.
   • Your business will do best if you're able to find a type of interior design that's being overlooked in your local market.
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   Practice your interior decorating skills. Find every opportunity to practice trying out your ideas of interior design to improve your skills. Discuss your end visions with an experienced or professional decorator or designer. For example, take a random swatch of fabric or paint chip and attempt to design a room (either mentally, through sketching, or using a computer) that incorporates those details. Learning how to take pieces of a puzzle and create a full picture is an essential part of becoming an interior decorator.

   • Realize that learning more about interior design takes time. You'll learn more skills over time.
   • One way to get training and practice in interior design is to find a job working for someone who has her own business. You'll learn more about what starting your own decorating business will be like.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Improving Your Skills

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   Get relevant training. While there are no specific training requirements to become an interior decorator, people are more likely to use your business if you have concrete training and experience. Taking some classes in design or a certification course in home staging or interior decorating will add credibility and also give you an opportunity to network.

   • Search the course offerings at a local college or university to see if there are any adult education or continuing education courses focusing on decorating and design.
   • In order to work as an interior designer, you'll need a bachelor's degree.
2. 
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   Volunteer your decorating talent. Help friends and family when they want to do a redecorating project. Find out about offering your services at social service organizations, like fundraising offices, group homes, community nonprofit locations, and others.

   • Offer to decorate for local fundraising events and festivals.
   • Volunteering will help you get your name out in the community as a decorator, and it is also a great way to practice your decoration and design!
3. 
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   Develop a portfolio. Whenever you decorate a space, whether in your own home, a friend’s home, or something that you are commissioned to do, take pictures of it for your portfolio. Your portfolio should be an example of all the work that you’ve done. If possible, have a professional photographer take these pictures, or take them with a quality camera. Your portfolio is an important part of starting a decorating business as it will show off you talents and design abilities to potential clients.

   • Make sure you include pictures of the rooms you decorate from various angles and take close-up photos of any special details.
   • Include before-and-after photos of your work. This is a powerful way to show your potential.
   • Place your photos in a leather presentation case or have them professionally mounted on art board.
   • Create an online or digitized portfolio. If you end up making a website for your decorating business, you will want to include this presentation on your site.
   • Add letters of recommendation if possible from those whose homes you have decorated.
4. 
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   Practice your estimating. Estimating the price of your decorating project is going to be one of the most important parts of starting your decorating business. You neither want to price your services too low or too high, so it is essential to make sure that you are pricing your work correctly. The median hourly rate for interior decorating work is $18.89 per hour, but rates may vary in your location.

   • In order to properly estimate the price of a job, consider:
     • The size of the job (this includes the number of hours that will be required to complete it)
     • The cost of the products used for the job
     • The number of outside helpers you will need to hire (for example, carpet layers, painters, etc.)
     • The deadline of the job (bill higher for a rush job)
     • Your personal markup, typically 15% of the total fee.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Developing Your Business Plan

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   Form relationships with vendors. In order to successfully start a decorating business, you will need vendors who can supply the necessary materials and supplies. Without an accredited interior designer license, you may not be entitled to designer discounts, but you can negotiate when buying in bulk or offering repeat business. Ask for updates about the latest decors and any decors that are yet to arrive in the market. This can help keep you ahead of your competition.

   • Additionally, you can be creative in your shopping. Find inexpensive sources for materials, such as overstock stores and consignment shops. A consignment or thrift store, for example, can also give you more unique or vintage items than you may get at larger vendors.
   • A common way to begin a career as a decorator is to function as a product-driven designer by marketing products and designing interiors around these particular products. You may want to consult with manufacturers or vendors to see if there are any opportunities available.
2. 
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   Set your rate. You can set your rate based on an hourly fee (the easiest way to charge), charge by square footage (usually the choice for commercial work), or charge a flat fee (though this will only work if your client supplies all the necessary products and furniture).

   • Remember your markup. A markup for an interior decorator is typically a minimum of 15%, but you may choose to vary this based on your experience and potential for work in the market.
   • Know what your competitors are charging, and also how they are charging (for example, by hour or by square foot). This will make your business more competitive in the market.
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   Determine your target market and/or specialty. For example, you may choose to decorate offices, communal spaces, or private homes. Alternatively, you may want to specialize in decorating historical buildings. You can combine organizing with decorating, work in home staging for people selling their homes, or some other specialty.

   • Consider what opportunities may be available or necessary in your hometown. Depending on where you live, there may be a great demand for refurbishing older buildings, or decorating a new apartment complex that rents furnished apartments.
   • You may want to consider working for a franchise like Decorating Den or opening your own shop. This can be a great way to get your name known and showcase your work to the public. You will reach a larger audience than you might by word of mouth alone.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Launching Your Decorating Business

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   1
   Write a business plan. Similar to starting any business, starting a home decorating business involves creating a solid business plan. Your business plan should include information such as the budget for your business, the type of clients you wish to have, and the medium you will use to reach your clients.

   • Decide whether you will be a product-driven decorator or will be a consultant who does not sell products. There is room for both types of decorators in the industry.
   • Remember to consider how and from where you will purchase your inventory, and don’t forget to include costs such as insurance and vehicle maintenance.
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   Research requirements for permits, licensing, and insurance. You may need to consult with several specialists for help in this area, as requirements vary by state, county and municipality. Make sure you have the appropriate business license before decorating any homes on commission.

   • The Department of State can provide you with the business licensing and permit requirements for you to start a business in different states. Keep in mind that these requirements may vary widely based on state.
   • Consult an insurance agent to help you find the proper coverage to protect your personal assets from business liabilities.
   • Talk to a tax professional to learn how to ensure that your company is paying the correct amount of taxes.
   • See an attorney or consult the Department of State (for your state) for guidance in incorporating your company.
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   Consider startup costs. Startup costs for decorating businesses are often relatively low and you likely won’t need a big budget to begin.Two must-haves are a good computer and reliable transportation that is also in good condition. Your basic startup costs will include the purchase of sample books, business cards, software, and promotional tools (such as brochures or any advertising you might like to do).

   • You'll likely need to prepare a certain amount of working capital to start your decorating business.
   • Unless you plan to work from a home office, you'll need to pay rent for an office space, electricity and internet access. You may need to pay for parking space for yourself and your future clients.
4. 
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   Select your business name. A good business name will be something that is evocative, professional, and memorable. Thinking about choosing a name that is imaginative to show your clients your creative side. However, it's probably best to avoid a name that's too "cute" or trendy. Your business name should provide insight into the kind of professional work your interior decorating company will provide.

   • Give your company name a lot of thought. Selecting a business name is one of the most important steps in planning your business.
   • Don’t underestimate the power of your name. Some of the best names for businesses are simply a combination of your name and what you do; for example, “Jake Collins Decorating”.
5. 
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   Market your decorating business. Advertising can follow many different paths. You may want to start spreading word of your business by word of mouth; to do this, you should speak with as many members of your community as possible. Let them know about your business and encourage them to contact you with any potential inquiries.

   • Make sure you attend any markets or trade shows where people might be going to look for goods for their homes, and discuss your availability as an interior decorator.
   • Once your business is official, you can start advertising in newspapers, on radio, or on television. This is a great way to spread information about your business without depending on word of mouth alone. You will reach a much larger audience this way.
   • A great way to advertise your decorating business is by starting a website. You should fill this website with as many pictures as possible of your home designs and decorations.
6. 
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   Network with other professionals. Other decorators and designers, as well as architects and real estate agents, may be able to offer you referrals. If there is any sort of builders or decorators guild in your area, join it to start connecting with other professionals in your line of work.

   • Using social media is a great way to network with other professionals, and to promote your business.
   • Keep an active blog so that people can see what you're doing in a day-to-day manner.
   • Using your online presence to promote other people's work encourages them to promote your work as well.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How can I start an interior design business without training?

  

  Community Answer

  You can't, or at least it'll be extremely difficult and not likely profitable. I recommend you get the proper training.

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• Question

  Do I need an LLC to operate an interior decorating business?

  

  Community Answer

  No, you do need to meet many other requirements though.

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  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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• Question

  How much does it cost to start a decorating business?

  

  Community Answer

  It depends on what type of decorating, and what clientele you are marketing your business to.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

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Tips

• As an interior designer, you need to be flexible and able to adjust to changing circumstances quickly. It's common to have curveballs thrown at you just when you think you have everything figured out.
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