Is getting an interior decorator certification TRULY beneficial? QC Design School’s Student Ambassador, Jamie Cromar, says YES! Join her as she reveals 5 game-changing skills SHE learned through her training and how they’ve elevated her design career! Jamie is the founder of Leigh Allan Design. She is a graduate of QC’s Interior Decorating Course and is currently enrolled in the Staging for Designers program.
A Little About Me
Hello everyone! I’m Jamie Cromar. I recently graduated from QC Design School‘s Interior Decorating Course. As a result, I am now an internationally-certified Design and Decorating Professional (IDDP). Last year, I started my very own design business and home decor boutique, Leigh Allan Design, in my home town of Hudson, Quebec. Thanks to the help and knowledge I received from QC Design School, I was able to make my dreams come true!
Education is always a good idea, especially in a field you love. Having a reputable interior decorator certification will give you the confidence to work with clients and build a successful business. ALL aspiring designers would benefit from taking QC’s Interior Decorating Course!
Benefits of an Interior Decorator Certification
Before I even started my schooling, I knew that having an education behind me would only help my career aspirations. Professional training would give me the knowledge and guidance to confidently navigate the design world. Moreover, my interior decorator certification has also helped me with my bottom line!
This rings true not just for someone starting out in the design world – it’s also just as relevant for an established designer, too. If you’re someone who wants to gain more experience, knowledge, and increase their income, then taking a certification course is the clear answer.
My certification training has also taught me how to work with clients, present my floorplans and designs, and mix styles flawlessly. Since graduating from QC’s Interior Decorating Course, I have definitely relied on what I learned each and every day.
The Top 5 Tips and Tricks I Learned from My Interior Decorator Certification Training
In order to give you some insight into what I have learned (and what YOU can learn, too), here are 5 incredible tips and tricks I discovered thanks to my certification training…
1. How to Measure a Room Properly
Do you know how to measure a room properly? I thought I did, too… That is, until I took my Interior Decorating Course!
In Unit D of this program, there’s a booklet you’ll read called, “Understanding Floorplans”. Here, you discover that when measuring a room, you need to measure the length of the room not on the floor – but half-way up the wall. Why? Because from the floor, there is the molding. Molding is farther away from the wall and will not give you an accurate measurement.
You’ll also learn how to properly measure a wall near a window. Specifically, how you must measure the inside of the trim, rather than to the molding around the window.
If you follow these tips, you will be sure to get the correct room measurements every time!
2. Every Room Needs a Focal Point
Another thing your interior decorator certification will teach you all about is focal points. When designing a room, you ALWAYS need to think about a focal point!
You see, our eyes want to focus on a certain place when walking into a space. If there’s too much going on within the room, it’ll create a cluttered feeling. Furthermore, no focal point means that our eyes won’t have anywhere to focus on and rest.
Some rooms have natural focal points, such as a fireplace or large window. Other rooms don’t – and so you’ll need to create one. Common examples might be an accent wall in a bedroom, or gallery wall in a hallway. I learned about focal points in the “Space Planning and Furniture Selection” booklet from Unit D. Personally, this lesson has helped me EVERY time I start working on a room.
When creating a space, always ask yourself: where is the focal point or where do I need to create one?
3. How to Pick the Right Paint Colors
Paint colors are one of the most important parts of design. They make the biggest impact and can instantaneously change the feel of a space. When choosing a room color, you first need to understand color. Next, you must also understand cool and warm tones. Finally, you should also know what the artificial and/or natural lighting will be like in each room.
For example, I live in Canada. Here, the sun isn’t always shining. As such, having gray walls isn’t always the best idea. Gray won’t reflect the light coming into the room. Rather, it will absorb it – thus creating a colder, darker feeling.
Instead, try adding a warm toned white. This will get a nice, light reflection, on top of a lighter feel in the space. In QC’s Interior Decorating Course, you’ll learn all about color in Unit A’s “Working with Color” booklet. You’ll learn everything you need to know in order to choose the perfect color(s) for your client’s home!
4. Accessories Pull a Space Together
Accessories are the perfect finishing touch to any space! Moreover, we all use them to decorate our homes. The thing is, it can be challenging to make accessories look just right.
One thing I learned while reading the “Accessorizing” booklet (in Unit C of my interior decorator certification course) was that less is more. Sometimes, we add so many personal accessories in an attempt to fill a space that it ends up looking cluttered. This isn’t what we want! Ideally, we only want the pieces we LOVE to stand out.
Let’s take shelves, for example. Here’s one particular trick I love: say you have a lot of books, but their spines don’t match your decor. Simply turn your books around so the spine is facing the back of the shelf! If you really want to mix things up, put some of books so that they’re facing front and others so that they’re facing back. Place some standing up, while others are laying down. This will help create different levels, interest, and textures.
One thing I often tell my clients is to put their favorite accessories where they can see them every day. And above all else, try to keep it simple!
5. Function and Style
This is a big one! It may not be a specific tip or trick to one design concept, but it honestly works for EVERY concept. The topic of function and style comes up regularly throughout QC’s Interior Design Course. Plus, I’ve used this particular lesson every single day since earning my interior decorator certification.
In order to have a space that looks beautiful, it also needs to be functional. Keep this in mind when designing a space. Does this design function do what I need it to do? If the answer is yes, then the next question you’ll ask is: does this design have great style?
If you can say yes to BOTH of these questions, your space will stand the test of time. It’ll not only be a space that you’ll love – your client will love it, too.
So, Should YOU Get an Interior Decorator Certification in 2021?
YES!!!
Having studied at QC Design School and earned my interior decorator certification, I have learned so many valuable tips and tricks! My training has not only given me knowledge in ALL aspects of design; it’s given me the ability to work confidently with my clients. Now, I can help them make their house into a home.
Got any feedback, questions, or additional tips to add to the list? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!
You can always connect and chat with other graduates and students in QC’s Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to hearing which tips and tricks YOU’VE learned from your interior decorator certification training!
Great article!! All 5 tips and tricks are so important and so helpful in putting together a project!!
Thank you! They have definitely helped me. 🙂
Your work and business have always inspired me! Congratulations and thanks for the extra tips. Everyone should always remember function and style!
Aw thank you so much! That means a lot!
Yes!!! Especially for measuring rooms!
I just finished Unit D, and while it was challenging I feel like I definitely learned a lot of valuable skills.
Yes! It was a difficult unit but feels so good to get it done and you’ll never forget all you learned! Great job!