Worried about charging money? Don’t be. Start with “consultations only” for $50 an hour. Walk into a room, point at a lamp, and say “That needs to go 6 inches left.” You just earned cash for an opinion. You already do this for free anyway.
Use legal “contract templates” from sites like Rocket Lawyer. Fill in the blanks. It takes ten minutes. Protect yourself, even from nice people.
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How to Become an Interior Designer: Beginner's Guide
Funniest tip: always carry a measuring tape in your pocket. People will assume you’re a professional. It’s like a wizard’s wand, but for layouts.
Step 4: Build a “Design Library” in Your Head
Visit furniture stores and touch everything. Feel velvet. Scratch linen. Sit on 50 different couches. Your hands will learn what looks good better than your eyes.
Take photos of tags. Note the fabric names. You’re building a mental catalog. One day a client will say, “I want a cloud” and you’ll say, “That’s a bouclé sofa.” Magic.
Don’t forget thrift stores. The best design tricks come from ugly lamps you spray-paint gold. One woman turned a broken mannequin into a stunning floor lamp. Weird. Beautiful. Yours.
