Until recently, my interior projects and my development projects have been working on houses on a private basis. I have always loved creating interiors and working out how to use space in the best way for function and practicality, as well as the fun part of putting together colour schemes, fabrics, and furniture.
Last year, I had an offer to work on some bedrooms in a coaching inn from someone familiar with the projects I had worked on. This was when I decided to embark on a professional qualification with the British College of Interior Design.
The Professional Interior Design Course not only gives me a certain validity but also teaches me how best to operate commercially. My genuine interest in the subject means that I love learning about the history of interior design, looking at case studies and generally broadening my perspective on products, techniques, and the machinations of the industry. This has been vital for my confidence and has made me organise and present my ideas more professionally.
When you work on projects, you never stop learning and trying to improve. Being open to suggestions and ideas is essential, as is listening. This is why the course is important. It constantly provides interesting insight and valuable words of experience from real interior designers. This is very inspiring and helpful in a practical way, especially with marketing.
I was inspired to create my own website, “Ingram Interiors,” which has generated new commercial projects for me to work on. I am currently working on decorating and furnishing 18 modern apartments, which will be marketed as short-term lets in York. It is a high-spec modern development, and each apartment must be individually decorated. It is a very exciting project. As they are designed for holidays or weekends away, there is an opportunity to inject a mood of fantasy and wow factor that takes you outside your usual surroundings and inspires a mood of fun and frivolity.
Once you have the technical and practical tools, plus the inspiration and motivation, you are ready to go. Nothing is better than the feeling of confidence to rise to any challenge, and The Professional Interior Design Course certainly gives you all those things. Self-belief is essential but must not be confused with arrogance or a know-it-all attitude. Believing in oneself is also having the confidence to admit errors and find solutions. No one is perfect or gets it right the whole time. Just love and trust what you do while absorbing advice, educating yourself constantly and being open to change.
