Interior Design Services in NI

Hilltop666

Hi all,

Im about to embark on an online Interior Design Diploma as im about to be made redundant from my job and have always had a major interest in it.
I'm curious to hear if anyone has done one of these courses. I've been looking at 'KLC school of design' in London and 'Interior design academy of Ireland' in Galway which seem to be the only 2 accrediated ones. The KLC one is twice the price though. Has anyone completed one of these courses???

Also I would be interested to hear if people would be interested in the services I would offer as I would to set up my own business eventually?

warmhands.coldheart

Personally I think you'd be very brave in this current economic environment but it would all depend on your ability. Here's two eaxmple to explain what I mean.

I know two "Interior designers" both old work colleagues.
One did an interior design course and was good at interior deign from a visualisation point of view but couldn’t draw for toffee.
The otther did an art degree, interior design course and an HNC in Construction so had a lot more ability from a drawing, and practical point of view as well as the visualisation….

Needless to say guess which one is still in business??

It’s bloody expensive to get drawings / mood boards etc done up if you can’t do it yourself and potential customers sure as hell don’t want to be paying for them (mind you it can put of the tyre kickers if you do charge)

So if you have a good drawing ability, good technical ability and a bit of sense you’ll do well. If you just like the Visualisation side of things and would have to pay outside “contractors" to do your drawings etc…. personally I’d reconsider my options

Hilltop666

Hi thanks for your reply.

Im actually a degree qualified Construction engineer with quiet a few years experience, I can draw technically and free hand pretty well and I can use CAD, and am pretty creative so I'm hoping this will be a good career choice based on this. I know it will not be easy but i intend on working full time ( if I ever get another job) and starting the business part time to see how it goes- after all I have nothing to loose!

warmhands.coldheart

Nothing to loose then....

Mind you it would be a sight bit cheaper to go the Galway route as at least if things didn't go the way you expected... at least your still on the same island if you needed to move back to Norn Ireland!!

Good luck if you go for it.....

Milko

Give it a go ... 17yrs ago when i started, i could count our competitors on 1 hand ... now i can count my competitors in my home town on 1 hand.
There's recently been a lot of breakaway designers starting out after leaving their former employers for 1 reason or another.
It's a tough game with fewer clients to go around the increasing designers but if you've got the skills then give it a try, just budget for your startup costs.

IWish

Hi hilltop

Not sure if this is helpful but there is an interiors show in the Odyssey next weekend http://www.odysseyarena.com/ulster-tatler-interiors-show-2010.html - maybe you could do a bit of market research.

Good luck in whatever you decide.