It is a wonderful dream, so if you want to see what the feasibility is, I'd suggest you locate a resource where you could take aptitude tests to see if you have everything it takes. There are other alternatives, as well, which will allow you to carve out a niche that suits you. You might consider becoming a certified stager and re-designer. You could then connect with realtors for whom you could stage homes for sale, and work with homeowners who just want to tweak their surroundings. Best Wishes for a designing career.

Kim - there are duvet-type topped mattress covers that will give you the fluff and not the heat of a cover!

I have often thought of making my avocation my job, but then I would think about how much I enjoy it as a hobby and how things would change when I would be doing something I love for someone else and very likely there would be a someone who thought what I loved was really crap. I realized I didn't have the fortitude to stand up to that kind of thing over the long haul. Something to ponder when considering a job working closely and sometimes under stress with those very fallible humans.

Good for you to fallow your dreams. 47 is just a number and in no way old. Room looks nice. Good luck.

I would go for it. Check out community colleges, some have great programs. One is never to old to do anything they feel like doing. Personally, I wouldn't want to attend a school where the instructor tells a student to go into another field.

I'm on the backside of 50 and have had many "careers". Jack of many trades, master of none. Choose a profession you love and you'll never work a day in your life. :)

I'm having the same situation at night :) You'd probably build a booming business from older women needing helping remodeling their bedrooms sans heavy comforters! Lol!

I've actually woken up at 3:00 am and think I need to modify a suggestion from of poster! We all may have decoritis!

Go for it! If you have the time and means to do it, do it! The room looks great, couple things I would change. The room appears dark for it being day time, add some pod lights. I think lighting is often over looked by designers. The little sign needs to go. I also feel as though the sun/mirror needs to go. The scale is to small for that wall. You may want to even consider wallpapering that wall, or adding larger piece of art work. Good luck!

I've read everyone's comments and have taking them to heart, I too am a person of a certain age and have been considering going Back to school for Interior Design.will post some of my work on here, and hopefully you guys will be willing to share your advice and opinion look forward to hearing what has to said.Thanks

Hi Kim, Best of luck ! :)

I could not agree more kell Richards designs our industry suffers from individuals who try to do side work and do not dedicate the time to each project.

I think Kelli Richards has it right!

From what I've read here, I would agree.

I would definitely see if you can take maybe 1 intro class so you can get a feel for what is really involved. An interior design degree is more of an interior architecture degree, it is generally less about the fabrics and decorative objects and more about the architecture of the interior of a building.

From the bedroom you posted I would definitely suggest looking in to home staging: you clearly have a talent for decorating and getting the mix of textures and colors balanced. Your bedroom is beautiful and balanced; the feedback that you have been receiving on the bedroom is more decoration oriented than actual design oriented, and sometimes it can confuse what "interior design" is when you see a lot of that on houzz. Also, it is highly debated among design professionals as well in terms of what "interior design" is and where the line is between decorating! Staging is really fun and very lucrative if you can get paired with the right company or a group of realtors that you work well with.

@Marc Russell: Apologies. I should not stereotype as I have had little experience with designers. I think my frustration with the DC area is designers are out of our price range. We had a few and each time I didn't think they really listened. Anyway, we will need design help with our kitchen. And I will be more than appreciative of a good kitchen designer. Did not mean to offend.

Thanks again. I concur and am amazed at how knowledgeable you guys are. Your eyes are able to clearly see where my heart is, just by looking at this room. Wow! I was thinking that I was more of a staging type and should have said that in my question. I do understand the skill level required to design and highly respect the profession. I think it's one of the professions that you "better love", as there is more work than compensation (no offense). I discovered a long time ago that HGTV is very deceptive by making people believe that they can design their own home in a few short days or even hours. I will take all of your advice to heart and will continue in my search. Maybe I'll take some classes also so that I can "look before I leap". ;)

Great! I really think you would be happier decorating or home staging, and that is something you can do on your own time without looking at it as a full time career. I also think the courses in decorating are shorter than the 2 to 4 years to be a designer. It's never too late to follow your dreams though, my boyfriend went back to school at 38 for engineering and now he is at the top of his field in Canada! You just have to have the passion and believe in yourself :) all the best and merry Christmas!

Take a look at www.homestagingresource.com Seem to have a good program and resources for running your business.

Go for it!

If you are interested, just do it. It's never too late to do sth if you keep moving toward it.

Great room--I love the pillows. The secret to success: if you love what you do, you'll be great at it.

Looks great!! Love the textures.. There is a difference between decorator and designer. Every state is different.. In Utah to be an Interior Designer the minimum is an associate in technical sales along with Interior Design certificate (the training on design elements is some what small compared to all the business that goes along with it.)
Find what in particular you want to specialize in.. It's more than just throw pillows and paint.
CAD is great.. Being able to display what you in-vision to your customers, being able to know costs and time frames.. Knowing what resources are available to you will make you worth your customers money..
The best designers have the best resources and are able to foresee and avoid issues.
I do cabinet design.. Usually when someone brings their designer in.. They eventually get fired from inexperience and being clueless.. How wide is a kitchen sink? how wide is a vanity sink? How tall do you want the vanity to be if you have a vessel sink? Euro or Face Frame.. Wipe stain, spray stain, Cat varnish, pre cat varnish, distressed, burnished etc.. Mitered, or tenon. Raised panel, flat panel. how deep should an overhang be.. What if it's a raised bar? How wide of a space do you need for a bar stool? These are all aesthetics and details that play a major role in the overall interior design of a home.. And if the customer has a designer they should be telling me what to do to achieve the look they are trying to achieve.

I like to get the architects plans BEFORE they start to build or at least before studs go up. I can usually catch problems like walls not long enough to cover the sides of the cabinets and the counter top (very common in bathrooms).. Or water placement or windows that are too close to the adjoining wall to allow for 12" upper cabinets plus 3" crown and some fudge room.
Not all general designers will catch these things. But they want to be paid for the work I end up doing for them doing a job they should know how to do.. A good designer should be able to bring in a plan and say I want this..
There is a lot of prepping and conditioning that customers need. Most people have a budget.. And a time frame. Knowing where to spend money and what steps you can take to save money to get the same desired effect is crucial.

I keep current with Consumer reports on counter top material, sinks, faucets appliances, warranties etc.

Building a kitchen for new construction or a remodel is similar to putting together a wedding for multiple brides.. and one of them is usually going threw menopause.

I LOVE my job.. But it can beat you down..

My worst experience.. was on my birthday two years ago.. I had a customer who just needed granite. She came to me as her cabinet guy was finishing her cabinets. Her cabinet guy didn't do granite and gave her a SUPER low ball park estimate (probably so she would spend more on cabinetry). He also didn't tell her how far out granite usually is (probably because he wanted her done before she found out the price to keep her from cutting back on cabinets)

I told her we were 4 weeks out.. She agreed and thought she should be fine because everyone was at least 4 weeks out. At our initial meeting I also informed her about a coupon for a free sink saving her $300.00.

For two weeks she had been calling me because; she couldn't use her kitchen, she had to go outside in the snow to get water from a faucet because all her indoor was all soft water, she was upset about doing dishes in the tub, her fridge was in her laundry room. her oven wasn't connected, she had un expected family come from out of town etc etc.. It was a daily rampage from this women.
If this wasn't enough two weeks into it her daughter gets involved.... accusing me of ripping off her mom.. (I was none commission) .

I find out about two weeks into the time she had gotten on the schedule that a coworkers customers job was being pushed out.. I find three other customers that I was able to push their jobs out one day each.. This was no easy task and took some buttering and negotiating with other customers. I get this customers job ready to install a week and a half earlier.

I find out, the daughter, two days prior to all this extra work I did. had snuck in to the vendor that her mom hand selected granite from and who was holding it for us.. The daughter asked them what the price was.. they gave her un fabricated un installed pricing (we get wholesale) The daughter called in to that vendor later that day and released her moms granite saying she was her mom. She went to another vendor that we used. That vendor gave her a smaller un fabricated price (that vendors wholesale wasn't as good as the first ones) The Daughter reserved granite from the second company. When we went to install she thought she was going to pull a quick one on me.. She didn't understand we were the fabricator and fabrication is 3/4th the price and she just made her moms job even more expensive making the daughter even more furious with me, she yelled screamed, called me names called my boss, called the owner, brought her husband in and yelled at me in front of another one of my customers..

So after dealing with all this and staying three hours later for these two peaches.. I missed saying goodbye to my kids and giving them their Easter baskets before they left on a long Easter vacation with their dad.. ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Never a thank you, never an apology.

You have to be able to pick yourself up dust yourself off and realize.. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY.. And when you are in sales, a lot of people think you are the bad guy. And if you make commission charge extra for PIA (pain in a$$) when they bring a diva daughter.

I usually take on an intern every few years. Most have an enthusiasm for design, but the most important questions are: how are your people skills, how thick is your skin, how do you work under pressure, what is your energy level, are you willing to give more than you get and are you organized? I love what I do but the interior design business is not for sissys.

I like your room. You have a good eye but design goes beyond that. I agree with Comforts of Home. I worked as an interior design assistant in a retail store. It was hard work as people wanted free advice without buying anything and sometimes we got a design job. I now have a completely different job but I did design my new office. There are many ways to pursue design even if it is just a passion and not full time. As Christopher Lowell used to say "You can do it".

Comforts of Home, that sums it up perfectly.. I was able to work from receptionist.. to assistant to doing small jobs.. I still work under an amazing person and glad I do.

Hey Kim I understand about the extra comforter, maybe you could try a nice fluffy mattress topper! Never too late to try something you love! You will learn something every day! Maybe even something about yourself! Good luck!

Never too late, Kim!! I retired from a three decade corporate career in sales and marketing at age 58. Always loved home décor, helped friends and relatives, and was constantly told what a "good eye" I have. Six months into retirement, I was bored, so I took some decorating courses in a local college and online. Also fell into a part time job in a huge fabric store, where I learned a ton about the basics of window treatments, fabrics, coordination....while cutting my teeth in retail. 18 months ago, I started a small business as a "decorating consultant", and now have multiple happy clients, and have to say that I have tons of fun 90% of the time.
I still cannot believe that people will pay me for my ideas and access to trade resources! I am having a ball, but could NEVER have done this as a full time career. This is a demanding business, and people can be wonderful, but also extremely difficult.

I totally respect and admire all of the DESIGNERS out there, and will never claim to be one. There is a huge difference as many have stated here. More school, analytical discipline, and architectural details. Really very technical and much deeper than what a decorator brings to the party. Trust me, it is more than throw pillows and well placed floral arrangements!!

I might add that I do not get paid as a designer either, and state very clearly to potential clients what I do, and what I do not do. Anything beyond cosmetic decorations, such as moving walls and renovations, are referred to my friends who are licensed Interior Designers. As some have already said, if you have the passion, and the raw talent, do it. It is extremely rewarding when you do someone's home and it turns out exactly as you visualized and recommended, and they love it!! Just understand that there are deep ditches as well...you have to have a thick skin to get through that part of it.

I just finished my year end assessment of my business. Worked with over 20 clients in various size projects, from one window to entire homes. Lots of hours, miles, and paperwork/computer time. I did net out low five figures in income. Not a lot, but I did have fun, fun, fun!! Proud of myself, for how many people can reinvent themselves at my age and pursue a passion?

If I did it, so can you. Best of luck.

It's never too late, however it may be expensive to go back to school. First find out if you really need the degree. My understanding is that for residential work, you don't. But to have more options you may need it.

Like the room and would hire you without a degree for something similar at my home.

it all depends what you want to do as an interior designer. there is a difference between decorators and designers. and there is also a factor that most budding designers/decorators forget. you've got to know product, quality, cost, and most of all you have to get it all delivered on time, on budget and with no drama. your clients count on you as the professional to make it look easy when you've spent every waking (& sometimes dreaming) moment making it all come together. that's called project management, and that's the biggest part of the job.

Pursue your dreams. Sounds like you are ready for a new chapter in your life. God bless you in the New Year!

I'm no pro but have done quite a bit of remodeling. It its so true with HGTV people think things get done quickly! Good friends of ours said they were gutting their kitchen and remodeling their guest bath and will have it finished by....xxxx. We laughed at them and said your timeframe is not reasonable. They bet us $100 dinner at a nearby restaurant that they could. We gave them 4 additional weeks!! We won. :)

My profession is my hobby. A very valuable lesson was on taught to me by a very successful individual. As we started the day he ask me if I came to play today. In our field there is always stress with completing our project to the highest level of quality, being on time and in a reasonable budget. If you go to work you really should go to play.

I LOVE what I do - and if you do too, then go for the career of your dreams. You might want to pursue "interning" at some design firms, and make sure they just don't put you to work organizing the sample room, you want to shadow the professionals. Good luck!

Hi Kim,
I realize you posted this a long time ago but I thought I might weigh in.

There are some nice elements to this room: your color palate being the best feature. However, there are many mistakes that as a professional decorator you will need to know or you will not have satisfied clients:

The lamps do need to be the same height. The lamps and tables need not match but the height needs to be the same, especially if you are using the same lamp. A successfully decorated room is as much about geometry as it is about aesthetics. A different height lamp only works if the styles of the lamps are very different... and it's hard to pull off.

One panel drapes are very dated, and these drapes are extremely drab. Drapes are a wonderful way to add color and texture to a room.

The small mirror over the bed is also the wrong size. If you have such a small focal piece you should have something else, perhaps over the end tables, for balance.

Too many throw pillows on a bed is also very dated.

You probably don't need a degree, especially if you just want to decorate, but an Intro to Design class would be very helpful. At the very least pour over design magazines and books until it sinks in. Decorating is not as easy people seem to think, (and good Staging is even harder because Staging is all about psychology) there are many rules. Good luck! Dar

It's never late for getting your dream, let's do it. Your room is nice.

Always follow your dreams! If you are unable to go to design school, you could be an interior "decorator"! :) Designer is more so someone that has the architectural skill set.

This is something I, too, am interested in. Honestly, I want to become an interior decorator, not an interior designer. I keep seeing people say that you don't need a degree to be a designer, but what I do need is some sort of education. I don't even know WHAT classes to take or WHERE to take them. I'd like to take some online classes, which works for me having 4 young children. My goal would be to work part-time as a decorator/stager. I am currently decorating our new office, creating boards for all the rooms in our home (we're remodeling every room and starting fresh with all new furniture), just picked out paint for my MIL which was lovely, and now am helping my aunt pick colors for her house remodel (all rooms plus paint color for cabinets). There is no changing of floor plans or anything like that, except for dealing with my own kitchen and bathrooms. I wouldn't do that for clients. But what I see myself doing is working from home, and doing something like paint color consultation, putting together room boards that would include picking furniture and accessories, and staging for home sale. Again, part time. I don't need this to be a career, but I would like to be able to make some money doing something I really enjoy doing.

Does anyone have any advice on what sort of classes to take to learn more about color theory, spacial concepts, historic design, etc.? You know the saying..."you don't know what you don't know"...I don't even know where to start. But I feel as if I have a knack for design and would like to learn how to do this successfully.

I have not read all comments and this might be redundant, but yes your room looks great and you have a good eye......one of the greatest older designer of all time, Sister Parrish, doyenne of the Classic American Look in the 70's and 80's said, Designers are born not trained.......you look born! But have you considered starting a business as a stager? Many Real Estate agents and offices would love to have a stager work with them when they are selling clients houses so they look better and will sell faster.....both of my daughters have used stagers on the last three houses they have sold and loved it......just some ideas! I love your passion and wished I had gone back to school, etc., but if you are good others will see it and ask for you......go for it! Many community colleges or small colleges offer good programs for reasonable prices, check it out.

2013 post

Turn off the computer, Susan. Dead thread. For years.

Why?

A mirror should reflect something pleasing, not the ceiling. Remove it and the little word piece and hang a painting. Otherwise, it’s very nice.
It’s never too late to take a couple of city college classes in design....go for it!

Oh, for god's sake! Read the posts and READ THE DATE!!!

You're bumping new threads that need attention off the front page of the site. Rude!

YASSSIR!!!!!!!!!!!

Lol guys. Actually it’s still relevant and timely. I am taking the plunge and leaving my FT job at the end of the month to finally do some of the things ”I want” to do. My kid is grown at home in college but no longer follows me in the cereal isle. Still on my cell phone plan though. The recent comment was and is a reminder to go for it! :)

I loved this thread and your update!!! Keep us posted on your journey.

Best of luck.

I am 67, and plan to get additional schooling in organization, when I retire. My degrees in clothing and textile provide a good base for looking at pattern, dimension and scale. My grown children hope I find other "clients"! lol

Personally, I feel the nightstands are too crowded and the back wall is lacking dimension. I do like the colors. I also agree the bed is missing fluff, does not look inviting.

thanks