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What does an Interior Design Consultant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted Expert
Tasoulla Hadjiyanni Ph.D.

An interior design consultant is responsible for designing the interior space of a client's property according to their specifications and budget requirements. Interior design consultants draft their initial layouts, including the cost forecasting and resources for the operations, to determine the client's approval or revise plans as necessary. They also review the current commercial trends to provide recommendations for their clients. An interior design consultant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as expertise in utilizing software tools and applications for digital designs.

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Interior design consultant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real interior design consultant resumes:

  • Manage the integration of multiple demonstration rooms into a comprehensive solution displaying design possibilities, implementation techniques, and corporate capabilities.
  • Create 3D Revit models, construction drawings, and serve as a junior interior design coordinator.
  • Sketch preliminary design plans, including electrical and partition layouts.
  • Manage the integration of multiple demonstration rooms into a comprehensive solution displaying design possibilities, implementation techniques, and corporate capabilities.
  • Experience in HVLP, airless spray painting, tiling and finish carpentry.
  • Input data into point-of-sale (POS) system accurately and in timely manner.
  • Manage the integration of multiple demonstration rooms into a comprehensive solution displaying design possibilities, implementation techniques, and corporate capabilities.

Interior design consultant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 50% of Interior Design Consultants are proficient in Customer Service, Real Estate, and Window Coverings. They’re also known for soft skills such as Artistic ability, Creativity, and Detail oriented.

We break down the percentage of Interior Design Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 50%

    Offered exceptional floor sales support and customer service; organized information packets for potential customers.

  • Real Estate, 26%

    Position: Consulting - Interior design consulting and assessment working in conjunction with family real estate business in Juarez.

  • Window Coverings, 7%

    Coordinated and installed model furnishings, wall and window coverings, accessories and floral designs.

  • Space Planning, 2%

    Developed and formulated total individualized interior design concept for customers' projects which included space planning and fabric coordination.

  • Aided Design, 2%

    Produced three-dimensional computer aided designs for use as perspectives and full color renderings.

  • Product Knowledge, 1%

    Provide accurate and up to date product knowledge on 35 different companies and their associated products to clients as needed.

"customer service," "real estate," and "window coverings" are among the most common skills that interior design consultants use at work. You can find even more interior design consultant responsibilities below, including:

Artistic ability. The most essential soft skill for an interior design consultant to carry out their responsibilities is artistic ability. This skill is important for the role because "interior designers use their sense of style to develop aesthetically pleasing designs." Additionally, an interior design consultant resume shows how their duties depend on artistic ability: "stretched out ideas for creative solutions, artistic renderings and material boards organized immense material resources for time efficiency. "

Creativity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling interior design consultant duties is creativity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "interior designers need to be imaginative in selecting furnishings and fabrics and in creating functional spaces that serve the client’s needs and fit the client’s lifestyle." According to an interior design consultant resume, here's how interior design consultants can utilize creativity in their job responsibilities: "incorporate client wishes with best practices and research design trends to assure creativity, quality and customer satisfaction. "

Detail oriented. interior design consultants are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to interior design consultant responsibilities, because "interior designers need to be precise in measuring interior spaces and creating drawings, so that their drawings can be used by workers such as engineers or other designers." An interior design consultant resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "provided in-home consultations to establish clients design needs and planning for project budgets, timeline and installation details. "

Problem-solving skills. interior design consultant responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "interior designers must address challenges, such as construction delays or unavailability of certain materials, while keeping the project on time and within budget." This resume example shows what interior design consultants do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "freelance agent imaginative and resourceful in transforming client ideas into beautiful and functional design solutions while consistently meeting deadlines. "

Visualization. Another crucial skill for an interior design consultant to carry out their responsibilities is "visualization." A big part of what interior design consultants relies on this skill, since "interior designers need a strong sense of proportion and visual awareness in order to understand how the pieces of a design will fit together to create the intended environment." How this skill relates to interior design consultant duties can be seen in an example from an interior design consultant resume snippet: "developed and produced renderings in 3dsmax for client visualization and publicity. "

Interpersonal skills. While "interpersonal skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to interior design consultant responsibilities. Much of what an interior design consultant does relies on this skill, seeing as "interior designers need to be able to communicate effectively with clients and others." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of interior design consultants: "provided superior customer service through strong communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills. "

See the full list of interior design consultant skills

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Interior Design Consultant Resume
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Compare different interior design consultants

Interior design consultant vs. Kitchen and bath designer

As the name entails, kitchen and bath designers design kitchens and bathrooms using their interior design skills and knowledge of space, colors, lighting, and textures. They typically begin working on their projects by doing a tour and talking to clients to better understand their requirements. Their typical tasks may include designing and preparing a plan layout, coordinating the purchase of materials, and developing and implementing marketing programs. Kitchen and bathroom designers may also conduct workshops and seminars and participate in safety meetings.

We looked at the average interior design consultant salary and compared it with the wages of a kitchen and bath designer. Generally speaking, kitchen and bath designers are paid $9,041 lower than interior design consultants per year.Even though interior design consultants and kitchen and bath designers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, space planning, and aided design in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an interior design consultant are more likely to require skills like "real estate," "window coverings," "cad," and "retail sales." On the other hand, a job as a kitchen and bath designer requires skills like "project management," "design projects," "customer satisfaction," and "custom cabinets." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Kitchen and bath designers tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $58,049. In contrast, interior design consultants make the biggest average salary, $70,786, in the construction industry.kitchen and bath designers tend to reach similar levels of education than interior design consultants. In fact, kitchen and bath designers are 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Interior design consultant vs. Project designer

A Project Designer provides assistance in project design and development activities based on customer requirements. They develop solutions to client architectural complexities.

Project designer positions earn higher pay than interior design consultant roles. They earn a $3,496 higher salary than interior design consultants per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both interior design consultants and project designers have skills such as "space planning," "aided design," and "design solutions. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real interior design consultant resumes. While interior design consultant responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "real estate," "window coverings," and "product knowledge," project designers use skills like "revit," "auto cad," "sketchup," and "project management."

Project designers earn a higher average salary than interior design consultants. But project designers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $69,498. Additionally, interior design consultants earn the highest salaries in the construction with average pay of $70,786 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Project designers tend to reach higher levels of education than interior design consultants. In fact, they're 5.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Interior Design Consultants in the next 3-5 years?

Tasoulla Hadjiyanni Ph.D.Tasoulla Hadjiyanni Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Northrop Professor of Interior Design, University of Minnesota

Face recognition and tracking will impact how we use public spaces and how we leverage technology to fight against a pandemic.

Interior design consultant vs. Kitchen designer

A kitchen designer develops and creates designs for kitchen set-ups for clients. They are responsible for installing flooring, equipment, tools, cabinets, and other paraphernalia. They prepare a plan and recommend a timeline for the project. They need to ensure that all the equipment and appliances in the kitchen are functional, efficient, conveniently placed, and cost-effective. Often, a kitchen designer works for restaurants, pastry shops, cafeterias, or even schools and hospitals.

On average scale, kitchen designers bring in lower salaries than interior design consultants. In fact, they earn a $5,505 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on interior design consultants and kitchen designers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "customer service," "space planning," and "aided design.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, interior design consultants are more likely to have skills like "real estate," "window coverings," "cad," and "design solutions." But a kitchen designer is more likely to have skills like "math," "laundry room," "design projects," and "project management."

Kitchen designers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $71,693. Comparatively, interior design consultants have the highest earning potential in the construction industry, with an average salary of $70,786.When it comes to education, kitchen designers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to interior design consultants. In fact, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Interior design consultant vs. Building architectural designer

Building architectural designers average a higher salary than the annual salary of interior design consultants. The difference is about $5,967 per year.While their salaries may vary, interior design consultants and building architectural designers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "customer service," "cad," and "design concepts. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between interior design consultants and building architectural designers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an interior design consultant might have more use for skills like "real estate," "window coverings," "space planning," and "aided design." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of building architectural designers require skills like "revit," "hvac," "bim," and "r."

The average resume of building architectural designers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to interior design consultants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.4%.

Types of interior design consultant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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