What does an interior decorator actually do?

By definition, an interior decorator "means any person engaged, whether directly or indirectly, in the business of providing by way of advice, cosultancy, technical assistance or in any other manner, services related to planning, design or beautification of spaces, whether man-made or otherwise".  Many people assume that interior decorators, also called interior designers, deal only with the fun stuff: picking out color palettes, furniture, and the other "creative" aspects.  However, there is much more to it than that.  People often forget that there is a business side to it all, and most interior decorators spend their time with that side, the business side, rather than using their creative energies. 

In addition, to be a successful interior decorator, you must go to school!  Many arts schools now have programs in interior design.  These not only include creative classes, but they also include business and marketing classes.  There are also different types of interior decorators.  One can practice residential design (in homes) or commercial design (in offices and malls).  In addition, after taking interior design classes, one can also become a sales representative for a company that supplies decorating materials.

The salary earned by an interior decorator varies by success rate.  An entry level decorator will not make as much money as an extremely successful, veteran decorator.  The salaries can go up into the $200,000 USD, and maybe even more.  The best way to become successful is to be good at self-marketing.  So, while an interior decorator does decorate, they also do a lot more than it would seem.