Interior decorator

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manufacture of an upholstered armchair

Interior decorator (previously: upholsterer-decorator or upholsterer-decorator ) has been the official professional designation in Germany for a craftsman in the field of interior design since the renewal of the craft regulations in 1965 . In Austria the official designation is upholsterer and decorator and in Switzerland interior decorator .

In contrast to the purely handcrafted equipment or to complement it, the artistic design of interiors is called decorative art .

working area

The activity of the interior decorator includes

and can overlap with the interior designer's workspace , even if furnishings are designed and materials are selected for their decorative effect.

Interior decorators select suitable floor coverings, wall coverings, curtains or blinds and upholstered furniture, taking into account the respective customer requirements. They also make the upholstery themselves.

Another occupation related to the upholsterer is that of the saddler .

Wallpapering and surface coating work are also carried out by painters and varnishers .

requirements

In addition to craftsmanship, creative inclinations should be present. The physical requirements are as different as the different work processes. Decorating and dressing the wall is not unduly physically demanding, but it does require a lot of skill. Laying the floor with its preparatory work (tearing out old flooring, sanding, priming and leveling the sub-floor, etc.) requires strength, as weights also have to be transported. For upholstery you need strength and feeling in the hands. Since you have a lot to do with customers in most activities, you should be sociable and friendly. As in all trades, mathematics is important. Drawing talent and a feeling for color and form are an advantage.

education

Vocational training takes place in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the dual system at vocational schools and at relevant training companies. The training content of the three countries is based on the activities of the work environment and does not differ significantly from one another. However, specializations have been established in Switzerland.

Germany

The training lasts three years and ends with passing the journeyman's examination . After the journeyman's examination, training to become a master interior decorator can begin immediately. This is relatively new, because previously a certain number of years of work had to be proven before it was possible to take the master craftsman's examination. Interior decorators who want to further qualify themselves professionally in design can train themselves to become “ designers in the craft ”. This can be done at one of the academies for design in a one-year full-time course or in two years part-time or at the interior design academy (RADAK) at the Economic Development Institute (WIFI) Salzburg.

As a further training for the master craftsman, the business economist is another option. In addition, a university of applied sciences degree can also be completed, e.g. B. to interior designer .

Austria

In Austria the official name for the apprenticeship is upholsterer and decorator . The training lasts three years and is regulated in the associated training ordinance of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The training ends with the final apprenticeship examination . This examination also enables access to the vocational school-leaving certificate (Berufsreifeprüfung) and subsequently to higher qualifications at colleges, technical colleges and universities. Independent professional practice in Austria is also possible without a master craftsman's examination, but this facilitates access to the craft.

Switzerland

The official name is interior decorator with eidg. Certificate of Proficiency ( EFZ ). The training lasts four years and can be completed in six subjects: upholstery, flooring, assembly, curtains, saddlery or wallpaper. If the final exams are positive, you will receive this EFZ. The professional examination (BP) or the higher technical examination (HFP) are offered as further training . The Swiss authorities require one of the two examinations for setting up a company or training apprentices.

opportunities

As a rule, interior decorators are relatively small, often family businesses. Contract outfitters who specialize in large customers such as hotels, hospitals, retirement homes, etc. are an exception. Due to the low start-up costs (however, expensive equipment is needed in some cases), there is the possibility of independence .

Due to the elimination of the compulsory master craftsman after the transfer to Appendix B of the Crafts Code , journeymen in Germany have also had the opportunity to become self-employed since 2004. But they are not allowed to train apprentices, which in turn leads to a shortage of skilled workers and problems with young professionals.

It is also possible to work as a furnishing consultant in a furniture store. In addition, there is the opportunity to become a construction manager for a property outfitter.

history

In France, the profession has been known as tapissier since 1295. The activity of these tapestries was already important in the Middle Ages for the furnishing of castles with picture work , carpets , decorative fabrics , seat cushions and the like and flourished in the reign of Louis XIV , in whose castles the rooms with valuable wall hangings and coverings , Fabric draperies and upholstered seating and lounging furniture (see Louis quatorze style). At that time there was also the commercial office of a royal decorator and interior decorator ( tapissier du roi ). A well-known holder of this office was Molière's father , who intended to bequeath it to him as his eldest son, but then passed it on to his younger brother.

Individual evidence

  1. Text of the ordinance on vocational training for interior decorators
  2. Upholsterer and decorator , training regulations and professional profile on the website of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (accessed on December 6, 2014)
  3. ↑ Admission requirements - upholsterers and decorators ordinance ( Federal Law Gazette II No. 88/2003 ) of the Austrian Ministry of Economics, valid since 2003
  4. Page no longer available , search in web archives: Basic education training regulations in Switzerland valid since 1999@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.bbt.admin.ch
  5. ^ Further education information for Switzerland from the Swiss Service Center for Vocational Training, Vocational, Study and Career Advice SDBB, accessed on August 11, 2010

Web links and articles

Germany:

Austria:

Switzerland: