Introduction
Interior textiles is one of those fields where creative passion and practical skill meet real career opportunity. From designing carpets to specifying fabrics for hospitals and hotels, the range of jobs is wider than most people realize. Whether you are just starting out or looking to shift direction, this guide walks you through the top careers in interior textiles, what each role involves, and what kind of income you can expect.
The textiles industry and marketplace is rich in possible career paths. Some demand a full forty hours or more each week, while others can be part-time careers, flexible in number of hours per week and hours per day. Interior textiles careers listed below range from design and specification to retail, manufacturing, consulting, teaching, and writing.
Design, Specification, and Project-Based Careers
Architect, interior architect
Architects are trained in structural, mechanical, and electrical systems. Interior architects specialize in systems, finishes, and fixtures. Architectural firms often work closely with interior design firms or have in-house interior design departments that, surprisingly, may earn more revenue than the architecture itself. Architects must be well versed in building codes, which are the laws or rules enforced by the local jurisdiction (city, county, etc.) where the building is to be erected. Whether new or remodeled construction, the finishes, fixtures, and furnishings must all be safe for the general public. Thus, the architect prepares the specifications for carpeting, wall materials, office panels, window coverings, and upholstered furniture. It is usually up to the designer to make the actual selections that meet these written criteria.
Corporate design
This field includes the furnishings of corporate offices, banks, and financial institutions. The designer may work directly for a corporation or institution or in a firm that specializes in corporate design.
Government and institutional design
This category of careers covers a wide range of buildings to be furnished, including auditoriums, billets/barracks/clubs, convention centers, day care facilities, embassies, federal buildings, libraries, museums, offices, public facilities, religious facilities, schools or other educational facilities, and universities/colleges/initiatives. In all cases, budget, health and safety codes, and durability are key factors in textile specification. Specialists in this field may work directly for the government or bid on furnishing or refurbishing projects.
Healthcare design
This is the planning of spaces and furnishings for assisted living facilities; hospice centers; hospitals; and outpatient, rehabilitation, and wellness centers. The textiles used in these areas must meet stringent codes for fire, abrasion, and microorganism resistance.
Hospitality design
This is the planning of spaces and furnishings for hotels, resorts, restaurants, and cruise ships. Design professionals in hospitality do considerable work with interior textiles.
Interior decorator, design consultant
This is a professional who, with or without formal design schooling, assists clients in the selection of furnishings, including but not limited to carpeting and flooring, furniture, wallcoverings, draperies and window treatments, bed ensembles, table covers, and accessory items, both decorative and textile. This career path requires good people skills, an understanding of the principles and elements of design, a practical application of business procedures, and the ability to work competently with wholesale sources and to direct installers. Income is usually based on the profit margin. When the decorator or consultant is a sales employee of a retail furnishings or specialty store, he or she is typically paid a commission of 5 to 10 percent of gross sales. Another arrangement is called draw versus commission; this situation pays an assured base monthly salary, with the expectation that sales will cover it, and commission in addition to the base salary.
Interior designer
Interior designer is a professional title. Some states license interior designers on the basis of qualifications including, for example, formal education, the passing of the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) exam, and a specified minimum years of verified work experience. This career also entails working closely with architects, contractors, and specialty professionals. Interior designers are competent with blueprints, understand building systems and hard materials, and can design fixtures and furnishings from the drawing board stage through fabrication and installation. Thus, they are often qualified to custom design textiles as well. Interior designers work in both residential and commercial areas of specialization. They are often dedicated career professionals who consider sustainability, the needs of special populations, and all aspects of custom design. They focus on programming as well as furnishings in order to design interiors that meet the short-and long-term needs of the occupants.
Residential
Residential textile careers deal with the sales, specifications, and installation of textile applications in the following types of residences: assisted living, community shelter, multifamily, senior housing, and the most lucrative, single-family homes.
Retail and store planning
Store planners often specialize in the design of one or more of the following: boutiques, specialty stores, salons, department stores, home shopping centers, malls, showrooms, and wholesale space. Most of this work is done by a qualified architect interior designer or interior architect, although the furnishings can be accomplished by consultants and decorators.
Retail, Sales, and Store Operations
Carpet and/or rug specialist
This is a full- or part-time, residential or commercial career that can be based in retail, wholesale, or specification. The carpet and rug industry and trade is vast, with multiple opportunities for in-house, travel, and/or sales-oriented work. In the retail market, first-quality cut yardage broadloom carpeting sales have a small profit margin, as little as 10 percent (30 percent is average), so yardage must be large to yield a good profit or commission. Authentic Oriental rugs typically have a 300 percent markup but often are marked down on sale in what seems a drastic price reduction. Carpet specifiers assist in the selection of a carpet that meets the architect’s specifications and may receive a salary or a percent of the purchase price, even when the client purchases direct from a manufacturer. Many design, administrative, manufacturing, and sales jobs are available in the carpet and rug industry.
Manufacturer’s or industry representative
A representative, rep for short, and sometimes called a sales rep, follows a career path that entails travel to architectural and design firms and sometimes to retail stores within a designated region or territory. The rep meets with or calls on the professional who has the authority to purchase samples or to specify products. The rep’s responsibilities also include processing special orders, negotiating variable discounts, usually the larger the order, the deeper the discount, and following through when needed to troubleshoot and assure satisfaction of the professionals and their clients. The rep may be salaried but is more often paid as a commission on sales. This means a flexible paycheck, but a secure, lucrative one when the sales rep is enthusiastic, dedicated, skilled, and a good problem solver.
Retail buyer
This position involves making decisions and ordering textile merchandise for a retail store. It is a business-based position rather than an artistic one, although being well versed in styles and trends is critical to success. Buyers travel to trade shows or showrooms and also order from merchandise catalogs. They decide not only which item to buy but also how many and in what color, with an eye toward what will sell in a given marketplace. Buyers for large department or specialty store chains must keep abreast of regional styles and coordinate efforts with each store. The job comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. It is generally not highly paid, and the hours are often long, especially when visiting multiple stores to assure consistency in stock merchandise, display, and sales.
Retail sales associate, yardage, ready-made, or linens
This description may apply to a variety of jobs. In a textile yardage or linens store, for example, this job entails assisting customers in selection and purchase of ready-made goods: window treatments, bed and bath linens, and floor rugs. Pay is hourly wage, usually at or just above minimum. Such jobs are good for getting through college but should not be considered a long-term career in textiles.
Retail sales associate, furniture and carpeting
Being a retail sales associate in a furniture or carpeting store can be a good career choice. Furniture stores often sell window treatments and accessories as well, making this position akin to that of an interior decorator or designer. The job may or may not allow or require the salesperson to go on location to advise, measure, and assist in the selection of merchandise and may entail creativity in putting together a complete interior. The price per sale is substantial enough to pay a commission to the sales associate, which translates to good income potential.
Retail management/ownership
Owning a retail store specializing in textiles may be the dream of some textile professionals. Both owners and managers, however, must deal first with business and second with textiles. A thorough business plan is the first step when considering retail. It requires a host of commitments, from the rental of space, the inventory, the personnel, to the customer, that are not easily broken. Be aware of the cost of setting up a business, the gross revenue required to cover all costs, and when it will be possible to make a profit. Keep in mind that the owner often gets paid last, if at all, in the first three years of business.
Shop-at-home decorator or sales professional
Shop-at-home is a custom service in which a professional brings samples to the home or other location to be furnished for the client’s consideration. The sale is often concluded in the first sales call and may comprise the selection and order of carpeting, upholstery, window treatments, bed ensembles, table covers, and accessory items. Shop-at-home professionals specialize in one area, such as window treatments, or may offer a limited number of the items listed below. The decorator makes appointments based on telephone or walk-in customer inquiries. The sales appointments are fitted to the customer’s schedule, during the day or in the evening or on weekends. The future for this career looks strong as more private customers are seeking the convenience of having the professional come to them with all the necessary tools to furnish their interiors. When the studio is located in the decorator or designer’s home, the overhead is low, and the designer’s vehicle is the main “studio,” with the home office serving as the place where orders are processed. When a laptop or notebook computer is used with electronic design programs and specification forms and for faxing or electronically placing and tracking orders, the process can be efficient, with little need for office space. When the professional works for a company, commission as percentage of the sale is the standard means of income. Independent decorators (some call themselves interior designers or design consultants, where no law prevents it) make their money from the gross profit margin, or the difference between the cost of sales and the retail price charged to the customer, less overhead costs.
Visual merchandiser
The job of a visual merchandiser involves both design and the physical labor of assembling retail store displays. The position may be paid by the hour, by the job, or possibly as a full-time salary. Where retail stores do not have enough work for full-time positions, the visual specialist may freelance, doing display work for several stores.
Window treatment specialist
These specialists can conduct their career from a retail space, a studio, a home office, or a vehicle. However, they necessarily spend much time on the site, taking measurements and, sometimes making selections. The job requires samples of alternative (hard and soft) manufactured treatments and fabric samples. Designing soft custom window treatments, such as draperies, top treatments, and shades, allows for artistic creativity and can be profitable. Wallcoverings, custom bedding, and accessories may be part of this career.
Industry, Manufacturing, and Technical Careers
Industry personnel
The textile industry offers a wide variety of jobs, from office staff to manufacturing jobs to managerial and administrative positions to sales careers. As in any corporation, pay rates range from low entry-level to moderately high salaries. A commitment to the company and the industry can make working in textiles a long-term career.
Recycling industry personnel
The recycling industry is found on every continent and comprises a variety of businesses that deal with the pre-consumer or post-consumer distribution and/or recycling of textiles. Careers include office, sales, supervisory, and distribution positions.
Seamstress, fabricator
These are skilled positions in which textile applications are manufactured on specialized equipment. These professionals produce draperies, bedding ensembles, slipcovers, table covers, and accessory items. Equipment operators for large manufacturers are trained for specific jobs, whereas entrepreneurs may run a business from the home or another modest location and do custom work. As a business of this type grows, the owner may become a manager as employees are hired and trained.
Textile designer
Textile designers are artists; they may or may not use a sketchpad and paints. Today, most textile design for fabrics and carpeting is accomplished through computer software. This is especially true for woven goods. Software expertise can be obtained in a textiles school or independently. Textile designers may have a degree in textiles or training as an artist or interior or graphic designer. This is an excellent career for artistic individuals who enjoy seeing their designs come to life and like to work with processes and with precision and detail.
Textile designers may be in-house, meaning they are hourly or salaried employees who work in the offices of a textile manufacturer, or they may own their own studio and sell their designs as piecework (paid by the piece or design). Another option is to be paid royalties, which is a percentage of sales. If a design does not sell well, then the investment return is minimal, but if the design is highly successful, then the monetary rewards are handsome.
Upholsterer
These laborers work applying textile to furniture, often learning to do so on the job. The upholstery shop owner often has design training and leads the sales force, while the manager oversees the sales and the upholstery process and furniture delivery. Upholstery shops can be one-person operations or much larger businesses with several employees. Income for a hired upholsterer is modest, but the income from wise management of an owned business can be moderate to substantial. Some upholstery shops also fabricate and install draperies. Greater diversity can yield higher sales volume.
Consulting, Organizations, Writing, Teaching, and Professional Development
Industry consultant
This is usually a freelance position in which the consultant contracts with manufacturers or distributors to do a specific job such as design work, product evaluation, or textile or color selection for a new or existing line of merchandise. It may entail lecturing or training company personnel. Work may be done on location or in the consultant’s office or studio.
Sustainability expert/consultant
This professional may be employed by a large manufacturing facility where he or she holds advanced knowledge and responsibility for green production. A consultant can advise several kinds of companies on how to improve their environmental practices. Employees are paid in line with the individual company’s budget, whereas consultants charge a fee, often based on their credentials and industry respect. See also industry consultant.
Professional organization personnel
This career is as an administrative or assistant administrative position for a nonprofit organization, such as ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) or IIDA (International Interior Design Association), typically at its national headquarters in a large city. It is a paperwork-heavy, detail-oriented position in which interaction with members and supporting or participating companies (often long distance) may be a large part of the daily routine. Information dissemination to members through e-mail, brochures, and newsletters is a main purpose of these organizations. Another aspect of this career is the organization and execution of trade shows.
Journalist, author
A journalist writes articles for periodicals (magazines) or newspapers. Journalism may be the first career choice, followed by a decision to specialize in writing about interior furnishings. A journalist may be a full-time employee of an interiors magazine or a freelancer who submits articles to or contracts with one or more publications. Other magazine positions are departmental editor and photographer. Freelance fees vary dramatically; freelancing may or may not provide a full-time income for the journalist. An author writes textbooks for college, university, or trade school interior design programs; “reference” books for practicing professionals; or illustrated interior design books for the lay (nonprofessional) market.
Seminar leader
This is a freelance full-time or part-time career that consists of developing and presenting training and design seminars. The classes may be as short as one hour or up to eight hours or even several days. When seminars are offered at large or national conventions, it is to the advantage of the seminar leader to have organized and submitted the course for approval as a CEU (continuing education unit) course. Presenters often have standard prepared seminars they adapt to meet the needs of varying audiences. However, some seminars presented for corporations are custom organized, which requires research and preparation time. Seminar leaders must first be recognized as qualified experts in the field. This entails years of preparation and a track record of success. As a general rule, the greater the credentials and years of accomplishment or the more famous the presenter, the higher the seminar fees. Presenters are paid on a per-course basis they negotiate with the sponsoring organization or corporation.
Teacher
Teaching is a career for those with terminal degrees, a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), an MFA (Master of Fine Arts), or, in some cases, an MA (Master of Arts). These final higher education degrees qualify one for teaching at the university, college, institute, or trade school level. Often, a variety of skills and knowledge areas is required, from hands-on studio skills to computer knowledge to specialties such as sustainability, historical design, and commercial and residential design in addition to the textile courses offered in a balanced curriculum. Depending on the degree completed upon hiring, teaching ranks are as follows:
- Adjunct instructor: A part-time contract teaching appointment in which the teacher has lesser credentials than required for higher rank.
- Instructor: A full-time appointment in which the teacher has not completed at least a master’s degree and has insufficient credentials for a higher rank.
- Adjunct assistant, associate, or full professor: A part-time contract appointment in which the teacher has notable professional experience and/or a terminal degree.
- Assistant professor: The entry-level rank for a new teacher with a terminal degree.
- Associate professor: The next level for an experienced teacher who has prepared and submitted a dossier in application for rank advancement and who meets all criteria in teaching excellence, campus community contributions, and professional development (publications or achievements). A salary raise ensues.
- Professor or full professor: The highest teaching rank at colleges and universities. It denotes accomplishments, a high level of teaching or research skills, and publications, plus a considerable number of years of participation and teaching that shows commitment to the career.
Teaching may be a year-round occupation, or the contract may be for nine months or for six or seven months (the school year less the summer terms). Because teaching pay begins modestly and takes many years to advance to a comfortable living, many teachers do freelance design work, write texts or manuals, give lectures or seminars, or consult in the industry.
Trainer
Trainers are typically found in corporations where employee turnover is such that new training and professional development are continually offered. They may work under different titles, as determined by the organization, and may work in instruction or administration. They may teach or organize single classes or a full curriculum. They may hire other trainers or instructors. They may also shoulder other corporate responsibilities such as the organization of conferences, conventions, or trade shows.
Conclusion
Interior textiles careers range from hands-on production and retail work to consulting, teaching, and professional writing. Some positions are highly creative, while others are more technical or business based. Many offer flexibility in hours and work setting, which makes the field especially broad. For people with design interest, business sense, or technical skill, interior textiles can support a long-term career path.
