Innes Desborough asked:


One of the most effective ways for an interior designer to sell his or her services is through the use of a portfolio. An interior designer portfolio showcases a designer’s best work in a way that appeals to the client. It puts together some of the finest designs and solutions that a designer has come up with during the process of his or her career and for this reason, almost works like a self-portrait.

Interior designer portfolios used to be portable cases or files holding samples of the designer’s work. In other words, they were essentially paper products. Now however, interior designers increasingly use a combination of paper folders or portable cases and the internet to display their portfolios.

A good interior designer portfolio typically has a series of samples of the designer’s work in a logical sequence beginning from a simple design and then moving on to more complex designs. Some interior designer portfolios also display ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures enabling the client to see firsthand the kind of work that the designer is capable of. Quite a few interior designer portfolios also include detailed descriptions of the design elements used in the room as displayed on the portfolio. Some portfolios are arranged in terms of styles, e.g., ‘modern contemporary’, ‘traditional country’, ‘relaxed sophistication’, ‘romantic’ and so on whilst others are arranged in terms of utility like bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Another interesting way by which interior designer portfolios are arranged is in terms of preferences for certain country or regional living styles, such as; Italian, French, Asian, Colonial, and Mediterranean. It is also seen that some portfolios mix and match such arrangements to provide a brief but comprehensive overview.  A few portfolios add brief descriptions of the design and the overall look and feel of the rooms and the house after the design.

The entire review of the portfolio as presented by the designer to the client generally takes about 10 minutes. The layout and presentation is planned in such a way that the client takes an immediate interest in the skills of the designer. Many portfolios have been reproduced in a different format from the original work for portability. These may include photographs and electronic images.

Interior designer portfolios may also have information about the company or the individual together with contact information including telephone numbers, addresses, email and website information.

Since the space restrictions on the internet are much less, there is far more scope for displaying the designer’s creativity on the web. A larger number of photographic samples of the designer or firm can be included. A number of websites also list client testimonials to lend credibility to the website.

Some of the best interior design specialists in South Wales specialize in Interior Architectural Design and Home Remodeling.