Interior designers in Boston are among the best paid in the country.
They’re paid at least $2.8 million per year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and nearly $1.5 million for a full-time employee, according the Institute for Compensation Research (IoC), which tracks pay across industries.
There are even some companies that are more expensive than Boston’s, such as the interior design company Taggart, which sells its own custom interior designs to the public.
The cost is actually lower for a contractor who does the job of creating the custom home, says Taggard owner Joe Dolan.
That way, he can charge a reasonable price for his work.
“It’s the best way to make money.
It’s not the cheapest way to do it, but it’s the easiest,” he says.
Dolan says he thinks his experience working with a small-to-medium-sized business has helped him understand the complexities of a small business, and that it’s important for designers to understand how to get by with what they have.
“I think if you have an understanding of the mechanics of a business, you can come up with creative solutions,” he adds.
A lot of designers have to have an “unlimited budget,” he notes, but he also thinks the price should be set to reflect the risk.
“When you have a small team, you have the potential for mistakes and failures,” Dolan explains.
Dobbins work is not only for his own personal use, but also for clients.
“We work with a lot of different clients and clients of different sizes,” he explains.
“They all have their own unique needs and expectations for their design.”
A lot goes into creating a home for a client, and Dolan has a good understanding of how the home should look, so he can be able to figure out what works for them.
“Our client wants a beautiful, clean home that will last a lifetime,” he emphasizes.
The good thing about this approach, he says, is that it doesn’t require you to go through the whole process of making a home.
“If you’re looking to start a small family, or you’re interested in working in the construction industry, you know what you’re doing is not that hard,” he clarifies.
“You’re basically designing the house from the ground up.”
Dolan, who is also a licensed homebuilder, says he has been able to make a good living for himself by selling his work to other designers.
“There’s not a lot that’s really going to change for me,” he comments.
“My salary has gone up to about $1 million per annum.
I’ve done my apprenticeship in the industry and am now a full time professional.
I’m in a good job.
It helps that my clients are looking for a design-focused home.”
A little bit of extra work can make a big difference for a designer.
Dolas life is full of challenges, he acknowledges, but says it’s also a great time to learn how to make an effective living.
“What I do for myself is give back.
It makes me really happy,” he tells TechCrunch.
“Sometimes, I get so frustrated that I don’t know what to do.
If I just do what I always do, I never have any problems.
It just shows you how hard I’ve worked to be a professional and to be the best I can be.”
You can get a sense of Dolan’s work and his motivation through his website, where he’s posting updates on his work, and his Facebook page.
“The more you know, the more confident you’ll be in your ability to do what you do,” he suggests.
Designers should work hard to learn the trade.
“Every design is a skill, and they’re all different.
There’s no formula for success,” Dels says.
“As designers, we have to learn to create something that works and doesn’t feel like a disaster.”
Designers are working in a very competitive market, Dolan believes.
He says that he doesn’t expect designers to be as successful as their competitors.
“Most people in the business will tell you that their job is to make their clients happy, and I think that’s true.
That’s the business,” he said.
“But I think the best job is the one that you can’t teach.”
Dels, who lives in the Boston suburb of Medford, has been working in design for over 15 years.
He’s been working with clients since 2007, and he has an office in Boston.
He also has a small shop in Medford and he’s on the boards of several companies, including Design by Design Boston and Boston Design Center.
In addition to being able to sell his work in the public market, he’s also on the board of the Boston Design Alliance, which is a group of designers