The Kansas City Star: November 28, 2006

The Star in Education Presents: GET DOWN TO BUSINESS
Discover - Careers in Interior Design.

Featured in "real-life CAREERS" is interior designer Becky Berg of Becky Berg Design.

A career in interior design may sound like a glamorous job, but it takes a lot of hard work to beautify the interiors of homes and businesses.

Just ask Becky Berg, an interior designer for the past 18 years and the owner of Becky Berg Design in Kansas City, Missouri. She spends many long hours - including nights and weekends - designing, selecting materials and meeting with clients.

Berg graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Human Environment Science. Initially, she pursued a career in fashion merchandising and worked in that field with Kansas City specialty stores Harzfelds and Swansons, managing and buying women's ready to wear.

Later, while staying at home and raising her children, Berg freelanced for a designer fabric company in sales and public relations. With a degree in fashion merchandising, the move into the interior design field was a good fit, according to Berg.

She attended Johnson County Community College in the interior design program and began a career which she has enjoyed for many years. Berg worked for two interior design firms before starting her own company in 2004. The business, 4512 Roanoke Parkway, employs one other designer, a project manager and bookkeeper. The company specializes in residential, light commercial and office interiors.

"I'm out in the field a lot," she said. "I usually don't spend that much time in the office." Berg said she has a great project manager, which enables her to work with and for the client. The project manager is responsible for billing clients and ordering, tracking, implementing and scheduling the deliveries and installations.

Berg said what she enjoys the most about being an interior designer is the contact with clients.

"People are really what make the job special," she said. "It's important to be able to take the time to understand their lifestyle and visualize what they want rather than what you think they should have."

The challenges arise when dealing with more than one person, she said. "Several people may be making the decisions and often they're not on the same track," she said. "The challenge is getting everyone to work together to achieve the client's goal."

Berg recommends students interested in an interior design career obtain a broad-based education with emphasis on design, architecture and business, as well as psychology and math. "Math skills are necessary because we do a lot of calculating and estimating," she said. Computer skills and drawing programs are also helpful and a must in the world today."

Students should consider getting an internship at an interior design firm to see whether the career is right for them.

"It will probably be with little or no pay, but a great way to get experience," she said.

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