Painters and Decorators - creators of atmosphere
Painters and Decorators are the people responsible for creating the “atmosphere” that exists within a building, whether it is a commercial building or a person’s home. There are different type of professional painters and decorators. Typically these painters and decorators are employed by building maintenance contractors, construction companies and painting contractors. Often they are self employed. The fields of painting and decorating offer more opportunities for self employment than most of the other trades.
In order to be a painter or decorator it is imperative that you be able to communicate effectively. Your job will be listening to what your clients want and then trying to translate their ideas to the physical surfaces that surround them. You must be a skilled problem solver and be incredibly organized. A certain amount of humility is also required as you might sometimes have to implement designs your client wants but that you do not agree with. You must also be able to work well within a team as well as a single entity and have a very critical eye for details. If you are a painter you must be comfortable with heights. Both decorators and painters need to know the current safety codes and abide by them.
Most painters and decorators work a regular full time work week, though that can vary depending on the needs of the project. This field offers the most flexibility as you never know who your next client will be or the design you will be asked to create. This job calls for work that is both indoors and outdoors and can involve long periods of both sitting and standing.
Painters and Decorators usually receive on the job training. They can take courses on the general aspects of their jobs—brush techniques, commercial painting, etc, but potential clients are more responsive to people who have a long resume so most training is provided on the hob. The exception to this is people who want to work in restoration or conservation and then apprenticeships are required and certain construction certifications are required.
Painters and Decorators are the people who create the overall look—they apply the paint to the walls, decide on the fabrics to use for the drapes and furniture upholstery and decide which accessories need to be placed in a room. Often the painter can paint designs or be hired as a mural designer to paint a design on one wall. Designers also arrange furniture (which they are responsible for picking out).
Painters and Decorators have the greatest variety of all of the trades. These are people who get to go from an industrial office building to a person’s home to working on a small doctor’s office. Every project is different and this is part of the draw people feel when they think of becoming painters and decorators. If you are thinking of becoming a painter or decorator call one of the local design businesses in your area and ask them how you can get started in the field. Your school or local college might also have some information.
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