Hi everyone.

My girlfriend will finally join me in Lugano in January. She is an excellent interior designer. Well-recognised in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan. Graduated in Design in several schools CIS and London. Well, she'll have to start her way from scratch here in Ticino. No local experience yet. We are worried that it will take very long time to get started...

1) Is here anyone with similar background?
2) I have heard that in Switzerland the Designer is normally hired by the architect and does not really have an access to the customer directly. Is this true?
3) What are the typical fees that the designer charges?

I would really appreciate your opinons, past experiences etc.

Thanks a lot!

Oh dear, I would be the first to answer...
I'm only thinking out loud, it's just my 2 cts.

Generally, I would say interior decorating is a rather small market.
In the house building industry, hardly anyone would think of hiring an interior decorator, except maybe for the very fortunate amongst us.
Really important projects may ask for the integration of an interior designer in a project team. Really important projects are often made by big well known offices. Today, I think only one or two Ticinese architects qualify for that.

What kind of jobs interior decorators find or do in Switzerland...? Roughly I would say:
- some have their private interior decorating office,
- some work in one of these offices,
- some run modern furniture shops or work for one,
- some run mixed shops; project study and shop,
- some work in architects offices,
- some work for companies which need their interior decorator by the essence of their trade (showrooms of allkinds of trade).

You should examine the lugano market and situation. Not only the local market, but also the proximity of Milano in terms of competition or opportunities.
Does she have introductions or connexions in any community?

I would send my CV to big architectural firms between Zurich and Milano...

Hope this helps...

Thank you very much Pagl57!!! I appreciate your feedback.

Do you know the names of those several Ticinese architects which qualify to be a well-known firm?

She does not have any connections here in Lugano yet. She will arrive to Switzerland soon. But I have friends of my friends which have their architect offices/firms. We will talk to them for sure.

Well, she is not only the decorator. She makes 3D projects in Autocad and other software, controls the execution of the construction stage and then the decoration. Is this not an interior designer? Maybe we define different jobs with same name. Do we??

Do you know what would be the average salary for this kind of job in Switzerland? I understand that it shall depend on the experience, skills etc. Let's say, what is the salary for an experienced professional and what it should be for a beginner?

Thanks a lot!!!!

Hi freerunner, I'm an interior architect who moved to Switzerland two months ago from London. Have had lots of different experiences trying to find work here...if you want to Private Message me, hopefully I can help!

I am an interior designer based in Geneva and started up here on my own much like your girlfriend when we moved for my husbands job a few years ago. Am a bit busy at the moment but your girlfriend is most welcome to email or call me directly, perhaps after Easter if she wanted some advice. www.nutshell-interiors.ch

hi..
I think your girlfriend should speak italian to get by herself into the local market and anyway into the italian one.
salary as emplyed can be maybe between chf 4000 (beginner) and 5500 (project leader). difficult to say - i do not know the ticino situation.

you can search architects profiles and jobs here:
www.swiss-architects.com/

or/and speak directly with teachers at the SUPSI University ?

good luck !
ste

Thanks a lot for all the advise.

We have started Italian language school. Meanwhile, earning something on babies/children photography.

I think in the next 6 months my girlfriend will start speaking Italian so she may try getting a project as a freelancer. I am sure that when she shows her portfolio the customers will love the touch.

So we are staying optimistic and that is a key to success.

Thanks a lot again!