In response to Phearun’s concern that he might not be able to financially support his family if he goes into interior design with a low income and high startup costs, Mr. Prum Sear, marketing manager and shareholder of the Komnit Design Company, has provided some meaningful suggestions.

He reassures that if Phearun is skilful in interior design, he should not worry too much about the income. If he is good at it and able to produce desirable designs for customers, he will also be paid on commission. Sometimes, interior designers can receive up to 60 per cent of the total payment as commission.

The demand is currently very high for interior designers in Cambodia. Some customers might want to completely makeover the interior of their villas that can sometimes cost upwards of thousands of dollars. For interior designers who are skilful and have a good eye will be able to design what the customer wants in combination with the technicalities. Skilled interior designers should not worry about income.

“A good design is like solving a puzzle. Sometimes you won’t know how to approach a project and some customers might not like your design idea so you’ll have to change it again and again and in the end, the customer still won’t be happy,” he added.

Prum Sear said that since Phearun’s biggest concern right now is supporting his family, he might not have the time and energy for interior design. But if he wants to practise the skills he is welcome to gain work experience in Prum Sear’s office. Some people have an eye for design and some don’t; you’ll never know until you try.

Prum Sear also advised, “In the beginning, you should not focus too much on the salary. It’s important to build up your experience and knowledge. Then, after five years or so, you can start your own design company.”

In closing, he suggested that if you can’t be creative and skilful, it would be a waste of time both to you and the company investing in you. Getting involved with ASEAN can also provide opportunities in the field of design as more hotels and buildings are being constructed. For a newbie, it can take a year or more to really get to know the career.