To become a painter and decorator you should have a wide general knowledge of DIY jobs. This is because you might be required to not only paint and wallpaper but you might need to fit a skirting board or repair gaps in floor boards before varnishing.
A solid grounding in the full spectrum of design techniques is obviously essential, and will form the basis of any formal training course or apprenticeship programme. You should be able to translate the ideas and designs of the client into a professional plan. For those redesigning a whole room you would need to be able to draw up accurate blue prints to show where everything will be once completed. For these specific skills you can take up a local college course in the subject of decorating, this type of qualification can be highly useful if you want to be a professional painter and decorator as it shows you have tested skills in the area.
Beyond the basics, however, it is also important that any prospective painter and decorator knows how to run a small business to stay afloat as a contractor in a competitive marketplace. Planning, marketing, managing and sales skills all come into play here.
A background in fine art would also be beneficial if we consider that interior design is an ancient art form whose history and evolution have been strongly influenced by wider artistic trends. Knowledge of historical decorating styles will enable a decorator to produce period decors and accurate replicas of the Victorian-style rooms so popular with modern-day homeowners. It is important to understand, for example, that light colours were rarely used in industrial-era interiors, owing to the potential for discoloration caused by air pollution from factory soot.
Painting and decorating can be an exciting and rewarding career choice for those with an aptitude for physical work and a hint of creative flair. Apprenticeships in decorating provide the usual route into the industry, although a number of contractors claim to be entirely self-taught. Although you may feel you have all the necessary skills to do the job it is always beneficial to have some form of official training to act as a guarantee of your work standard. For those aiming a little higher, interior design degrees can be achieved at a number of universities and specialist design schools throughout the country.