Do you need to be good at math to become an interior decorator?

Sometimes I get the opportunity to speak to high school students about becoming an interior decorator. One question that often comes up is "Do I need to be good at math to become an interior decorator?"

My answer: You will use math everyday!

This surprises most of the students. Now note I said you use it everyday - I didn't say you need to have an natural aptitude towards it.

To give you an example, I was recently helping my son who is in 5th grade with a math worksheet. These math examples came right from the math book:

Rashid can paint 2 square feet of fence in 10 minutes. How long will it take him to paint a fence that is 6 feet high by 25 feet long?

or

Regina wants to cover one wall of her room with wallpaper. The wall is 9 feet high and 15 feet wide. There is a doorway in the wall that is 3 feet wide by 7 feet tall. How many square feet of wallpaper will she need to buy?

See...you do use math in interior decorating.

Julie