Interior Designer vs. Decorator

About 20 years ago I was heavily considering not pursuing my interior design degree. I was contemplating jumping right into decorating and skipping over my degree. However, I had an older mentor at the time that said "Go to school. The time will pass anyway and at the end, you will be standing with a degree in hand". They were 100% right.

Now as I look back, it was one of the best decisions I made regarding my career. I went on to train under architects for nine years and passed the NCIDQ exam, registering with the state of Texas as a licensed and stamping interior designer. It has made a difference to clients and builders alike, as a licensed individual has code and construction knowledge. Not to mention the sheer amount of knowledge I acquired working under architects.

I often tell clients I am a licensed interior designer who does decoration, but not all decorators are licensed professionals. That is true of most states in the use, Austin Texas included. It's the equivalent of hiring a draftsperson who can use computer programs to generate a floor plan, vs hiring a classically trained architect to envision a space. By all means, when embarking on a custom home design, commercial space, or boutique space, hiring a licensed designer ensures your money is well spent and saves your investment in the long run. Below is a list of differences between an interior designer and an interior decorator.

Interior Decorator

• Concerned about the aesthetics and visual appeal of a space

• Concerned about the functional needs of a space

• Works with existing structure or space designed by others (architect, draftsperson etc.)

• Not involved with building codes or regulations

• No formal education is required

• Unregulated practice, ie not governed by any laws

• Does not create drawings for permits or formal construction documentation process for building

• Does select furniture, lighting, paint colors, wall treatments, flooring, tile, window treatments and accessories etc.

  
  

Licensed Interior Designer

• Registered with the state authorities, has passed the state exam

• Has formal education and training, required a minimum five years

• Understands building science

• Can make non-structural modifications to a plan or design (ie move walls)

• Concerned about the aesthetics and visual appeal of a space

• Concerned about the functional needs of a space

• Involved and knowledgeable about building codes and regulations

• Works closely with architects, engineers and contractors to integrate building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing etc.)

• Does create drawings for permits or formal construction documentation process for building

• Does select furniture, lighting, paint colors, wall treatments, flooring, tile, window treatments and accessories etc.

An interior decorator may be a good fit if you need direction for aesthetics, materials and colors. A licensed interior designer may be a good fit if you are looking for expertise in space planning to aesthetics.

Thanks for reading,

Montana

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