Landscapes & Interior Design.

Interior Decorator or Interior Designer?

When new homeowners make the decision to hire a professional to decorate their home, they often confuse the terms interior decorator and interior designer. Yes, both may have the talent and imagination to create beautiful and unique indoor environments. But one has the education and experience to guarantee it.

An interior designer is a trained and lincenced professional who has a four-year degree and experience in the industry. A designer must also pass a rigorous examination before he obtains a licence.

What are the key differences? As a consumer, the most important discrepancy between a decorator and a designer is that a designer has a licence. This means that he must answer to a licencing board. So, if you have a complaint about the carpet or the drapes or if he has made a terrible mistake, you have some legal recourse.

But more important than the security is the basic difference in philosophy. An interior decorator believes in sprucing up and prettifying a space, while a designer is focused on function, building codes and architecture. The process often involves such seemingly incongruous elements as furniture, acoustics, floor plans, carpets, furnishings, materials, colours, and architecture.

By comparison, a decorator simply does not have the education or experience to bring all of these elements into play. We do not mean to denigrate their job or position, but becoming a decorator requires nothing more than a weekend class. And though they charge lower rates, it is a mistake to compare them with trained and educated interior designers.