Landscapes & Interior Design.

Interior Designer or Decorator?

Interior design is one of the fastest growing professions in the home improvement industry. Unlike decorators, designers are trained professionals who often have a degree in either design or architecture. They are also often misunderstood. The reason for this is simple: people don’t know the difference between what they do and what a decorator does.

What is the difference? To begin with, a designer must have a licence, which means that he must answer to a licencing board. This simple fact offers security and protection to the client, since he has some legal recourse if the designer makes a major mistake.

And while it is true that designers do focus on some of the same things as decorators, like Jaloezieen window blinds, fabrics and finishes, they must also take account of lighting issues and building codes. In fact, most of the work that a designer does has to do with finding the perfect arrangement based on the architecture of the room and precise measurements, rather than simply prettying it up.

In the end, decorating is a talent or a knack, while design combines talent with technical know-how, education and experience. So, why are decorators still more popular? Well, when homeowners finally find out exactly what it is designers exactly do, they often assume they won’t be interested in small products. This is simply not the case.

Believe it or not, most interior designers work on small residential projects. And while they do charge quite a bit more than decorators, most clients believe that they are worth it. As we said, a designer is a licenced professional like a doctor or lawyer and his technical abilities are far beyond those of a simple decorator.