What Is Interior Design and How Is It Different From Interior Decorating?

To begin this journey, first an attempt must be made to answer the question, 'What is interior design'; The National Council for interior design Qualification offers up the following definition: 'is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive'. Comparing this to the definitions provided by The Free Dictionary for an interior decorator: 'also called interior designer a person whose profession is the planning of the decoration and furnishings of the interior of houses, shops, etc.' and 'a person whose profession is the painting and wallpapering of houses'

Well it is understandable, based on the two definitions above, why there are two camps. One camp holds that the interior designer is held to a higher standard and has significantly more training and design responsibilities than the interior decorator, and then there are those that bunch them all together as one and the same. There are those that look at the designer as a version of an architect and those that look at them as being a house painter. No wonder there is confusion amongst the ranks.

In an attempt to answer the question, 'Is there a difference or not?', a Google search was performed for ' interior decorator Degree' and the response overwhelmingly returned results for 'interior designer'; and not the keyword as searched. One can reasonably conclude that since one can get a degree in interior design, but not as an interior decorator, that there is a difference.

So where would one draw the line between a designer and a decorator? Reverting back to the two definitions above one can discern the key difference. The definition for the designer refers to 'built interior environment' whereas the decorator suggests ' decorating and furnishing' as the key activities. The higher standard is the designer's ability and responsibilities to call for tearing out walls, flooring, windows, lighting, electrical, as well as recommending furniture and miscellaneous design pieces. In short, the scope their role includes the responsibilities of a decorator, but goes much further.

Often it is critical for the designer to understand the wants and needs of the individual or company leadership that is hiring them to make a space comfortable and esthetically pleasing to 'the eye of the beholder'; meaning whoever is paying the freight. This will require the designer to ask the question, 'What is interior design through the eyes of my employer?'

Determining just how to customize a small dwelling area up to major corporate businesses like a national restaurant chain that must be attractive to the eye in many different regions of the country with a common design can be very challenging. Requiring a grasp of many different fields including developing and reading floor plans, a knowledge of building codes, and access to a long list of contractors that are capable of doing the work to specification are just a few of the extra requirement that separate interior design from decoration.

Often specializing in unique areas like hotels, casinos, restaurants, or other businesses that may regularly freshen up their designs to keep their businesses looking comfortable yet enticing, designers generally develop skill sets that may not play all that well outside of their special areas of expertise. What they probably are looking for in the interior design of a hospital is most likely a far cry from what they are looking for at a casino. Perhaps a better example would be determining just how to continue on with a southwestern theme for a Mexican restaurant chain in places like Seattle, St. Louis, Charlotte, Pittsburg, and Boston. What is interior design widely accepted in one region may not be well accepted in another.

In asking, 'What is interior design?' in today's environment, one must also begin to start thinking green and to look for ways to minimize the consumption of non-renewable energy sources. How does one create areas with a lot of natural lighting but not subject the individual to the blazing rays of the sun? How does one incorporate solar panels into the design or solar powered floor heaters in colder climates without losing the esthetic charm and ambiance of marble floors? These are the challenges of today's designers. It's a good thing that they love their jobs.

Low Cost Interior Design and Decorating Tips

Thinking of a home or office renovation, but worried about the cost of the interior designing and decorating? Do you think you can't afford to spend much on the interior designing but wish for an elegant make over for your room? You don't have to get vexed about not having too much money to spend on your decoration, because you can do a fabulous job of decorating your house without spending much of your pennies, if you do it wise.

Plan your budget
Low or high, you should always have a specific budget plan for your work, rather than saying 'I want the room's interior design to be done at a low cost it is better to have an idea of how much you are ready to spend. Coming to the correct value may not be possible but giving an almost accurate estimate will always help. Divide your budget under different task like, $ 100 for new furniture, $ 50 for paint etc rather than quoting the whole amount. But remember your budget plan should be realistic and should be strictly followed for a successful low cost interior designing.

Be the interior designer yourself
Hiring a firm or a specialist to do the makeover might give you a completely remarkable room or office, but remember the more established they are, the more you will end up paying them for the service alone. So it is best to take your imagination into play and come up with how much you are going to spent and what would have to be changed or introduced. You can refer articles in magazines or the internet to get ample ideas on how to do the job at minimum cost.

Shop low and wide
You are planning to decorate the interiors of the room, so it calls for full day fun shopping. Are you aware that most of the goods you buy at the branded Shoppe may be available at an unbelievably slashed price in local shops and auction houses? So take your time to hunt in the second hand shops, bargain market and any shop with a year ending sale or shop renovation sale sign board. You are going to hit on something great at an unbelievable price. But just getting the thing at a low price should not tempt you to buy it; you should buy only those things you came to shop for. Otherwise, the low priced shopping experience will turn to a conflicting one.

Get your things auctioned
If you are renovating the place, you may have to remove a piece of furniture, curtains and a lot of junk you may no longer require. Rather than shifting them to the storeroom, you can get these things sold at a low price to get a tip on your budget; you can either auction it or sell it to a second hand shop. Remember your stuff might not fetch much, but removing these will help you to de clutter the room and at the same time get a small raise on your budget. But if you are doing the interior designing and decorating from start, don't worry for not having anything to sell; you can have an option of choosing very wisely and designing the room afresh with no time loss.

Reuse your stuff
You can use a lot of things at hand in a novel and creative way to make the interior designing a fun and creative experience. You can make a cushion cover out of your old curtain by stitching together the pieces but while choosing the fabric, see to it that it either gives an arresting effect to the otherwise blunt room or else combine with the mood of it. You can also use an old piece of furniture and polish it to make a centrepiece of the room. Your grandmother's chest drawer can boast the main attraction in your drawing room if you space it well and take care to project it.

Decorative pieces
Decorative items and wall painting can come in any range and sometimes it may cost you a fortune. But it's not just costly decorative pieces and antique collections that can make your interior boast a good appearance. You can use a family portrait or a painting your little one did to give a new look to the walls. These paintings and photos don't just come free, they are worthless and just a good frame will do the job. Similarly you can also use decorative candles and gift pieces in a creative way to change the face of your room.

An extra coat of paint
An extra coat of paint can always give a facelift to a room. interior designing is never complete without a well painted wall. Choose the same shade of paint as your previous one as getting a new shade will require more coats of the paint and hence it will increase the cost of painting. But you can do a contrasting shade on just one wall if you are bored with the 'same old paint' this not just give a new face to the room, it also saves a bit on the paint.

Keep it simple
Be it kitchen, bedroom, office or study; keep the room as simple as possible. Reduce the number of furniture and extra piece of couch to give your room a neat, organised, spacious and new look. Your rooms and office should also have a touch of your personality so work on it.

Interior Design and Interior Decorating - Some Definitions

Interior Decoration and Interior Design, although related disciplines, are different in terms of their application. Interior Decoration is the process of decorating a house with regards to finishes (for example wallpaper and paint, choice of furniture and fittings as well as adding finishing touches and decorations such as paintings and objets d'art. All of this provide a certain "feel" to a house but essentially the underlying structure of the house is not changed.

Interior decoration is normally professionally done by Interior Decorators although recently the trend has been for people to learn about Interior Decorating through various courses or books and then apply the techniques themselves-usually on a shoestring budget. The whole objective of Interior Decorating is to make a house aesthetically pleasing and at the same time, unique, since it should reflect the owner's specific personality and tastes.

Interior design on the other hand is more integrated with the architecture of a building and a professional Interior Designer will work closely with architects and builders to make choices regarding the integral design of the whole house or building. This includes looking at choices with regards to room layout, choice of cabinets and tiles and lots of other design factors. While the Interior Design budget for new developments used to be minimal, it is recognized these days that incorporating Interior Design into the project means the difference between a run-of-the-mill development and one that contributes to the branding and life-style image of the project. The money spent on Interior Design is therefore seen as a worthwhile investment in the whole property development process.

Homeowners are spending more and more to improve their homes. Since it is relatively easy to change the appearance of a house by changing the finishings and fittings a large portion of this money goes into Interior Decorating. The growing popularity in do-it-yourself Interior Decorating has meant that a whole industry around Interior Decorating courses, books and TV Shows have also sprung up, and it has become a popular hobby for married couples. Innovative Interior Decoration ideas, which cost less but at the same time giving the impression of style and class, are in vogue.

Young entrepreneurs have also seen the gap and there is a growing demand for information and courses on how to break into the Interior Design and Interior Decoration Industry. This has also given the home {interior decoration industry a boost.

Although the trend recently is for people to tackle the exciting task of transforming a house themselves, it has to be recognized that this falls more in the area of Interior Decorating. Interior Design still requires study of the context of Interior Design, the theory of good design, knowledge of the technical advances in the engineering industry for both residential as well as commercial buildings and knowledge of the latest trends and advances in the Interior Design industry.

In short, an Interior Design project in which all the elements of design are pulled together is still the ambit of the professional designer who should be able to deliver on projects that extend beyond the boundaries of a hobby pastime.

Interior Design Vs Interior Decorating Vs Home Staging Vs Interior Redesign - What's the Difference?

The other day a real estate agent whose listings I stage for sale introduced me to someone as a "designer". I didn't want to take the time to correct him, but I thought to myself, "This isn't the first time I've heard people use 'designer' erroneously. It's often used to label someone who's an interior decorator. So, why does everyone lump us all in one category, when we all clearly do something different?"

To put the differences succinctly:

• Interior Design involves, among many other things, the preparation of documents often by a licensed professional for the construction of an interior space such as plans and elevations, and details and specifications, including lighting, power and communication locations, materials and finishes, and furniture layouts.
• Interior Decorating involves the adornment of surfaces in the interior space, such as fabrics, wall coverings, furniture, decorative accessories, flooring, light fixtures etc., and takes into account the lifestyle, taste, needs and preferences of the user of the space. While interior designers may decorate, interior decorators don't design.
• Home Staging is preparing the home for sale through updates and "decorating" so that it appeals to the broadest range of buyers for the market that the home is in.
• Interior Redesign is often done by home stagers for homeowners not currently selling because it employs many of the same principles that home stagers use, such as primarily using what furniture and decorative accessories the homeowner already has, with an eye towards the future sale of the home.

Now, let's explore each one more in-depth.

Interior Design

According to the National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ):

• Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment.
• These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants and are aesthetically attractive.
• Designs are created in response to and coordinated with thebuilding shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project.
• Designs must adhere to code and regulatory requirements, and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability.
• The interior design process follows a systematic and coordinated methodology, including research, analysis and integration of knowledge into the creative process, whereby the needs and resources of the client are satisfied to produce an interior space that fulfills the project goals.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the leading organization for interior design professionals. Certain levels of its members must meet certain education, work experience and examination requirements administered by the NCIDQ. Further, some states have licensing requirements for interior designers which include the passage of this exam. ASID also has continuing education requirements for its members.

Interior Decorating

No wonder people often confuse interior decorating with Interior Design. Even I had trouble finding a definition for Interior Decorating. Often it said "see interior design".

Perhaps its best to understand interior decorating as it exists in contrast to interior design:

• An interior decorator would select floor coverings based upon the tastes and lifestyle of the client, whereas the interior designer would take it a step further and look at usage, sound transference, flammability, etc.
• An interior decorator would select lighting fixtures, whereas the interior designer would plan for the location of lighting and ensure that it is in compliance with building and safety codes.
• An interior decorator does not need to have any formal education and/or work experience, testing or licensing, whereas an interior designer does.

Home Staging

Home staging is the art and science of preparing a home for sale so that it appeals to the broadest range of buyers in order to sell quickly and for top dollar. The objective is to make the potential buyer fall in love with the home, envision themselves living there and aspire to the lifestyle the home portrays.

According to the Real Estate Staging Association's Consumer's Guide to Home Staging, it is a "systematic and coordinated methodology in which knowledge of real estate, home renovations and creative design principles are applied to attract a buyer."

Home staging involves any or all of the following:

• Evaluating what furniture and decorative accessories (throw pillows, artwork, decorative objects, lamps, knickknacks, etc.) the owner has, and:

- eliminating some of the furniture and/or decorative accessories, otherwise known as decluttering as well as depersonalizing (removal of family photos, trophies, collections etc. so the buyer can envision living there)

- arranging the furniture and accessories for optimal placement to enhance flow (the ability to walk freely through the room), focal point enhancement (e.g., emphasizing a fireplace or a beautiful view), balance (are there too many or too large pieces in the bookcase or on only one side of the room?) and the positive aspects of the home while downplaying the negatives

• Carefully selecting for purchase or rent, if necessary, the appropriate furniture and accessories for the style of the home and it's market.
• Recommending, implementing and/or arranging for enhancements, updates and repairs such as painting, flooring, sink fixtures, lighting fixtures, window treatments, landscaping, etc.

Interior Redesign

As stated above, interior redesign is like home staging, however it enhances the home for the homeowners rather than for potential buyers. And it does so with an eye towards its future sale. It is like home staging in that it primarily uses the client's existing furniture and decorative accessories to transform the space, and may also involve the purchase of additional furniture and accessories as well as updates to the wall colors, window treatments, lighting fixtures etc.

Summary

To summarize the differences:

• Interior Design involves the planning of all aspects of interior space often by a licensed professional.
• Interior Decorating involves the adornment of surfaces in the interior space. Interior designers may decorate, but interior decorators don't design.
• Home Staging is preparing the home for sale through updates and showcasing so that it appeals to the broadest range of buyers for the market that the home is in.
• Interior Redesign employs many of the same principles that home stagers use, such as primarily using what furniture and decorative accessories the homeowner already has, with an eye towards the future sale of the home.