Interior Designer/Interior Decorator

[Urban Girl]

I'm interested to hear your definitions for these two titles.....

I find alot of people have different interpretations of them and it causes a bit of confusion.

I consider myself an interior designer (which is the title I have on my business cards), but also consider myself an interior decorator as well.

[Julie-Ann]

It is confusing Urban Girl but a good question that I pondered on a few years ago too.
Technically the differences are that a designer has studied longer than a decorator and has a higher qualification. They complete units on architecture that a decorator doesn't.
In the work field technically a decorator only works with the interior of a building. The designer however can work with the structure of the building.
For many years I called myself a decorator out of respect for those designers who have done the extra study. But residential clients aren't interested in the differences. I also work with the structure of building by using my licensed building. We frequently move walls and doorways when renovating a kitchen.
So in the end I don't think it matters - as long as you have happy clients at the end.

[Lizzy M]

great question.. i'm finding it hard to know what 'i want to be' once i get everything up and running.... so whats an interior stylist...?

[Julie-Ann]

I would think a stylist is someone who is similar to a decorator - only works on the interior of the room. I found clients called me an Interior Designer and eventually I stopped correcting them. It was just easier.
As Shakespeare said " A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Interpretation - what matters is what you do not so much what you are called.
And that's the English Literature lecture over

[Elements]

Great post, I struggled with this myself when starting out. I had obviously got my Interior Design Diploma but I did not study any Autocad of design software so i didn't want clients to think I did......then I started to realise the clients didn't really know the difference either so as I didn't want them to think I just decorated as I have a lot more knowledge that decorating but not as much knowledge as a trained professional designer I decided to call myself an Interior Stylist and just let clients know what I am available to help them with.
Clear as mud right!
I think its similar to an Architect and a Building Designer.....same same but different.

[Urban Girl]

Interesting. We don't hear the term Interior Stylist over here in NZ. Sounds cool though! )

I had in my mind that an Interior Design was someone who sat down and actually designed stuff, from working alongside architects to place interior walls/structures and layouts that would work, to designing things like perhaps where the tv would be and how lights would be positioned.

And an Interior Decorator was someone who did the physical work, decorated. Like hung wallpaper, painted, did the physical work.

Of course you could be both a designer and decorator.

Elements, I didn't study AutoCAD either, but would love to. But I thought that was more along the lines of architecture? Although would obviously be really beneficial to have skills in AutoCAD.

Hopefully I don't offend anyone with this comment, especially you who prefer to be called an Interior Decorator but I find over in NZ "Interior Decorator" has associations/assumptions with a very stereotypical "bored housewife got nothing better to do but fluff around redoing houses" mentality. Whereas "Interior Designer" is generally (and I say generally) associated (or assumed) in being more upmarket and a qualified profession.

[Julie-Ann]

Interesting the different interpretations.
Most Interior Decorators I know will hire tradesmen to do the painting and wallpapering etc. The Decorators just create the design. I do recommend that you know how to do many of the simpler trades so you can understand what you are asking a tradesperson to do and how long it should take to do it.

[LDH]

so true JA! and really helps to get the outcome you want and communicate on their level and note all the "challenges" before agreeing on price so they dont come up as un noted surprises that add cost later on.