The Interior Decorator
There are no licensing requirements in the Province of Ontario to be a Interior Decorator. At the present time anyone can print up business cards and get into the decorating business. They call themselves Designers, Decorators, Home Stagers, Re-designers and Stylists. HGTV has given many of them their own TV shows! Unfortunately, the general public doesn't understand what they are getting for their reno dollars.
Hate to tell you all this, but TV is fiction - it is not possible to do your kitchen reno over the weekend and build you a new entertainment unit out of MDF and nail gun in 6 hours on your drive way. Well we could, but it would last about a week before it would start to show it's lack of craftsmanship and start to come apart. I particularly love the shows that show make-overs completed in 48 hours with entire houses furnished and painted for under $5K! Again - REALITY CHECK - those budgets do not include quality materials you could actually live with, labour costs (yes, those pesky trades want to feed their families) and the furniture is rented and always gets taken back after the show.
Unfortunately, the line between entertainment and reality is so blurred by television design shows that most clients are frustrated and disappointed when they embark on an actual renovation project with licensed professionals.
An Interior Decorator can give advice only in the selection of surface materials,window treatments, wall coverings, paint, floor coverings, surface mounted lighting, surface mounted fixtures, and plan or specify loose furnishings for residential, business, restaurant, yacht or hospitality interiors.
That said, there are Interior Decorators who have taken
college level courses and Certificate Programs to become qualified Decorators.
For a list of qualified Interior Decorators visit www.cdeca.com
- The Canadian Decorators' Association - an organization that is trying very hard to establish credentials for their membership and their profession.
The Interior Designer
An interior designer is not only concerned with the aesthetic environment, but also with the safety, productivity, functionality and usefulness within an interior envelope. In other words, an interior designer is part architect, part decorator and part foreperson.
The title, Interior Designer in Ontario, is restricted by Government Legislation to members of ARIDO (The Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario) who meet their qualifications and standards.
To become a Registered Interior Designer requires a post secondary degree or diploma from a recognized 3 or 4 year Interior Design program. After graduation there is a mandatory 3 or 4 year intern period culminating in the Intern sitting a rigorous professional exam (NCIDQ). Additionally, ARIDO membership requires on going professional development and carrying Errors and Omissions Insurance and Liability Insurance.
The interior designer analyzes the client's needs, goals, life and safety requirements and integrates those findings with their knowledge of interior design. Formulating preliminary design concepts that are appropriate, functional, and aesthetic are just one aspect of their work. They also develop final design recommendations and presentations. They prepare drawings and specifications for non load-bearing interior construction, materials, finishes, space planning, furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
Professional Interior Designers collaborate with licensed practitioners, who offer professional services in the technical areas of mechanical, electrical and load bearing design that are required for regulatory approval. They may work with a structural engineer to design residential additions. They prepare and administers bids and contract documents as the client's agent and reviews and evaluates design solutions during implementation and upon completion.
The Architect
Architects are trained and licensed to design structural and building systems. Increasingly, however, the structures they design and build are delivered to the client not as completed living spaces
To become and Architect requires a bachelor*s or master*s degree in architecture from a university program approved by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) or completing the *apprenticeship* offered through the RAIC Syllabus Program.
An internship is then served - for about 3 years followed by a mandatory professional exam. In Ontario, architects must be members of the Ontario Order of Architects (www.ooa.on.ca)
Many people wonder why they should engage an Architect or Interior Designer. They hope to save on the Architect/Interior Designer fees as many contractors can also draw, design and do the job.
Besides providing aesthetic inspiration, Interior Designers and Architects cram their plans with specifics about materials and construction. Not surprisingly, bids prepared from Interior Design and Architectural plans tend to be much closer to the actual final cost. They also act as your advocate, checking materials used and approving or disapproving work before the client releases the next payment to the contractor.
Additionally, many Interior Designers are able to access deep trade discounts on furniture, fixtures and finishes They typically pass a portion of this discount on to their clients off setting the cost of their services.
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