Interior Design VS 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: ‘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’. 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 treat interior designer and interior decorator as one and the same, and then there are those that hold the interior designer is held to a higher standard with more training and responsibilities. No wonder there is misunderstanding amongst the ranks.

To investigate this question whether there is a difference or not?, a search for the term 'Interior Decorator Degree' was performed on Google and the returned results for 'Interior Designer' and not the keyword as searched. From above, one can reasonably conclude that there is a difference as one can get a degree in interior design, but not as a decorator.

To draw the line between an interior designer and an interior decorator, we need to go back to the two definitions above to contrast the key difference. The key discerning activity of an interior designer is 'built interior environment' and for an interior decorator is 'decorating and furnishing' from the definitions. The higher standard is the interior designer's ability and responsibilities to call for tearing out walls, flooring, windows, lighting, electrical, as well as recommending furniture and miscellaneous design pieces. Hence, the responsibility of an interior designer includes and goes beyond that of an interior designer.

One of the most crucial skill of an interior designer is to siphon the wants and needs of a company or individual and make a space comfortable, functional and esthetically pleasing.

As you can understand, their job can be very challenging as they will need to be able to devise a design not only for small dwelling spaces but also for large corporate businesses such as national restaurant chain. Hiring of contractors to do specific task such as pulling down walls, knowledge of building codes, reading blueprints are some of the task designers need a firm grasp on and further separate interior design from mere decoration.

What is interior design in contemporary society should involve ways to minimize harm to the environment by incorporating renewable energy sources and thinking green. Without compromising the individual's comfort due to the blazing rays of the sun, how does one maximize the use of natural lighting? 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 some of the obstacles that our interior designers today need to overcome.