Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator: Whom to hire?

When you plan to renovate your space, the terms “interior designer” and “interior decorator” come to your mind which are used interchangeably and we do not understand whom to hire as there is no clarity about their scope of work. They are entirely different professions, with different scopes of work, expertise, and educational backgrounds. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right professional for your needs and achieve the results you\’re looking for.

Who is an Interior Designer: A Holistic Approach

Deliverables: an interior designer’s work is to rework the space as a whole, not only keeping the aesthetics and looks of space in mind but also keeping the function of space in mind. The comfort of a client is of utmost importance to a designer. Creating sustainable and environment-friendly design is another important consideration for an interior designer. Their job is to do efficient space planning, keeping bylaws in mind, and also to make the needful changes in the structure.

Educational Background: an interior designer holds a certificate or a degree in interior design. Many Indian and International professional organizations give certification to Interior Designers, which requires passing rigorous exams and adhering to industry standards.

Areas of Concern: an interior designer needs to collaborate and coordinate with architects, structure designers, civil engineers and contractors at various levels to ensure an aesthetically pleasing, safe and functional space. An interior designer may work on a residential, commercial, hospitality or retail space. The expertise of a designer is to create furniture layouts that optimize space, ensure proper circulation spaces, material selection, and selection of finishes, to coordinate with the design as a whole keeping the integration of technology in mind.

When to hire an Interior Designer: An interior designer might be hired to redesign a layout to improve the workflow of a space and also to increase productivity levels while adhering to the building bylaws and regulations and incorporating modern technological needs.

Who is an Interior Decorator: Styling with elegance

Deliverables: The primary concern of an interior decorator is the overall look and aesthetics of a space. Their job is to pick color combinations, select fabrics for upholstery and furnishings, and select accessories to create a delightful scene for the eyes of the onlooker. An interior decorator does not make any structural changes but their work is more towards making existing design enticing.

Educational Background: There are no formal certifications for interior decorators at present, though some institution offers short-term courses in decoration. An Interior decorator does not require a license, they become one out of the hobby, having a background of art or design, or out of experience in the field.

Areas of Concern: They work on smaller projects, keeping in mind the likes and dislikes of a client. They may work on a design style, if need be, they create a complementing look by choosing the elements like color schemes, furniture, fabric, finishes, art, paintings, sculptures etc. coordinating all according to the chosen design style.

When to hire an Interior Designer: whenever you feel a need to recreate your spaces, or you plan to give a different feel to a space you may think of hiring an interior decorator. A rearrangement of a few elements like furniture or cushions, or picking a different curtain may be all you need.

When to choose whom – A decision

Need of the Project: If there is a need to do the structural changes for let\’s say adding a window, to maximize the inflow of sun or you feel that there is a need to rework the space planning for an efficient workflow you may plan to choose an interior designer for the work. On the contrary, if you feel that there is only a rearrangement of a few elements required to give a fresh look to your space you may plan to hire an interior decorator.

Budget: if your budget does not allow you to revamp the whole space then you may consider hiring an interior decorator.

Collective work: Though, both the designer and the decorator may also work together on a project to ensure an aesthetically pleasing and efficient functional space. A designer may look into the structural changes if required, while the decorator may focus on the finishes.

So, an interior designer and an interior decorator both have different expertise and their work differs from each other’s work. By considering the above-mentioned points you may now be able to make a wise decision of whom to hire and when to ensure you get delivered with what you are looking for.

Why Choose IVS School of Art and Design for Interior Styling & Decoration Course

We, IVS is a more than 15-year-old organization working towards creating successful entrepreneurs. we at IVS have dedicated faculties and also we have tie-ups with many well-known brands in the industry that help enhance the knowledge and skills of our students. Also, our ex-students, working successfully in the field at different designations and also as entrepreneurs interact with our students to share their struggles of the journey which helps them make market ready. We focus on quality learning and make our students market-ready.

Author Bio

I am Kanishka Gupta, an Online faculty at Ivs School of Art & Design. Graduate in Housing, Space Planning and Resource Management from Lady Irwin College, DU. A certified AutoCAD and 3ds Max instructor and Interior Designer. I have completed many residential design projects and have an experience of 10+ years in teaching.