I had the honor of attending a seminar on the color forecast
2012 put on by Ashley Burke from Sherwin Williams Paint. Such good information
I thought I would spend the next few posts sharing it with you.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

How are those “in” colors determined and by whom?
Color trends are rarely decided by individuals. They are selected by committee.
One of the most powerful committees is a group of 10 people whose names remain
a secret. They are invited by Pantone to meet twice a year in Europe in an all-white
room so as not to be distracted in making their selections. Pantone, a New
Jersey company whose sole business is color, is unrivaled in setting the
standard for color tones. NPR, a market research group, says Pantone is involved in the
coloration of nearly half of all the garments sold in the US. Designer David
Shah runs Pantone’s committee meeting and seeks advice from people in various
industries. Shah said, “I can’t tell you the names. They’re involved with
everything from furniture through to clothing and knitwear.”

Pantone’s
vice president for fashion, home and interiors, Laurie Pressman, says the
reason for color standards is to provide a vocabulary via swatches, color books
and computer files, to enable developed-world companies to talk to their
overseas suppliers. “What you have now is so much production shifted to Asia,”
she says. “It’s key to have a standard way to communicate from the design side
all the way down through the supply chain.” There are 1,925 colors in Pantone’s
index of textile colors and each one has a unique identifying number.

The next time you shop for a car, food mixer,
shoes, make-up, clothing, paint, fabric, carpet, etc. notice how color palettes
are the similar across all these lines. Now you know this was not an accident.

Ashley reminded us that in the very beginning of
time [long, long ago in a distant land] when color began to be integrated it
was via the use of berries, bark, leaves, clay. . . Today, we find ourselves
living in our homes or what I call ‘nesting’ vs going on vacations, eating out
all the time, traveling. Due to economic constraints most of us do not have the
disposable income we had a couple of years ago. Thus we want our homes to be
much more inviting and comfortable. Just the other week a client and I were
talking about how a few years ago everyone was doing blinds of some kind on
their windows and that was the extent of their window treatments. Now, I am
doing more energy efficient cellular shades with fabric treatments over them.
The fabric treatments immediately make the home cozy, warm, inviting vs
utilitarian blinds. Many of us are entertaining in our homes vs meeting friends
at a local restaurant.

Thus, the color palettes you will see over the
next couple of years will be organic, coming directly from nature. From those
amazing reds with cool greens overlaid that you see in Sedona, AZ to the
vibrant floral against warm greens and cool blues in Florida. Colors will be
derived from bark colors [notice how many shades are in the trees outside your
window], beautiful cool and warm greens, and back to the color of maze, the
vibrant colors of the sun or the flames in your fireplace. We’ll explore these
tones one at a time.

Next post we’ll visit greens – my favorite
neutral color.

The world of new construction homes has definitely changed in the thirty plus years that I have been in the business. When I started in the interior design business we lived in a very small town. Thus, the client purchased a custom home from a builder who built exactly what the client wanted. Now builders own a whole subdivision and you have limited options. You are presented a basic home with nice appointments. However, should you want nicer granite counters, wood flooring, oil rubbed bronze plumbing fixtures, etc. you will pay a lot more — perhaps as much as $100,000-$200,000 extra!!

On a recent vacation my husband and I decided to look at a housing development we thought we might like to retire in this area and this looked like a development with much of what we were looking for. Well, was I in for a shock. A specific builder owned the entire subdivision, you could choose from specific square footage home, within that square footage you had only a couple of floor plan options. So my husband and I toured a couple of homes in the square footage we thought we could downsize into. When I asked questions like: can I provide my own upgrades since I am in the business. ‘No’ Can we combine the features we like from a couple of floorplans into one custom home. ‘No.’ As we expected there were features in each of the two model homes we liked, but neither was the whole package.  Thus, we decided for us the best solution was to find the perfect neighborhood, an older home with a footprint we like and remodel it outselves.

However, during the meeting with the salesperson it was quite evident we needed to ask all the questions like: do you provide all door/cabinet hardware? Do you provide landscaping? What do the HOA fees actually cover? What kinds of changes can we make without running them through the HOA? [in this development you could not even plant a bush without approval!!!]

So don’t forget to ask ‘the questions.’ Visit with friends to hear what questions they wish they had asked.

Have you ever walked into a room, or driven past a building and thought ’something is off about the look/feeling’ but you were not able to put your finger on what it was that bothered you? In my experience it is usually out of scale, or simply put — no one paid attention to the details!

Over the past six months I have watched a monster home being built in our community. One day after the home first had brick, that was torn down. Then brick on corners and stucco for the rest of the home. The brick was torn off again. Finally, the home was all stucco with huge columns. I looked at the front facade and realized one of the many windows across the front was at least twelve inches lower than the rest of the windows across this symmetrical facade! Surely, this multi-million dollar project’s architect, homeowner, builder, or interior designer/decorator had noticed this on the plans??? Now every time I drive by my eyes go directly to this oddly placed window.

Then, my eyes go to the HUGE light fixtures on either side of the front doors. Had the entry been three story - great, these fixtures were exactly what you would want. However, five foot high fixtures is way out of scale for a twelve foot entry portico.

If you are working towards building your dream home, please, don’t try to cram every single look you have liked in other homes throughout the years. Edit, edit, edit. You are spending a lot of money for something you will have to look at/live in for many years. Make sure you look at every detail. How does the facade look from every angle? Imagine yourself walking through the floor plan, open and close doors; place furniture on paper so you know where you need all your electrical/technology outlets.

I am working with new homeowners in a 55+ development. They have all been shown floor plans, asked where they want their electrical, computer outlets. Where they want the electrical box on ceiling for dining room fixture. However, now my team is going in to move when there was a ‘mistake.’ This is not cheap! This is very messy!

I encourage you to work with an interior design professional to help make sure you are catching all the detail decisions. I tell my clients it is like getting dressed and picking out the jewelry, cuff links, or shoes for an outfit. Details are the finishing touches that you see. However, if you don’t pay attention to the details during the project you will get that ‘hmmm, something is off’ feeling when you walk into the room or drive up to your home.

To find a trained professional interior designer in your area go to: www.asid.org.

Seems corporate America is interested in showing customers that they embrace ALL of the commercial holidays. I have quite a business doing displays in hospitals and nursing facilities, as well as many office buildings.  These ideas can be translated into home decor ideas, school rooms, or your own office. Some I purchase everything and put together the display, others I gather the items and construct.  Let me know what you do to celebrate the holidays in your space?

Christmas:

This nursing facility is in a rural area of West Texas. I purchased the two trees and wreath, the rest of the items were pulled from my stock. The facility’s tree was done in red, gold, and white; thus I carried that color theme through my display.  Remember to keep everything in scale! The trees balanced the chest, the wreath is a 30″ wreath to balance the chest, again. Note, as in a previous posting, I used odd numbers in my groupings.  I also used a ‘triangle’ to keep all the elements cohesive. All the green elements are in a triangle, then all the gold elements form another triangle inside the green triangle. This allows the eye to move throughout the display in an orderly fashion and keeps order to the display.  This same principle is used in any display you are creating in your home whether on a buffet, end tables and sofa with artwork above, and so on.

Valentine:

Same nursing facility. This time I cut down some Mesquite tree branches and secured them in the metal pot with plaster. [the pot is from the garden section, much less expensive than Valentine section of the store!] I spray painted the branch flat white. I secured the Valentine picks into the plaster prior to it setting up. I then hot glued hearts up and down the branches, and purchased other heart ‘ornaments’ to hang on the branches. The hearts on the wall were purchased seperately and are secured together with pipe cleaners. The cylinder is just a glass cylinder from the floral department filled with a Valentine garland. Then I scattered silk rose petals on the chest top to bring the entire display together.

Neither of these displays were expensive to execute. Have fun. Watch for the Easter displays I am working on now!

Many of you have probably heard or read the press about radon in granite.  You may be saying “Now what do we do?” You have just upgraded your kitchen or bath and put granite counter-tops in because everyone tells you that will help resale.  Or, you purchased a new home with granite counter-tops.  I have granite in my home’s bathrooms and kitchen; many of my clients have granite in their kitchen and/or bathrooms. Read the information, access the website and decide what is best for you.  My purpose is to make sure you are an informed consumer and have access to necessary information.

 The information below is from the Marble Institute of America.

 ”Over the past few years there has been some consumer confusion about rumored radiation levels occurring in natural granites used for residential counter-tops, floors, tiles, etc. Unfortunately, the origin of these concerns are advertisements and other communications from manufacturers of radon detection devices and the producers of competing synthetic materials. Levels of radiation from granite products, though technically measurable, are in fact small fractional values of established thresholds for environmental safety.

The truth of the matter is that granite is a safe product. It’s been used for thousands of years and the relationship between granite and radon has been studied for years and years. How safe is granite? Numerous independent, scientific studies have concluded that granite counter-tops are safe.

The marble Institute of America has produced this information to help you understand granites, radioactivity and natural stone.

Radioactivity in Granite: It’s Natural

All rocks have a small amount of radioactivity in them due to the presence of minerals that contain radioactive elements uranium (U), thorium (Th), and potassium-40 (40K). Because granite typically contains more of these elements than most other rocks, it will be more radioactive than a slate or marble. All of the minerals in granite contain some radioelements; the white or pink feldspars contain 40K, the black biotites and horn-blendes contain 40K, U and Th, and the small inclusions of minerals such as zircon, apatite, sphene, etc. contain the most U and Th.

Some frequently asked questions and the answers:

Q. What is radon?
A. It is a naturally occurring gas found throughout our environment. It is commonly found in the basements of homes built in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the U.S. Radon is radioactive and prolonged exposure at elevated levels in a closed environment can increase the risk of lunch cancer. Government studies show the most effective remedy for radon concentrations at elevated levels in the home is to increase ventilation, usually by adding vent fans to enclosed spaces like basements.

Q. How dangerous is radon?
A. Radon is not like carbon monoxide, which is produced by automobiles, home furnaces and water heaters. Concentrations of carbon monoxide can kill quickly. At elevated levels naturally occurring radon can increase the risk of lung cancer if people are exposed over long periods of time. However, if a home, basement or other building is properly ventilated, the radon concentrations drop to those commonly found outdoors. Because radon is commonly found outdoors. Because radon is commonly emitted from the ground across much of the United States, we can never completely isolate ourselves from it. The government says such environmental exposure is safe.

Q. How much radon is being emitted by my granite counter-top?
A. Based on the findings of several scientific studies conducted through the years, it is extremely unlikely that your granite counter-top is emitting harmful levels of radon. If you’re really concerned, you should hire a certified radon inspector to test the counter-top.

Q. How can I be absolutely sure my counter-top is safe?
A. The safety of granite has been proven. It has been confirmed by numerous, independent, scientific studies. They repeatedly have shown that levels of radon from granite counter-tops are not a health concern. Despite these reports if you are still concerned, you should hire a certified radon inspector to test the counter-top.

Q. What about food that is prepared directly on the granite surface? Is there a chance that it could absorb radioactive energy, which later would be ingested by those eating the food?
A. The only way that radioactive elements such as uranium can get into the food is if they become dissolved in water and absorbed in the food. However, granite is one of the most insoluble materials known to man and the amount that could be dissolved is minuscule in comparison to the radioactive elements that are already in the food (in meat or from uptake by soil or air-born particles during growth). Radioactive energy given off at the granite surface will enter food that is directly in contact with the surface but, like all energetic rays, it changes into heat and/or non-radioactive particles. These processes happen quickly so the radiation does not remain in the food.

If you have further questions about radon and granite, contact the Marble Institute of America at 440-250-9222, send an email to miainfo@marble-institute.com, or visit www.marble-institute.com

It hit me today that in a few short weeks freshmen across the country will begin packing for their first year living apart from their family.  Girls are eagerly deciding what colors they will decorate their room, what style, what message they want to convey [I had a daughter I know all too well how important this time was for her]. Boys, want a place where no one will bug them to ‘clean up their room,’ where they can hang out with their friends; dirty clothes, dishes, et. al.  Mom wants to set up the nest for her son or daughter so that when she is miles away she can invision them snuggled in the safe haven she left for them.  But, there are those dreaded Dorm Rules about no holes in the walls; no paint on the walls; no structures built in the room; etc. How on earth is Ashley or Stephen supposed to get all of their belongings and personality into that sterile room that they have to share with a room mate? 

First, I suggest you contact your assigned [or chosen] room mate ASAP and decide on a color scheme.

Second, read the student handbook about what is and is not allowed in the room.

Third, determine a budget with your parents and room mate.

Fourth, make a list [I'm a big list maker!]

Note that most dorm room beds are extra long twin in size.  Not every store handles those size sheets in stock. You may need to order. JC Penney does have them through their catalog.  I suggest you have 2 sets of sheets [one on the bed, one in laundry]; 2-4 sets of towels, depending on your lifestyle and storage. A comforter that can be washed and double as a blanket. If you are going to school in a warm climate then get a light weight cotton blanket. You’ll need some kind of canvas laundry bag, and either quarters or mom and dad to load your campus ID with money for the laundry machines in the dorm!

Think through clothing carefully. Our daughter took enough clothes for the whole dorm. After her first year she figured out all she was wearing were shorts, t-shirts, sandals,sun dresses, bathing suits, and occassionally jeans [she went to undergrad in Florida]. I think we shipped home 20 boxes of clothes that first year! 

Try to connect with some of the students on campus and find out what they really live in day to day, and what they found they needed in their dorm room. Facebook or MySpace are good places to find this information out. Also, many universities offer their own social network to incoming freshmen where they can ask questions of current students. 

Most likely there will be a WalMart, Target or KMart close to your campus. You will be able to get all those essentials once you get to campus.

3M makes a wonderful kind of ‘picture’ hanger that has a mechanism to hang on the wall, that when you are through you pull the tab and it comes off leaving no mark. These really work. You can use these creatively to put up a simple, light weight window scarf if the rules don’t allow you to put holes in the walls. This is also how you can hang pictures, bulletin boards, light weight racks, etc.  Racks that hang onto the door that hold shoes, towels, etc. are wonderful space savers too.

 Look at organizational systems like baskets, tubs with lids, etc. You can slip these under your bed to save space.  Don’t forget about an area rug. A great way to add a splash of color. What we did was go to a local carpet store and buy a remnant that was either already bound or asked them to put binding around it.  We didn’t spend a lot of money, that way if it got trashed we just replaced it at the end of the year.  Now the discount stores have lots of cool patterned rugs that can really make a statement.  If you are lucky enough to have room for a chair or small loveseat use a slipcover to make it fit in. Surefit has lots of styles, many are washable.

Remember you will spend a lot of time in this room for the next nine months. Plus, most likely you will either be in a dorm room or apartment [with many of the same rules] for the next four years. You will want to make it as personal and comfortable a space as possible.  Have fun.

Write me and tell me your hints about decorating a dorm room. 

www.tminteriorsbydesign.com

This is my second article about color. Today I’m going to focus on how to use color to change room proportions or create a mood.

Be your own magician — practice a little color magic. Nothing can change the mood of a room quicker than a can of paint. For a soothing and restful atmosphere try using cool tones: greens and blues in your room. On the other hand, warm reds, oranges, and yellows will do much to enliven the mood where your family lives.

 Do you have an oblong room you want to square up? Try a darker color on one of your shorter walls and lighter on the other three walls. You never want to change the color of a wall you don’t want to visually pull in. Personally, I find rooms where someone paints two walls one color and two walls another very disturbing. As pentioned previously you want to work in odd numbers in design. Thus I stick to the three walls one color and one wall an accent. The accent can be another color of paint, it can be wallpaper, it can be a special treatment with wood, etc. Thus, think critically about your room before deciding which wall to change the color on. Thus, think critically when deciding which wall you want to accent.

Monochromatic colors will give a room a greater sense of space while individual objects or furnishings in contrasting colors will have greater emphasis. A monochromatic room is done in different hues of the same color relying on texture to bring interest vs color contrast. A monochromatic room usually looks very sophisticated and tranquil. Try covering that bulky sofa with the same color as the wall it sets against and watch how that bulky look will tend to disappear. For a flair of the dramatic try using rich dark colors on your wall surfaces.

Ever wondered about how color affects us. There is a whole psychology about color. For instance think about restaurants that don’t want you to linger over a multi-course meal. Their interiors will typically be done in hotter colors, especially red, orange, yellow — anything from that side of the color wheel.

Red:The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimularnt.  If you decide to paint a wall red it will take between 3 and 4 coats. Using a tinted primer will help, but you can count on many coats to get the depth of color you are after.

Yellow: Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism. Yellow also enhances the colors it is with. Think about a field of wildflowers — think about how intense the colors are, yet there is almost always a smattering of yellow wildflowers among them. Don’t overdue the yellow, but a little bit of yellow in aprint, or in accessories can enhance the room’s colors. Make sure the hue you choose in in the same family as the hues of the room.

Blue:The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cole and depressing. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

Green: Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in a “green room” to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. I view green as a neutral, think about it, what is the planet covered in? Shades of green, blue & brown.

Brown: Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

White: White is the absorption of all colors. White reflects light. White is populat in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything.

Black: Black is the absence of all color. Black is necessary in most all rooms and acts as an anchor. If you don’t use black then use another dark color like dark chocolate brown, dark navy — you get what I’m saying.

So get started, play with your color chips, have fun planning your new room. If you are still confused or nervous find a licensed interior designer she or he will help you plan the perfect room.

Find an ASID in your area: www.asid.org

www.tminteriorsbydesign.com

The use of color is a key factor in setting a mood or creating an atmosphere. Deciding what colors to use, where and how much color to use are all important factors to be considered. However, don’t let the use of colors frighten you. There are two important steps to consider — selecting the proper color scheme and the proper distribution of colors throughout each room.  First, I would suggest you look at magazine pictures of interiors and decide what colors are pleasing to you and those you would be most comfortable living with. Also, consider what colors you enjoy wearing; this can be a good place to start figuring out what colors you want to live surrounded by.  Determining these colors will form the ground work for the colors to be used in your home. Next, walls, flooring, and ceilings should combine to form a pleasant background, keeping in mind the importance of the colors of the rooms flowing together and providing unity throughout the entire house. However, it is not necessary for each room to contain all the same colors. In fact, you may use accent colors for variety. 

When I work with my clients I try to determine three to five colors that will flow throughout their environment. By combining these colors in differing percentages throughout their spaces I can change the mood of their environment.  [Don't forget that golden rule of decorating discussed in a previous post: always work with odd numbers. That includes the number of colors in your space.]

Another piece of advice is to think of building your decorating scheme as you build a home — from the ground up. Thus, you will choose your flooring colors, wall colors, ceiling color, and finally accent colors. I much prefer ceiling to be the lightest hue of trim or walls and never white. I think this makes the room much more cohesive and inviting. However, if you prefer white, then use white. Flooring and walls will be the largest area of color, so choose accordingly. Another of my personal experiences is that people don’t tire of color as quickly as they tire of non-color rooms. Don’t be afraid of color.  OK, now back to how to divvy up your colors.

Once you have decided on basic colors, you must decide where to use them. For planning purposes — lets divide a room into its component areas of color:

• large area such as walls, floor, ceiling
• medium area - draperies, large upholstered furniture, bed covers, etc.
• small areas - small upholstered furniture, chairs, pillows, etc.
• accents - fringes, small accessories, small patterns in wallcoverings and textiles

One way to approach would be: in the large areas always use a dominant color for the carpeting while on walls and ceiling use a neutral or light color within the color scheme. In the medium areas you may use a combination of any of the colors. In the smaller and accent areas use the dominant or most intense colors. This method employs the “Law of Color Distribution.” However, if I have learned anything as a designer it is that “rules are to be broken.”

In today’s environments there are many times the most intense color is used on the walls and floors, with the ceilings being so high that we have to use pattern, texture or intense color to even get them noticed. Then to get furniture to scale out in the rooms they have to have size and intensity in their color and boldness in their pattern. Today’s homes have huge rooms for the public areas and more intimate areas, many times, for the personal spaces.

Play with your color combinations. Go to the fabric store and purchase a yard or two of chintz in the color you want for your wall or floor. Live with it for a few days. Today, many paint companies sell small quantities of paint as “try me” to paint a little on the wall and decide if you want to live with it for awhile. My advice is to look at that paint/fabric swatch for several days, under all kinds of lighting.

Have fun with color, don’t be afraid. Take the same kind of risk with your environment as you do with your personal wardrobe. Yes, break the rules, and enjoy every minute.

Find a local licensed interior design professional: www.asid.org

My website: www.tminteriorsbydesign.com

Just about everyone’s ‘American Dream‘ is to own their own home and to make it the most beautiful one in the neighborhood.  Perhaps you are one of the lucky homeowners who purchased a ’starter home’ thinking “as my family grows and income grows we will upgrade.” However, continuing inflation may have prevented this dream from becoming a reality for many of us. As an alternative, some of us are now opting to remodel or redecorate our present home.  Or, as in my case, we are remodeling because the children are grown and gone thus the family is getting bigger!

Contrary to what many might think, remodeling is really not that difficult and doesn’t need to be expensive. All that you may need is a little professional help to start you moving in the right direction.  There are five major areas: space planning, color schemes, furniture styles, window treatments, and wall treatments.  Over the next few weeks I’ll address each of these issues.

This week I am going to talk about where you need to begin — space planning.

The initial consideration in decorating your home is to study the amount and purpose of the space within each room. Inorder to do this a floor plan is essential because it will provide you with an immediate visual layout of the space you want to rearrange. To accomplish this I suggest that you draw a 1/4″ scale floor plan of each room you plan to decorate by using 1/4″ scale graph paper available at any office supply store.  Next, measure each room for length, width, exact location of all windows, doors, and special features [such as fireplace, columns, etc.] using the scale of 1/4″ equalls one foot.  Now measure the depth and width of each piece of existing furniture you plan to use. Again, using the same 1/4″ scale graph paper draw your furniture, lable, and cut out. You are now ready to start experimenting with various furniture arrangements without actually moving bulky furniture around over and over again until you finally achieve your ideal arrangements or exhaust your husband and neighbors!

A few measurements to keep in mind as you place furniture:

• leave a minimum of 18 inches for walking between coffee table and furniture
• leave a minimum of 30 inches between pieces of furniture to walk between
• dining tables need a minimum of 24 inches to pull chair out and sit down [think this through if you are going to purchase a rug for under your table and don't want it scrunched up everytime someone sits down]
• conversation areas in living rooms/dens should be within easy talking distance. if you have a very large room break it up into several smaller conversation areas
• find a focal point for the room to focus on — this does not have to be the TV!

If you have someone in your family in a wheelchair or walker then you need to increase clearance around furniture and walkways to a minimum of four feet with a turnaround of five feet.  [This is definitely an area where hiring a licensed interior designer can help make sure all members of your 'family' have a comfortable, safe, and welcome environment.]

If you are computer savy there are a couple of newer computer programs you can use instead of graph paper and pencil. Google has a program called Sketchup. It is a 3D program that many interior designers, architects, and landscape designers are beginning to use. http://sketchup.google.com/

There are also several peel and stick type kits available. Here is one I found that is inexpensive and gives you lots of furniture and accessory options: http://www.homefurnitureplanner.com/

Your interior design professional is trained to help you work through any traffic pattern, room function, ADA function, and any other issues you struggle with to make your home function for your family.  Remember, you can hire a designer to help with space planning or an entire renovation — you are in the drivers seat. 

Find local licensed interior designer: www.asid.org

I get this question a lot. So here goes. Hang in here with me; this is a lot of information. It can be confusing as our industry is in its infancy when it comes to regulating licensure. 

The NCIDQ definition of an interior designer’s objective is, “to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces for the purpose of improving the quality of life, increasing productivity, and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public.”  In order to become certified, you must pass an exam administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), which applies to both the U.S. and Canada.  After passing this exam, an interior designer must also follow the professional standards set by the American Society of Interior Designers.  In 18 states it is explicitly against the law to call yourself an interior designer if you are not certified. Texas is one of these states.  

Key Differences:

A Licensed Interior Designer must have 4 years of education, 2 years of experience in the field of design under a licensed designer and must have passed the NCIDQ exam.

• A Licensed Interior Designer knows the codes required and is responsible for upholding those requirements.
• A Licensed Interior Designer has the capacity to move non-bearing walls within a space.
• A Licensed Interior Designer has continuing education requirements to keep her or his license current.

     A ‘decorator’ does not have any educational, exam, or continuing education requirements.

     A ‘decorator’ cannot move any walls either load bearing or non-load bearing.

     Anyone can call herself or himself a “decorator.”

Interior Designers 
The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) defines an interior designer as one who “is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment. Qualified through education, experience and examination, a professional designer can identify, research and creatively resolve issues and lead to a healthy, safe and comfortable physical environment.” Interior design is the art and science of understanding people’s behavior in order to create functional spaces within the structures that architects design. When you think of hiring a desiger initially you may be thinking you want help with selecting fixtures, fabric, colors, or specifying products. These are  just some of the areas an interior designer can help you. An interior designer is also educated to help with: spacial organization and function, lighting design, product specifications that comply with building and safety codes, and acting as project manager of the construction site and installation of interiors.  Interior designers are also — in some, but not all states — required to have a license (usually acquired by completing the NCIDQ exam). This licensing certifies that the designer is a qualified professional who has the background and schooling required to make complex decisions about interior spaces. 

Beginning in 2008, ASID requires practitioner members to complete 6 contact hours of continuing education coursework (0.6 CEUs) every two years to retain their membership. Texas interior designers are also required to be registered as designers. Designers have specific continuing education program hour requirements: All registrants must complete at least eight Continuing Education Program Hours (CEPH) per renewal period. All 8 CEPH must include the study of subjects related to your profession and be pertinent to the health, safety, and welfare of the public. 

Interior Decorators 
In Texas if you do not have the education of an interior designer and are not registered or licensed through ASID or TBAE then, at this point, you are legally permitted to call yourself an interior decorator. Currently there is nothing regulating the use of this designation as far as educational requirements, continuing education, licensensure.  This designation continues to be a subject of discussion in many states. In the coming years we will see whether the designation of “interior decorator” will also require specific educational requirements along with continuing education requirements and license or registrtion requirements. 

Only you the consumer can decide whom you want to hire - a licensed professional interior designer, or a decorator. Hopefully, the information below will help you sort our the differences and begin your search. 

Further information:
ASID: http://www.asid.org/
TBAE: www.tbae.state.tx.us/Professions/Interior.shtml
NCIDQ: http://www.ncidq.org/