Differences

16/09/2009 by admin.

In the US, Interior Designers have to attend uni and then be licensed to provide professional services. In Blighty however, the situation is somewhat different.

When I tell people I’m training to be an interior designer, their general response appears to be “Ooh that’s nice. Your home must be lovely. Can you come shopping with me sometime and pick some stuff?”. This is nice and everything, but I don’t quite think people understand what level of technical ability is involved, and that it’s not just about picking out nice cushions.

Thankfully BIID (which I am a member of incidentally) have a nice handy definition of an Interior Designer which is:

“The Association defines interior designers as persons qualified by training and experience to plan and supervise the design and execution of interiors and their furnishings, and to organise the various arts and crafts essential to their completion. The professional interior designer provides a full consultancy service.A designer is a person, qualified by education, experience and recognised skills, who identifies, researches and creatively solves problems pertaining to the function and quality of the interior environment; and performs services relative to interior spaces including programming, design analysis, space planning, aesthetics, and inspection of work on-site, using specialised knowledge of interior construction, building systems and components, building regulations, equipment, materials and furnishings; and prepares drawings and documents relative to the design of interior space.”

This is fundamentally different to the defintiton of an Interior Decorator which is:

“An Interior Decorator can give advice on entire decorative schemes, including furnishing and furniture, but will not enter into building contracts or supervisory contracts.”

The course I am studying is a professional course which can only call itself so because it includes the following:

1. Fundamentals of Design (philosophy, sociology, aesthetics and a theory of design). Visual research (colour, light, form, texture). Basic knowledge of materials.
2. Visual Communication (objective and interpretative drawing, freehand perspective drawing, use of colour media, photography and model making).
3. People in their Environment (human ergonometric and anthropometric studies and people in space and design evaluation). History of Art and Architecture, Interiors and Furniture.
4. Creative work by Project Method.
5. Interpretation of the project schemes and technical studies related to the built environment (working drawings, building technology, and understanding of structure and services. Costing and estimating, detailing and specifying material, furniture and fittings).
6. Professional Practice (verbal communication techniques, office organisation and practice, legislation affecting the designer, visiting projects underway or completed).

* The standards set by the International Federation of Interior Architects/Interior Designers (IFI) are recognised by the Association. The BIDA is an Associate member of the IFI.

So dearest friends and family, next time you ask me how my course is going, bear in mind that it is actually bloody hard work and that I’m not just playing about with bits of fabric and making cushions (I can’t even sew).

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