Should I Hire a Designer or a Decorator?

"Should I hire an interior designer or an interior decorator?"

That's where we left off in the last post.  Here's the deal, you have to decide what type of professional you'll need based on your individual project requirements.  That might not sound very helpful, but here's what you don't want to happen:

You don't want to hire someone and find out half way through the project that they don't possess the specific skills needed to complete your project to your expectations.  This doesn't mean that you have to know how it should be designed (that's why you're hiring someone).  But you do need to have a pretty good idea of what the final outcome will be.  Not exactly what it will look like, but how you anticipate your room will feel and function.

For example, do you need help picking colors, deciding on some drapes and accessories?  Or is your entire room or house in need of a complete overhaul?  Is it strictly a cosmetic overhaul, or will it require some demolition, construction, electrical, or plumbing work?

You have to determine your needs beforehand so that you can make a good hiring decision.  If you require other professionals (like an architect, contractor, plumber, etc...) then you need to know that the person you hire to design your project understands how to navigate that entire collaborative process.  You will need a "designer." 

You will NOT be able to determine if a person is a "designer" based on what they call themself OR their services!

Let's face it, people don't know what they don't know. This is true in all industries, but especially in Interior Design, because there's so much confusion about the difference between design and decorating.  Even amongst professionals.

Many people who exclusively provide decorating services don't even know that's not really design.  They think that what they do, decorate, is ALL there is to design, that they are the same thing.  They don't know there's an entire design process and that they are just providing the last step of that process.  Therefore they innocently continue to refer to themselves as designers.

To complicate things further, many actual designers, those who know and employ the process, often take on decorating projects but they still call themselves "designers" and their services "design."  For whatever reason, they do not draw any kind of distinction between the two, confusing the issue even more.  This is probably because it's so hard to articulate the subtle difference between the terms.  Obviously - as evidenced here by my ramblings!

It's my hope, that if you get only one thing out of these ramblings it's this:

Not all projects require the entire design process. Sometimes they just require the last step...decoration.  If that's the case then a person's title really doesn't matter.  A designer or a decorator could get the job done.  Without your own understanding of your project needs, you will not be able to assess your potential designer's ability to complete your project.

If you determine that your project does require a designer, be sure to ask your candidates about their process...this should tell you everything you need to know!  And of course you'll also want to carefully consider their credentials and previous work, but the most important factor is how well you connect with the person you ultimately end up hiring.

The journey is just as important as the destination.

And speaking of credentials...you might be wondering if it's important to hire a design professional that has the 3E's (Education, Experience, Examination)?  Again, it depends on your project, but all other things being equal, I'd choose the 3E's everytime!  But that's a TAWNT.  I don't know about you but I'm ready to move on to a new topic!  Like maybe the actual design process itself...

Interior Designer or Decorator? - Yes, There IS a Difference

After all that differentiating between the terms design and decorating, we're still left with the questions:

"Is there a difference between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator? And if so, which one should I hire?"

Since we determined that there is in fact a difference between design and decorating, I think it's safe to say that "yes" there is also a difference between a designer and a decorator.

In an earlier post I stated that:

Designers design and decorators decorate.

But now that we've thoroughly explored the difference between design and decoration, I think it makes more sense to say:

Designers design AND decorate, while decorators just decorate.

When we defined design, we said it's a process and that decorating is the final step in that process. Given this, I would define a designer as someone who engages in that process and concentrates on the project as a whole - someone who is equally concerned with the functional aspect as well as the look of the entire space.

Through the use of concept, floor plans, elevations, photos, samples, details, renderings, etc...A designer will present you with a complete vision and a plan to achieve that vision (subject to your approval) before your project ever even begins.

A decorator would be someone who concentrates on applying products and materials to the room and is pulling it all together as they go, taking it one piece at a time. In other words, they've not gone through the design process and are not operating from a cohesive plan. They are more concerned with the individual elements of a room and how they look.

Let me just say for the record:

There is nothing wrong with this approach IF, as the client, you are comfortable with it. Your project might not require all the steps of the design process. That's up to you to decide.

So should you hire a designer or a decorator? We'll wade into that next week. Stay tuned!