The Difference Between an Interior Designer and an Interior Decorator
The fact of the matter is, not all of us are born with the knowledge of which colour would suit a room best, what the latest trends are or which trends would best suit our home, whether it’s an apartment or a two-storey house. There is one piece of knowledge that we all do have, and that’s if we’re not one of these people, then we can always call one of them to help us decide on our interior décor.
There is one thing that a lot of us get confused on and that question is, should I be hiring an interior decorator or an interior designer? What exactly is the difference between the two? Does it all really matter in the end? The answer isn’t a simple one, but here are the basics. There are, in fact, several differences between the two occupations, but it’s not all about who is better than the other; rather it’s a matter of which interior expert suits what you require best. This is where it gets tricky, but there’s no need to fear, it’s all explained right here.
Interior Decorators
Interior Decorators are better suited to focusing their knowledge and skill on enhancing the aesthetics of the place, using their expertise and various skills in the use of lighting, paints, fabrics, furniture and other decorative bits and pieces. This is their forte. It’s easy to see the work of a good interior decorator, even to the untrained eye, by the way they arrange all of the physical pieces of a room to create a harmonious environment; where everything is designed to be balanced.
Interior Designers
Education is the biggest difference between a Decorator and a Designer. While you need no formal education to be a great Decorator, you will need one should you want to call yourself a Designer instead. While Designers are required to go through formal training, this doesn’t usually make them better in anyway, rather it’s the key factor which outlines the different kinds of work they do.
Take a look at the skillset that an Interior Designer learns and see if you can figure it out for yourself:
- Design Rendering
- Understanding Architectural Designs, Drawings and Models
- Organising various types of tradespeople and their activities
- Liaise with Tradespeople, Architects, Local Councils, and deal with other Construction-related matters
Now let’s get onto the meat of the matter, the most important part…
Who should I pick? A Designer or a Decorator?
When it comes to the big stuff, the large scale projects that are still under construction, you’ll more than likely want an Interior Designer for the job. Due to their formal education, Designers are usually better suited, and have the better skillsets, when it comes to handling a sizable project from start to finish. When the main body of work is over, and it’s time to give the home a splash of paint that an interior decorator is called in to take over. While it’s not unknown to have an Interior Designer do the work from start to finish, and vice versa with the Decorators, you might have better luck making the best out of your home by sticking to their skillsets.
Most people might think that Designers are more expensive than the Decorators, but that’s completely false. As with any profession, the amount of compensation for their services is dependent upon their expertise and their skillsets, not to mention the strength of their client base. It is these factors that make a Designer or Decorator stand out, and it’s also these that set their own price range.
If you're in need of some interior redecorating then find your nearest Interior Designer or Decorator with a search using our list.
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