From my understanding, the interior designer is the go-to for making changes to room dimensions. Such as a wider kitchen or a change in the floorplan. This professional can tell clients the best place to install a new window or what I can and can not do with the interior walls and/ or lighting. A few of the deliverables from this modality would normally consist of floorplans, drawings which include measurements, construction plans etc. Some companies offer full project management and will assist clients through the physical development phase of the design until the very end. I would say this profession is the skeleton and structure of the design process. Moreover, with the interior designer it doesn’t stop there. After the floorplan is established cabinets, fossettes and fixtures are included alone with accents, colors, furniture and accessories. In conclusion, all aspects of a design from takeout to completion is the arena the interior designer.
The interior decorator on the other hand is your soft finishing expert. This realm deals more with materials and not at all with construction. Materials such as rugs, furniture, picture, colors, tiles, and other such like accessories. Let’s say we have a couple who just bought a 5-year-old home and desires to make it feel more personal; more allied with their personality. This couple purchased the home because they liked the bones or structure and just want to add their personal touch to it all. This is were the interior decorator is the right person to call. This profession has the experience to pass on and inform this couple of how to put the right items together, how to tie in the hall ways the bedroom, how to blend the kitchen in with the dining room within an open floorplan, colors to use to give calming, relaxing or energetic effects to a space. In conclusion, the interior decorator is attuned to the phycology of the space. At the end of the day this modality can create a feeling or specific energy within an interior space.
- My 3 questions are:
- 1. How does a person know when its time to call a designer or a decorator?
- 2. And how do I know which one I need?
3. Is there different pricing structure to both or does one cost more then the other?
