Valerie Garrett interior designer Valerie Garrett interior designer
Valerie Garrett interior designer
Valerie Garrett interior designer

Interior Decorator OR Interior Designer—What's the difference?

"Interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a structure. Decoration is the furnishing or adorning of a space with fashionable or beautiful things. Decoration, although a valuable and important element of an interior, is not solely concerned with human interaction or behavior, whereas interior design is all about human behavior. Interior designers may provide interior decorating services, but decorators are not qualified to provide interior design services.

One primary difference between the two professions is that interior designers are responsible for the elements that affect the public's heath, safety and welfare. For example, an interior designer might evaluate wall finishes for appropriateness of type based on durability, acoustic properties, cleanability, flame retardancy, allergens, toxicity and off-gassing properties. An interior decorator would only select color, style and textures of finishes."

- National Council for Interior Design Qualification

"Interior designers may provide interior decorating services, but decorators are not qualified to provide interior design services."

Valerie Garrett interior designer
Ofc/Fax: 269 692.3921 * Cell:  269 370.9033
Email: valerie.garrett@design-incontext.com
Copyright © 2008 InContext. All rights reserved.