So what does interior design entails?

The profession of interior design seems daunting to many. What does an interior designer really do and why should I pay design fees?

These are just a hybrid of questions in the minds of MANY clients, and is not a surprise as the public really does not have a lot of information to warrant the reasons why an interior designer needs to be hired and a fee paid to do a floor plan of the space. The truth is that an interior designer produces more than a floor plan and the scope of work entails is way beyond what an interior decorator needs to do.

As required by the ASSOCIATION OF REGISTERED INTERIOR DESIGNER OF ONTARIO (ARIDO) or similar institutions , a registered interior designer must have met the educational requirement of a bachelor degree (4 or 5 years) from an interior design post-secondary educational program that is accredited by CIDA, and must completed 3,520 hours of internship and passed all three parts of the North American National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. There is no such requirement of an Interior Decorator.

The scope of service an interior designer offers consists of the following tasks-:

Design Principle -   Space Planning, Color theory, Acoustic, and Construction Technology

Building Code   -   Fire, and Life Safety

Universal Design - Barrier-Free and Accessibility Design

History               -  History of Architecture, Fine Arts and Interior Design

Electrical            -  Electrical Power and Data Communication

HVAC                 -  Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning System

Plumbing          -   Waste and Water Supply and Discharge System

Lighting             -   Fixture, Switching, Lighting Output and Lighting Control Device

Testing              -   Testing Standards and Methods of Finishes

Material             -  Selection, Specification and Testing 

Millwork            -   Custom-designed Architectural Woodwork and Millwork

Furniture            -  Custom-designed and Selection of Furniture

Doors                  -   Custom-designed and Factory-made Door Assembly

Consultants     -   Co-ordination of Architect, Engineer, Lighting Consultant, Acoustic Consultant , and Security Consultant         

Bidding             -   Assist Client in Bidding Process, Evaluation of Bids and Bond Assurance

Specification     -  Creation of Specification on Finishes, Site Management by Contractor

Construction   -   Project Administration of Time, Budget and Design Compliance                                              

Contracts          -   Contract Administration of Consultants, Architect, Engineer, Contractor, and vendors

Furniture/           -   Selection, Speciation, Procurement and Quality Evaluation

FF&E - Furniture, Fixture, and Equipment

The list goes on……………….The good news is --- not all projects entail this extensive scope. In particular smaller projects like the interior design in Hong Kong.

This wealth of knowledge is deployed when designing your space and while managing the performance of the contractor in building it. The final outcome of a design project is a buildable design that delivers a unique concept, a lifestyle, return-on-investment or any other directives in your design brief.

The assimilation of all aspects of this comprehensive knowledge base is the outcome of transformation of a nude space into an aesthetically pleasant, emotionally provoking and functionally workable space.

Liz Towner