Understanding the Difference between Interior Designers and Decorators

If you’re planning on remodeling or redesigning your home, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all the choices. Should you hire an interior designer or an interior decorator? Though they both work to improve the look of a house, there are key differences between them. Let’s take a closer look at how they differ.

Roles and Responsibilities

Interior designers typically have formal education in design and architecture. In addition to working with color palettes, fabric swatches, and furniture placement, they also consider building codes, fire regulations, budgeting for construction projects, and other details that affect the entire space. This is why many interior designers have degrees in interior design from accredited universities. On the other hand, interior decorators often work off-site and provide advice on selecting furniture, artwork, wall treatments, window treatments, lighting fixtures, and accessories. They don’t typically manage larger interior  projects such as home renovations or room additions; however they can be consulted to help determine which furnishings would best suit a given space.

Experience Level

The main difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator lies in their experience level; while both roles involve creating aesthetically pleasing spaces within a home or office environment, decorators usually have less formal education than designers. Interior designers must understand structural elements of buildings as well as color theory principles to create balanced and effective designs; therefore they tend to have more experience than decorators when it comes to designing interiors for spaces such as homes or offices. Interior decorators may not possess this type of knowledge but can still offer creative solutions for smaller projects such as selecting furniture pieces or coordinating fabrics for window treatments.

Costs

Typically speaking, hiring an experienced professional will cost more money than hiring someone who is new to the field; this holds true with either an interior designer or an interior decorator. When working with a designer or decorator it is important to communicate your budget up front so that they can provide solutions that fit within that range—for example if you want full-service design services but do not have enough money in your budget then it would be wise to select a less expensive option such as hiring an entry-level designer/decorator who can still provide quality services at lower rates compared to more experienced professionals in the industry.

To sum up, while both types of professionals are integral when it comes to transforming any space into something beautiful and functional there are several distinct differences between them including their roles & responsibilities, experience level, costs, etc . It’s important for homeowners looking for help with their next home project to understand these differences before making any decisions about which type of professional is best suited for their project . Doing so will ensure that homeowners get exactly what they need, at the right price point, without compromising on quality. With this knowledge in mind, homeowners will be better prepared to make informed decisions when choosing either an interior designer or an interior decorator.