I don’t often use our blog for selfish reasons, but this issue hits home and it’s extremely important. As you know last year I took a string of nasty exams (AKA the NCIDQ) in order to be a Registered Interior Designer. Well now the State of Texas no longer want’s to regulate whether or not Interior Designers have a license. Before getting into the knitty gritty, I’m sure many of you are thinking.. “so?”

There is a HUGE difference between Registered Interior Designers and people who call themselves Interior Designers (don’t let HGTV fool you, 90% of those people do not hold a license). There used to be a Title Act where only those who had completed 4 years at a CIDA accredited school, interned for 2 years under a licensed Interior Designer, and passed all 3 sections of the NCIDQ could call themselves Interior Designers, while the other people who pick out pillows and furniture all day were merely “decorators”. But now, without that act anyone can call themselves an Interior Designer but only those who have met the qualifications can call themselves Registered Interior Designers. This issue is a whole other story all together about the misconception of what we do for a living, but that’s another day and another blog post.

Long story short: Registered Interior Designers make daily design decisions that affect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Those decisions include specifying furniture, fabrics and carpeting that comply with fire codes and space planning that provides the proper means of egress. Additionally, Interior Designers deal with accessibility issues, ergonomics, lighting, acoustics and design solutions for those with special needs. The professional Interior Designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the safety, function, and quality of interior spaces. And now the State of Texas no longer feels it necessary to regulate a license for Interior Design professionals. Which means that amature “designers” without the proper education and training will be mixed in with actual qualified Interior Designers and will attempt to be responsible for things such as fire codes and ADA which they may or may not have the proper schooling in. This would be like if all of a sudden doctors and nurses were thrown into a pot and you were handed one the next time you needed surgery. Without the proper licensing and registration with the state your future interior spaces could be in the hands of anyone.

This may not sound like a huge deal to most of you but as someone who designs schools, hospitals, and large commercial spaces for a living, it worries me that such institutions could be designed by anyone who called themselves an Interior Designer.

What can you do?

You can sign this petition. It only takes a minute!

I know I know, it asks for your email address and street address, which is super awkward, but please just get over it and sign it for us! No one is going to contact you, it’s just for purposes of legitimacy of electronic signatures. 

Okay. I’m stepping off my soap box now.

Back to what you were doing :)