Who is an interior designer? A superman? Or a superwoman? Sometimes it is really hard to tell. Quite lately, I have been receiving numerous calls from readers who always want me to head over to their apartments and fix one thing or the other, although this is good as it results to more money being made, I however have to turn down over 50% of the jobs, or request for the services of other industry professionals to get the job done. Why is this so?
Over time, people have continually gotten the job of an interior designer mixed up and we’re left to wonder the exact source of these wrong facts. Gladly, I found a post on idesigni.co.uk which completely listed 12 facts about interior designers everyone thinks are true. The facts were listed as follows
1. INTERIOR DESIGNERS DO THE SAME THING AS INTERIOR ARCHITECTS
A lot of people are confused by the many different job titles there are in the design industry. However, a very common mistake is to think that interior designers and interior architects do the same job. The reality is that these professions can involve many different things which are more often than not, very far apart. Generally speaking, interior design has more to do with the art of the building, while interior architecture is more concerned with the science behind it.
2. INTERIOR DESIGN IS ALL ABOUT DÉCOR
Interior design involves much more than just a good knowledge of décor. As we’ve mentioned in our previous article on the topic, the practice of interior architecture requires designers to consider pretty much everything to do with the building of an interior space that will affect human habitation, including materials, finishes, electrical requirements, plumbing, lighting, ventilation, ergonomics, and intelligent use of space. Interior designers with training in interior architecture will usually be present at, and have an important say during all stages of the construction process, from the initial plans right through to the finishing touches
3. HIRING AN INTERIOR DESIGNER IS VERY COSTLY
Depending on the scale of the project, the budget and the time frame you have in mind for finishing it, the price of hiring a professional interior designer can vary dramatically. In most cases, interior designers charge very reasonable fees and the value you get for your money will be worth paying for. If you’re not sure how much your interior design project would cost, you can simply enquire and decide if you are ready to pay for it.
4. INTERIOR DESIGNERS ONLY WORK WITH VERY EXPENSIVE MATERIALS
As every other professional, interior designers can work with both expensive and cheap materials and products. More importantly, they will work within the limits of the budget and requirements you give them as their client. You have to remember that the price of materials is not always crucial to getting the end result you desire. If you’re working with an experienced interior designer, they should be able to recommend you the best quality products at the most reasonable price there is.