What is an Interior Designer? The professional interior designer is qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the function, safety and quality of interior spaces. Interior design combines critical and creative thinking, communication and technology for the purposes of improving the quality of life, increasing productivity, and protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Interior design includes the following specialties:
- Residential
- Hospitality
- Retail / Store Planning
- Health Care
- Corporate / Office Design
- Facilities Management
- Institutional / Government
- Education / Research
Interior designers’ services include consultations, programming, space planning, design analysis, drawings, the specifications of fixtures and their location, furnishings, reflected ceiling plans, and fabrication of non-load-bearing elements of interior spaces of buildings. All drawings and documents prepared relative to the design of interior spaces are done so in compliance with applicable building and safety codes. Interior designers have comprehensive professional training and technical responsibilities and must have an understanding of:
- Flame spread ratings and fire rating classification of materials;
- Space planning for public and private facilities;
- National, state and local building codes and standards;
- The needs of handicapped and elderly persons and other special need groups;
- Lighting quality and quantity;
- Acoustics and sound transmission.
Every decision an interior designer makes, in one way or another, involves life safety and quality of life. Some of those decisions include specifying furniture, fabric and carpeting that meet or exceed fire codes, complying with other applicable building codes, designing ergonomic work spaces, space planning that provides proper means of egress, and providing solutions for the handicapped and other persons with special needs.
