Consumer Resources

After determining the designer to be engaged for the project, you and the Registered Interior Designer should discuss costs and the level of services to be provided. Services are charged in different ways depending on the firm and professional. Services may be fee based (a percentage charged for costs of the project), a flat fee (a determined cost for the services provided), or charged by the hour.

After determining the service needs and the type of fee structure, the registered professional will present a written contract for the services agreed upon. This will provide the client and the professional with a legally binding contract for the work. This protects the clients’ interest as to the scope of work expected and the interest of the registered professional to be compensated for their expertise.

Registered Interior Designers can be found here on this website. You can search by city, designer name, business name and district. Both their place of business and their contact information will be listed.

Research the type of Registered Interior Designer that will be required. Are you looking for someone that specializes in hospitality design such as hotels and boutiques or do you need someone with a strong portfolio of residential projects? Once you find registered designers on our website, take a look at their business websites to find the right fit.

As a potential client or employer, one can invite Registered Interior Designers to interview for a particular project after you have narrowed down the search based on the project type. Sharing information regarding initial needs and including the budget for a project will help the professional prepare for the interview so that the best information is available to make an informed decision.

Ask friends and business associates about their experiences and recommendations. If you visit a particular space that speaks to you in some way, inquire with someone at the facility as to who was on the design team involved with the project. If you are acquainted with a Registered Interior Designer or other design professional, ask them for their opinion of who would best fit your needs.

Hiring a registered interior designer is a strong step in the direction of ensuring the quality of the design decisions and the positive impact the interior space will have on the occupants. Hiring a registered designer means hiring a professional who has successfully completed a rigorous education, applied that education in an apprenticeship experience, and completed an examination for professional competency. The person hired has agreed to continue their education in order to keep their knowledge and skills current. A Registered Interior Designer, who is registered and regulated, is accountable for their ethical approach to business and practice in the market place, their profession, and their design solutions for their clients. The Registered Interior Designer has earned credentials that qualify them to address aesthetics and discover the needs of the users of the spaces they design. However, beyond the beauty of an interior space, they are also trained to find the unique solutions that will best fit each design they create and to address the health, safety, and welfare of the end user.

When one hires a registered interior designer, they are assured of hiring an individual who has knowledge of interior materials and their properties, codes, sustainable practices, history of interiors, lighting, life safety, universal design principles and more. Moreover the registered designer has the skills to produce schematic space plans, design development documents, construction documents including specifications, finish schedules and working drawings that pertain to the design of interior spaces.

The decisions made about the design of an interiors project have an impact on the client for a long time. Whether it is an interior environment for healing, working, learning or living there are specific requirements, codes, standards, and theories that govern the appropriate design solutions for each. Designing a work environment that requires productivity and cost efficiency or one that encourages collaboration requires knowledge of the theories, research, codes and standards that surround the issues generated in the design of the work environment. Just as important is the application of universal design principles in a home environment, which may afford a client the ability to age in place instead of being uprooted late in life, leaving familiar surroundings that are very important to elder quality of life. Therefore a decision regarding whom to hire to analyze, evaluate, and oversee the execution of those design decisions on your behalf should be considered very carefully.

A registered interior designer is a person who has invested a considerable amount of time and made a significant effort to prepare themselves through education, experience, examination, registration, a commitment to continuing education, and a set of ethical standards. These combine to ensure the quality of their design service, the safety of the public, and the betterment of society.