The misinterpretation of Interior Designers

If you would ask someone what they thought an Interior Designer actually did, a mental picture of paint swatches, materials, and tiles show up in their head. In a nutshell, the majority of people would think that we decorate for a living. Like I've said in my very first post, although those two may have overlapping responsibilities, they're not the same thing.

As irritating as it must be for a designer to be underrated and unappreciated, we cannot blame the public for thinking that way. Everyone knows what an architect does because that profession has been around for as long as anyone could remember. Interior Design has only been introduced in the 18th century and they started with interior decoration, not design. However, time has developed interior decoration into interior design, and not many people understand or even know that.

Another thing that gives the wrong impression to the public is (what always gives the wrong impression of everything) the media. Shows on HGTV are very popular, but do NOT deliver the right information about what an interior designer does even though they label themselves otherwise. With that being said, it's our job as designers to correct these expectations and let everyone know that interior designers are worth more than changing the pillows of your couch.