Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator

Four Differences You Need to Know Between a Designer and a Decorator

You’re renovating your home. Which statement best represents your approach to interior design?

a) We’ve got an architect, a general contractor, and what feels like a million workers in our home every day. We’ll figure out the decorating later.

b) My neighbor is so good with colors and textiles. I’ll ask him.

c) Home Goods.

d) None of the above.

We’re hoping you chose option d.

Debowsky Design Group is a Miami-based team of architects and interior designers who work together to produce the most beautiful, functional, and livable spaces for our discerning clients. When we hear of a project that has no plans to enlist the services of a qualified, certified interior designer, we have to step in.

But isn’t an interior designer the same as a decorator?

No. Not at all. At its core – we like to explain the main difference between an interior designer and a decorator with some fun imagery. Think of your house. Now, what if you could grab it – as it is – and turn it upside down and shake it. What would fall out and what would stay in place? All the things that fall out (your couch, tables, chairs, beds) that’s what a decorator is responsible for. All the things that stay in your house (flooring, hardware, appliances, tile, faucets, railings, stairwells, kitchen islands, chandeliers and lighting, you name it) well, that’s interior design.

Still want to know more about the main differences between a decorator and an interior designer? Here’s the main points as to how they differ:

An interior designer has earned their title through specific school and formal training. They’ve studied color and textiles, space planning, furniture design, and the latest design software tools. An interior decorator, on the other hand, is not required to have formal training; they’re simply well-acquainted with aesthetics.
Our interior design process works hand-in-hand with you from the outset of the project to apply creative and technical solutions that will enhance your quality of life, while adhering to code and regulatory requirements. After all, we’re also architects. We focus on light, sound, and structural factors. Interior designers are post-project additions concerned with furniture choices, colors, and textures.
Skill set. Interior design is the art and science of researching and understanding behaviors in order to create functional spaces that are also aesthetically significant, while interior decoration is the addition of beautiful furnishings and things to adorn a space. So, while an interior designer is qualified to design and decorate a space, a decorator is only trained to, well, decorate.
An interior designer is the perfect choice for a remodel when a space is being designed from the ground up, and you need someone who can work with contractors on the day-to-day details. An interior decorator is a good choice if you want to give a room a fresh look and don’t have time to handle it yourself.

Do the differences really matter?

Yes. Especially when your space requires technical or structural solutions, like recommending the removal of a wall or encouraging environmental sustainability. Even the most helpful person at your local home furnishings store won’t be able to ensure your design is up to code.

The Debowsky Design Group team blends our architectural and interior design education and experience to plan your space from day one with an eye on incomparable design, completely functionality, unique aesthetic, and flawless structural safety.

Is there a difference between us and the rest of the design firms out there? Yes. And the differences really matter. Come experience the Debowsky Design Group distinction for yourself.