When Noz Nozawa first opened her San Francisco interiors firm in 2014, she faced an existential crisis: Was she a designer or was she a decorator?
“I was brand-new to this universe,” she said. “I was a career switcher, so I held the term ‘designer’ with such esteem that I did not think that I could call myself that.”
On her business cards, Ms. Nozawa split the difference and referred to herself as an “interior decorator.” As for her business name, she left the term “design” out altogether.
“My first business name was Noz as a Service, because I was literally so insecure about even putting the word ‘design’ in my name,” she said.
Now, more than a decade later, she’s embraced the word in all of its variations. With her firm Noz Design, Ms. Nozawa doesn’t only design interiors, but also lighting and jewelry. “I think of design as an umbrella that includes, necessarily, architecture and decorating,” she said.
For homeowners looking to spruce up their spaces, however, the jargon surrounding design professions can be as befuddling as the difference between toile and twill. Do you hire an architect to renovate your bathroom? A decorator to design your kitchen? Or someone else entirely? Allow us to explain.
What’s the difference between an architect and a designer?
The distinction between an architect and a designer is fairly clear-cut. That’s because in order to call yourself an architect in the United States, you must have a valid license from the state in which you practice.
“‘Architect’ is a legally protected title across all 50 states,” said Evelyn Lee, president of the American Institute of Architects, an organization that dates back to 1857 and counts 100,000 design professionals in its membership.
The licensing process, according to Ms. Lee, is intentionally rigorous and requires accredited education in addition to work experience and exams. It’s a path that can take more than a decade to complete.
“Anyone who carries that license has a legal responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public,” Ms. Lee adds. “That also means that licensed architects are bound by a code of ethics and professional conduct. And it also means that when an architect stamps a drawing, they’re not just signing off on the design, but they are accepting full legal and professional liability for the built result.”
Designers, also known as architectural designers, on the other hand, may have similar qualifications, including a graduate degree in architecture and relevant work experience, but can’t call themselves architects.
“I would say that designer is a very broad term. And architect is quite a specific term,” explained the New York-based architect Michael K. Chen, whose firm does both ground-up builds and interior renovations. “I’d say the majority of people who study architecture do not actually pursue getting individually licensed as architects, because they work under the supervision of someone who is licensed. We frequently use the term ‘designer’ to capture people who are not licensed.”
How are an interior designer and a decorator different?
The most commonly accepted distinction between interior designer and decorator comes down to scope: Interior design involves reorienting a space while decorating entails surface-level embellishment such as furniture, fabrics, paint color and other decorative elements.
“If you want wallpaper or new curtains, you can hire a decorator — they’re layering things on top of what’s already there,” said Rayman Boozer, who founded his New York-based design firm, Apartment 48, in 1994. “I think a designer is somebody who comes in and they say, ‘We need to knock down this wall, we need to move this kitchen to the other side of the house.’”
Depending on where you live, “decorator” and “interior designer” could be interchangeable. “I will say it does seem to be a regional thing,” said Anne McDonald, a designer in Minneapolis. “I’ve heard designers from the East Coast and even south and southeast call themselves decorators.”
In some states, though, you might need a professional license to call yourself an interior designer, said Khoi Vo, the C.E.O. of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). “Our profession is defined differently in different states,” he said. “In some states, if you print a business card that says you’re an interior designer, you might be breaking the law.”
If a project involves structural work or impacts more complex systems, interior designers need to work in tandem with a licensed professional, such as an architect or engineer.
Decorator is a looser label that can conjure a type of aesthetic as much as it does a profession, specifically the layered style pioneered by American designers like Elsie de Wolfe, Billy Baldwin, or the maximalist “Prince of Chintz” Mario Buatta, who favored silk bows and portraits of dogs. To some, therefore, decorator can feel like an outdated designation. “It feels like an old guard — and frankly — old money sort of thing,” Ms. McDonald said.
Mark D. Sikes, the designer of choice for Jill Biden and the actor Reese Witherspoon, embraces the term decorator. “I tend to be stuck in the past, in a good way,” he wrote in an email. “A space tells you what to do because of its architecture, history and natural surroundings — I just listen and then do it.”
“Part of my job is decorating. I’m not going to be upset if someone calls me a decorator,” said Amy Kehoe of the Los Angeles design firm Nickey Kehoe. “I think a really good decorator thinks about everything and then some that an interior designer does.”
Ms. Kehoe thinks that “stylist” might be a more apt term for today’s times. Interior designer “speaks to a bit more of a technical way of working that clients benefit from,” she adds. “But I can have a really robust, intense job, and that same client can call for like a pillow fluff, you know.”
So whom do you hire?
When determining what kind of professional to work with, it’s important to consider the nature of your project. You should also check what your building, city or state calls for regarding code requirements.
“The first thing that you really should be looking for is someone who has the professional capabilities and the personal sensibilities to work closely with you as a client. And that person can be an architect, that person can be an interior designer or some other kind of designer,” Mr. Chen said.
“Do you need a licensed interior designer to help you with the color scheme of a room? Maybe not. Can you hire someone who is a decorator to do a large addition to your home? Maybe not,” said Mr. Vo. “I always say, if you’re looking to hire someone, do your homework, meet them. It’s hard to go by an Instagram post or TikTok post and commit to that amount of time, money and emotional investment.”
The post Is There a Difference Between Architects, Designers and Decorators? appeared first on New York Times.
