Difference Between Interior Decorator and Interior Designer

When it comes to home improvements, you often hear the terms Interior Decorator or Interior Designer. Usually these terms are interchanged, but did you know these two actually differ? Let us learn and differentiate the two, should you be interested to pursue a career in either one of them.

First let us look at what an Interior Designer does. They are the creative professionals who work on the structural aspect of a house. They need to make designs, sketches, plans under strict safety codes and regulations. But prior to this, an Interior Designer is required to take classes to get at least a diploma, better yet a bachelor's degree or even proceed for masters. After that, they are still subjected to licensing exams, which would allow them to work especially in certain states. Some Interior Designers who get enough education and experience can also proceed to work as certified architects.
An Interior Decorator on the other hand does not require that much formal training and a license in order to work. Their training demands are less rigorous. Some Decorators are self-taught, as long as they have the right aesthetics to beautify a space, while others can opt to take short training programs or an associate's degree in a community college.

The nature of their work also varies in that an Interior Decorator is concerned mainly on the appearance of a space. This would include things like what colours the walls should be, what drapes would complement it, how many throw pillows to include, or should you be placing a carpet in the area. They can even change the floors or mouldings on the ceiling, but they cannot change any standing structure. Just as their title imply, they only make decorative alterations and improvements.

Interior Designers work more closely with architects, although Designers cannot alter or move load-bearing structures, they can change the non-load bearing fixtures in a space. To do this, they would need a design, which can range from a sketch to a plan which he can also render in 3D. They also work with other elements such as lighting, doors, or windows. It is also their job to see to it that a design falls within safety regulations.

A Designer's concern is more about the total appearance of an area, including its architectural elements, while a Decorator is limited only on good arrangements for a better living space.

If an Interior Decorator selects the kind of furniture to place in a room, the Interior Designer goes steps further because they know how to design, select materials and make furniture. Another thing is that an Interior Designer focuses on one area, while a Decorator can work with various spaces.

These differences make it clear that an Interior Designer and Interior Decorator are two different professions. Although they are in the same ballpark, but they both play different games.

If you find yourself interested in the interesting and challenging field of Interior designing, we at Raffles Design Institute can provide you with the best education and training. We prepare our students to be globally competitive through our industry relevant curriculum, intensive training programs, and experienced lecturers. We have a total of 38 colleges, in 35 cities, in 14 countries.

French Style Furniture For a Vintage Interior Design!

The subtle Design and elegance of French Style Furniture is the perfect choice if you want to bring out an old world feel for your house. Many home owners want a classy and simple Design that speaks by quality rather than decoration. You can choose a different theme or layout for each of the rooms, depending on your preferences. The casual, country feel is in popular demand when it comes to purchasing French Style Furniture for a new home. The beautifully crafted patterns allow a lot of creativity with colors and shades so you can fill up each room with a different mood for a beautiful collage of emotions.
The main material used in such Furniture Designs consist of hardwood or different variations of raw wood crafted into various Designs. The long deep cuts and free flowing lines are symbolic of French Style bedroom Furniture, allowing you to build up a relaxed and comforting environment all around. If you are into French home décor, you would notice the lush flower patterns and natural curves that are common to all household items. You can easily get attracted to antique French Style Furniture because of the deep, brooding textures and color elements.

When it comes to selecting a proper color for your Designs, you will be amazed to see the number of beautiful contrasts that country French Style Furniture can offer to you. Most of the Styles are a mix of bright and subtle colors to capture the proper atmosphere. You would see shades of arctic green or bright gold interspersed with more dull colors like greys and blacks. The painted French Style Furniture makes for a lush and colorful Interior without going overboard. If you want an artistic Design without complex patterns, this is the best option to try out in your new home.

The brilliant Designs and colors complement the sharp and durable texture that is associated with all Vintage French Style Furniture in stores. Many Designer shops stock such items on a regular basis so you can always keep a tab on your local stores. If there are any festival or special sale offers, you have the opportunity to get amazing French Style Furniture discounts for your purchases. In this way, you can decorate your home the way you want while sticking to the recommended budget limits. It is a great opportunity for Furniture lovers looking to add a fresh touch to their homes.

In case you are just remodeling your home and don't want to bear such expenses, you can always go for used French Style Furniture found at retail and thrift stores. They are available at affordable prices and you can refurnish them the way you want. The traditional carvings found in French Style provincial Furniture are a sign of rich cultural heritage. If you are a connoisseur of good living, you would enjoy the intricate beauty and richness that French décor has to offer to your home. It fills up a home with its own essence, making it a place worth living in.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Interior Designer

Many people are wary when it comes to hiring a Professional Interior Designer to choose home accessories and decor for their space. In fact, many people think they can find the same home accessories and create a Designer look without any experience what-so-ever. Unfortunately, this isn't true. Home decor is an art and a Professional Interior Designer is the artist. Fortunately, there are many benefits to hiring a Professional, whether it's a big shot New York Interior Designer or a small town Designer.

Unlimited Access

When decorating a home, some people think they have access to all the same home accessories and decor items that a Professional has access to. Unfortunately, this isn't true. There are many manufacturers and even some stores that are strictly "Designers only." This can be frustrating to the amateur decorator. However, this can be one of the biggest benefits to hiring a Designer.
By hiring one, you open up an entire new world of products, materials, textiles, furnitures and more that you would not have had access to before. This means you're less likely to see your custom made sofa or other furnitures in your neighbor's living room.

Discounts

It's true, by hiring a Professional, you may be privy to certain discounts. Many stores offer discounts on home accessories, furnitures, other products and services in hopes that they'll return and bring additional business.

Discounts are often offered because the store knows that should the Interior Designer photograph the room, another client may want a specific accessory or furnitures that happened to have come from their store. This guarantees repeat business for the store and thus gives the Interior Designer you are working with discounts.

This could mean you spend less money overall, however you must be clear with your chosen decorator that you expect to see these discounts reflected in your own bill. After all, they would have made a commission off you even if they hadn't received those discounts; so you see also see benefits from this.

Proper Lighting

Another huge benefit of an Interior Designer is that they will ensure your space is not only beautiful, but that it is properly lit. Many people forget to take lighting into account when picking out home decor, but it's a huge part of good Interior design.

Color Palette

It's not uncommon for people to struggle with a color palette for their space. They often make the mistake of choosing paint first and then trying to find home accessories to fit into the space. An Interior Designer will better be able to come up with a color palette and find the right accessories to fit seamlessly.

Despite any misconceptions you may have heard about Interior Designers, hopefully you see now that there are more pros than cons to hiring a Professional!

House Interior Design Styles of the Tudor and Jacobean Periods

Whitewashed plaster between wooden structural beams was the most common wall finish of Tudor living room Designs - or any room for that matter. Timber paneling of oak was also a strongly featured Interior Design style in the Houses of wealthier people. This would have been in a lighter tone of wood than we might expect, the darkening with which we are familiar having occurred through age or staining. Other cheaper woods were also used and these were often painted in colors or finished to imitate finer woods or other rich materials.

The most commonly seen division of panels was in squares or rectangles. Additional decoration might also be applied in the form of painting or carving (especially in the popular linen fold Design). Later in the period the joins of panel sections were often concealed behind carved pilasters. Wall-papers, made in panels for adhering to fabric before being attached to walls, were produced during the sixteenth century, but these were only to be seen in a minority of Houses.
Ceilings in the larger Houses, later on, tended to be highly decorated with plaster-work, the Designs for which were often geometric in nature. Heraldic and floral motifs featured and strap-work was often to be seen.

Flooring

Compacted earth strewn with loose rushes gradually lost out in favor of rush matting. Wooden floor-boards in oak, elm or imported fir and of varying widths - generally of more generous proportions than their present-day equivalents - began to be seen in wealthier Households. In the latter part of the period these might be covered with carpets from the Orient, Turkey or continental Europe, or perhaps even home-produced examples. Flagstones were also a widely used floor surface.

Furnishings

The most notable feature of furniture during this period was the number of new items coming into use. The canopied four-poster bed was still the most important piece (mattresses were now filled with feathers instead of straw), but newly introduced were such pieces as chests on stands, presses (tall cupboards for clothing or foodstuffs) and bookcases.

Oak was still the popular choice of wood for those who could afford it. For others, cheaper softwoods might be used and these were usually painted to disguise their humble origins. Furniture was often turned and quite bulbous in nature with a highly carved surface.

Upholstery started to appear and House Interiors became altogether more comfortable thanks to the use of cloths such as brocade, silk damask, woolen cloth and velvet. Textile window treatments were rarely seen (where they existed, they would consist of just one curtain, on a pole and swagged to one side), wooden shutters being more usual.

Lighting And Accessories

Interiors were lit by either rush lights or tallow candles plus, of course, the light emanating from an open fire. Unlike our modern, odorless, smooth-burning candles, the tallow variety, being manufactured from animal fats, would have performed erratically and given off smells and smoke. Accessorizing as we know it - employing items purely for their decorative value - was less prevalent. However, pewter serving ware and bold candlesticks, functional as well as attractive, would often be on display.

Michelle has been running her House and bathroom Design ideas business since early 2000, and has been publishing living room Designs tips since 2005. Michelle recently posted about the effects that modern ceiling fans can have on a room, and the impact they can have on your energy and heating bills, even if your room only warrants one of the many different small ceiling fans.

Interior Design Online Course - What is the Institute Of Interior Design?

Online learning makes an education possible for just about anyone, at any stage of their life, to achieve an objective or fulfill a life long dream. People with the desire to learn are no longer bound by disabilities, geographical locations, social status or their own private history. With an education online everything starts afresh and it is never too late.

There are some educational institutions that offer a course in Interior design online. As the demand for Interior Designers continue to grow, Online Schools provide students with the option of learning this wonderfully creative discipline at home at their own convenience.

Let us look at The Institute Of Interior Design. Please be aware that the writer is not recommending this course but providing information only.

The Institute of Interior Design has been in operation since 1998. With facilities in the USA, the UK, Australia, India and Pakistan, the Institute offers Certificate and Diploma home study courses in Interior design. The Institute is accredited by the Open and Learning Quality Council (ODLQC). This body was set up in 1968 and is one of the prime accreditation bodies for distance learning courses.

The course claims to show how to become a professional Interior designer. The online course provides a complete learning package full of information, Tips and exercises providing a permanent reference library essential for consulting after completing the course.

The course has been constructed by experienced industry experts. Interested DIY (Do It Yourself) Interior Designers will find this online course ideal as it offers advice of how to approach each room.

The course provides insight into this creative world of design. The course covers areas of interest such as selecting the right fabrics, presentation of designs, finding customers, how much to charge and the paper work required. The aim of the course is to provide precise and helpful information about being a professional.

Accreditation is an important aspect of any course. What is the point of paying for a course if it is not recognized as being of any value? This course is fully accredited by ASET providing an award equivalent to Level 4 of the National Learning Framework (post A level/HNC/HND standard). ASET is a national Awarding Body recognized by the Department of Education and Skills and by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in Britain. It has been accrediting vocational learning for more than 50 years and now works with more than 200 providers in the UK and internationally.

There is no need to have a talent for drawing as the course reveals how to produce competent drawings by hand. The course also supplies a copy of 'Visual Home' which is a powerful but easy-to-use computer program that quickly produces beautiful floor plans.

Many students take around eighteen months to gain their Diploma. It is worth remembering that because it is home study, the student studies at their own pace. They can take as long as they want as the Institute sets no time limit.

The course material includes numerous self-assessment exercises plus assignments which are evaluated by an experienced tutor. The tutor is there to help and offer advice and suggestions on anything to do with the subject matter.

How will the Diploma of Interior Design benefit the budding Interior designer?

The course will show the student how to set up a professional practice. A Diploma is issued on successfully completing the course as recognition of the skills and the knowledge acquired. It will enable the successful student to use the initials Dip.ID (Inst.ID) after their name. Their name is added to the Institutes list of Approved Interior Designers with an 'Approved Designer' logo to add to their website. If requested, the Institute will also send out a press release to the local newspapers to inform the public of the new practice.

Some students are a bit nervous about enrolling so it is best for the individual students to contact the Institute and inquire about their guarantees and refund policies.There are other ID courses available online and a few credible schools are offering four year online programs. Be aware that online programs and distance learning courses in the field of Interior design may not be recognized as a sufficient or credible form of education.

Prospective students should question whether the program will provide the student with the credentials required to be licensed in most states and provinces or to be hired by most Interior design firms. It would not hurt for serious students to investigate the graduation rates and find out where the graduates of these online courses are employed.

Home Decor Magazines: Your Home With Thank You

For most people it doesn't take long to realize by looking around at their Home that improvements are required. You might want to keep putting it off, but you know your Home is looking a little dated and that you need to reDecorate. Many turn to Home Decor Magazines for ideas and inspiration.

Home Decor Magazines and catalogs let common folks like you and me peek inside the magical world of Home Decorating. They offer helpful tips and suggestions we can use when reDecorating our Homes. The pictures give us a clear understand, while the text guides us in our decision making efforts.
There are a myriad of Home Decor Magazines in the magazine racks at your local bookstore or magazine outlet. Decorating ideas abound on their pages, and beautiful pictures inspire us further to be bold and daring in our Decor choices. Catalogues also give us the chance to buy our wares directly from them while we are at a fevered pitch to have their very room layout down to the drapes and carpet.

You can find Magazines such as these online as well, which includes online Magazines or ezines as well as typical printed magazine subscriptions which will come straight to your Home.

New interior design Magazines are being published constantly. Some of the more popular variety are listed below.

Better Homes and Gardens -- This magazine focuses the reader's attention on information about things Homeowners would be interested in, and their family. Ideas for Decorating your Home and your garden are included. Better Homes and Gardens is also well known for their annual publications which cover certain topics in depth.

Country Living -- A monthly magazine chock full of ideas for country living, décor, crafts, antiques and such. Great pictures. They include tips on cooking as well for those into that sort of thing. This interior Decorating magazine also details furniture and window treatments, fireplace, historic colors, architecture and fabric.

Traditional Home -- As the name implies, this magazine is all about historical Homes and how to Decorate them. They talk about places you can actually visit to take notes and feel the ambiance of various traditional Decorating styles. In particular they discuss furniture, window treatments, fabric and color schemes.

Elle Decor -- A semi-monthly publication devoted to modern design, that leans a little to the French style. Luxury is the word. They write about ways that typical Homeowners can transform their Home into these luxury abodes.

In addition you may find that these publications offer insights or perspectives you find pleasing:

House Beautiful
Southern Living
Architectural Digest
Touch of Class Magazine
Domino Magazine
Metropolitan Home

One of the more popular interior design catalogs, known for their cheap Home Decor is Pottery Barn. Their stores are available in much of the country. They offer a wide variety of styles and prices.

You will also find that many craft Magazines are helpful as they show not only how to make things you can use in your Home, but great photographs displaying those made items in ways you might find helpful and inspiring.

Unfortunately there aren't many free Magazines available, but you can find some newsletters to subscribe to online that may keep you up to date on the latest Home fashion trends.

Home Decor Magazines provide a great resource and inspiration. Their expert guidance offer help while making decisions about various techniques, step-by-step instructions, and great ideas which can help you achieve a desired look.

Chad writes about Home Decor, furnishings and interior design on his site. Here you can find more information on Home Decor Magazines, furniture, Decorating tips and more.

Join The Booming Industry Of Interior Design!

A degree in Interior Design can offer people who pursue it a variety of options for careers. Degrees in this field vary depending on what your specific career goals are. Becoming an Interior Designer is an excellent way for someone who loves to decorate and has creative tendencies to express themselves while earning a living.

Depending on where you live, the educational requirements may vary. You will be able to find Interior Design degrees varying from Associate's to Master's degrees or even doctorate degrees. The degree you choose to earn depends on the level you wish to work at, so research the degrees and see if they line up with your desires as an Interior Designer. It is important to make sure your program is accredited so that you will be able to actively use the education you've earned.
Professionals in this field need to be well-rounded, with both the ability to think in terms of business as well as creatively. While earning your Interior Design degree, you will learn how to fulfill your clients' expectations as well as factoring in their budget. Being able to create the ideal space while managing clients' financial needs, creating accurate sketches and finding color and material samples, meeting deadlines, and making sure that you find the right people to perform any construction that needs completed are all parts of becoming and being an Interior Designer.

Entering into a career as an Designer is exciting, but can also be challenging, so be prepared. There are many creative people who are striving to become Interior Designers, and you may find that the field is a little competitive. A little competition is no problem for someone who is creative and determined, so people who are serious about succeeding in the Industry will find a way. Designers often work for small firms, on a contract basis, or even employ themselves by starting their own Design business. Having a degree, at least an Associate's or a Bachelor's will be an extremely valuable asset as you seek work. The higher level of education you have, the more likely you are to earn more money and land more jobs. Make sure you know if your state requires you to become licensed to work as an Interior Designer.

The job of an Interior Designer requires one to marry functionality, safety, and visual appeal to suit the needs of clients. These professionals, while earning their degrees and gaining experience, will become equipped with the ability to accurately assess the type of Designs that will be most effective in the spaces they are working with, as Designers deal with both public and private spaces. In modern times, many have begun dabbling in architectural detailing, whereas before they just stuck to strictly the Interior decoration.

As technology becomes a more prevalent factor in the work world, it becomes increasingly necessary for Interior Designers to have the ability to work with computer aided Design software. Check with the educational program you are considering completing to find out if they offer this type of training.

As people become more aware of the benefits of a pleasant Interior space and its effect on humans psychologically and physically, it is anticipated that the demand for professionals in this field will increase. In fact, in the next 10 years, the demand for Interior Designers is expected to increase about 20 percent.