It can be difficult, at the beginning of a project, to determine whose help you need to make your dream a reality. We’re going to help you by outlining the education and experience needed, title, responsibilities, areas of expertise, and the benefits to the client so that you can make an informed decision on who to hire, and who might be best suited to your project.

D E C O R A T O R

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE

Interior decorators require no formal education or experience. Alternatively, they may attend a decorating course such at Red River’s fourth month Residential Decorating course.

Decorators gather experience by doing. Often they will start with their own homes or the homes of friends and family and build a referral network to support their business.

TITLE

Typically anyone can call themselves a decorator as no certifications are required. Be wary of people calling themselves interior designers when they do not have the university degree or equivalent education.

WHAT THEY DO: SIMPLIFIED

Decorators choose paint, fabric, furnishings, and accessories to change the aesthetics and impressions of a space.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Paint, colour, style, finishes, furnishings, accessories.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Consultations for colour, furniture, drapery, window coverings, and wallcoverings, as well as decorations and general decorating advice.

BENEFITS TO THE CLIENT

Decorators handle the decoration of your space for you. They do the legwork and research required to get you the very best furniture and accessories for your space and then they come in and stage it (set everything up for you). They choose the paint colours, textures, and fabrics. They save you time and money and reduce stress along the way.

I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E R

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE

Interior designers require formal education in the form of a 3-4 year certificate or diploma, a 4-year CIDA accredited bachelor’s degree, and/or a 2-year CIDA accredited master’s degree. Work experience under another interior designer is also required in order to work in the industry. There are fewer regulations for residential interior designers which is why there are many untrained people in the industry, but there are many of us that hold ourselves to a high standard, equal to a commercial interior designer.

TITLE

While anyone in Manitoba can call themselves an interior designer, this title is usually respectfully reserved for those with the minimum formal education. There are regulatory bodies in Manitoba that help separate the educated from the uneducated designers.

WHAT THEY DO: SIMPLIFIED

Interior designers understand human behaviour and create optimal functionality of all six surfaces of interior space. They are also trained to look beyond aesthetics to design functional, code-compliant spaces that are healthy as well as beautiful.

Often, when people work with a kitchen design company the company focuses solely on the kitchen space. This can be a problem as adjacent spaces are always considered by interior designers. We want to make sure that your kitchen flows into the adjacent spaces in your home, primarily the dining and living areas, so while we may not end up altering them, it’s paramount that these spaces are known to us in order to give you the best renovation possible.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Paint, colour + style
Finishes + aesthetics
Furnishings + accessories
Knowledge of art, architecture + design history
Removing + changing walls/structural elements
Acoustic properties
Fire + life safety
Knowledge of the national + provincial building codes
Health + well-being
Accessibility + aging in place
Programming, Research + analysis
Space planning, function + ergonomics
Sustainability + environmental impact
Lighting design
Durability
Allergens + toxicity
Construction process
Architectural drawings
Project management

RESPONSIBILITIES

Interior designers have a wide range of responsibilities. We work with clients to understand their lifestyle and aesthetic. We do a deep dive into these areas so that we can provide you with a space that serves all of your needs. We want to understand how you use the space currently and how you hope to use the space in the future.

We communicate our design intentions by providing a full working set of construction drawings that includes site plans, building sections, interior + exterior materials, floor plans, interior + exterior elevations, details, window + door schedules, furniture, fixture + equipment (FFE) schedule, reflected ceiling plan, and much more depending on the project.

We collaborate with reps, trades, contractors, engineers, architects and other industry people to give you a quality final product.

BENEFITS TO THE CLIENT

Interior designers understand spatial layouts and we have the ability to visualize the full picture. Our professional contacts and services save time and money, and having us involved in the construction process reduces stress as we are continually on site advocating on your behalf. We do the legwork for you including curating a selection of finishes and fixtures rather than sending you around to a hundred different stores. We work with your busy schedule and have experience with many different types of projects and project scopes. Our knowledge of classic and current trends and our professional training in visual presentation and 3D visualization helps us show you what your space is capable of.

Interior designers have the ability to take on projects that would otherwise be extensive and exhausting for you. There is less room for error based on our skills and industry know-how as we are trained and equipped to execute solutions for particular spacial concerns.

P R O F E S S I O N A L I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E R

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE

Professional Interior designers require the same education as an interior designer, but in order to quality for the professional designation they must have completed 3,520-7,040 hours of work experience (depending on education).

TITLE

Professional interior designers are awarded the use of the word Professional as well as a NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Designer Qualification) number. It is against the law for anyone who is not licensed to use the title of professional interior designer.

WHAT THEY DO: SIMPLIFIED

Interior designers understand human behaviour and create optimal functionality of all six surfaces of interior space. They are also trained to look beyond aesthetics to design functional, code-compliant spaces that are healthy as well as beautiful.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Paint, colour + style
Finishes + aesthetics
Furnishings + accessories
Knowledge of art, architecture + design history
Removing + changing walls/structural elements
Acoustic properties
Fire + life safety
Knowledge of the national + provincial building codes
Health + well-being
Accessibility + aging in place
Programming, Research + analysis
Space planning, function + ergonomics
Sustainability + environmental impact
Lighting design
Durability
Allergens + toxicity
Construction process
Architectural drawings
Project management

RESPONSIBILITIES

Professional interior designers share the same responsibilities as interior designers and have a wide range of responsibilities. They work with clients to understand their lifestyle and aesthetic. They do a deep dive into these areas so that we can provide you with a space that serves all of your needs. They want to understand how you use the space currently and how you hope to use the space in the future.

They communicate their design intentions by providing a full working set of construction drawings that includes site plans, building sections, interior + exterior materials, floor plans, interior + exterior elevations, details, window + door schedules, furniture, fixture + equipment (FFE) schedule, reflected ceiling plan, and much more depending on the project.

They collaborate with reps, trades, contractors, engineers, architects and other industry people to give you a quality final product.

BENEFITS TO THE CLIENT

They provide all of the same benefits as an interior designer, however licensing places greater importance on members to improve their skills and knowledge and maintain high professional standards.

A R C H I T E C T

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE

Architects require a 4-year CACB certified bachelor’s degree, a 2-year CACB professional master’s degree, and a registered internship with a minimum of 5,600 completed hours.

TITLE

Architects must pass the ExAC (Examination for Architects in Canada) and a registration exam in order to receive their seal/stamp. It is against the law for anyone who is not licensed to use the title of architect.

WHAT THEY DO: SIMPLIFIED

Architects create homes, office towers, schools, churches, and much more. They combine art, science, design, social trends, business, engineering, history, the law, and much more to create buildings and objects. They will often lead a team of specialists including structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, construction personnel, interior designers, and many more.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Knowledge of art, architecture + design history
Removing + changing walls/structural elements
Acoustic properties
Fire + life safety
Knowledge of the national + provincial building codes
Health + well-being
Accessibility + aging in place
Programming, Research + analysis
Space planning, function + ergonomics
Sustainability + environmental impact
Lighting design
Durability
Allergens + toxicity
Construction process
Architectural drawings
Project management
Cost estimation
Tender + bid packages
Structural analysis
Heat loads + electrical distribution
Traffic flow
And much more

RESPONSIBILITIES

Architects fulfill many of the same responsibilities as interior designers, however they tend to focus on the building envelope instead of the interior details. They look at how the building they’re creating is situated amongst the landscape and aim to use everything from the environmental to materiality to create their vision.

BENEFITS TO THE CLIENT

In addition to everything an interior designer provides a client, architects are legally responsible for their design decisions by providing stamped approval.