The right mix of specialists on a project can save you time, money and reduce your liability. Make sure you require the same level of competence from your interior designer as you do from the architectural, engineering and other building professionals on your team.

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Interior design is a multi-faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment. Many people use the terms “interior design” and “interior decorating” interchangeably, but these professions differ in critical ways.

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Interior design is the art and science of understanding people’s behavior to create functional spaces within a building. Decoration is the furnishing and adorning of a space with fashionable and beautiful things.

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Interior designers apply creative and technical solutions within a structure that are functional, attractive and beneficial to the occupants’ quality of life and culture. Designs respond to and coordinate with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project. Designs must adhere to code and regulatory requirements and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability.

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The interior design process follows a systematic and coordinated methodology—including research, analysis and integration of knowledge into the creative process—to satisfy the needs and resources of the client.

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Many U.S. states and Canadian provinces have passed laws requiring interior designers to be licensed or registered — documenting their formal education and training — and many of them specifically require that all practicing interior designers earn the NCIDQ Certificate to demonstrate their experience and qualifications. By contrast, interior decorators require no formal training or licensure.

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In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design.