HGTV Interior "Designers"

Today’s media sheds a negative light on the Interior Designer’s image. Common shows, like HGTV’s Design Star, do not appropriately portray Interior Designers, but rather depict ordinary decorators. No wonder our society has the wrong idea about Interior Design!

The media causes some all too common misconceptions about Designers. Some of the major issues I noted are the following:

·         The “designers” are always portrayed as either posh, super fashionable, fun girls with lots of personality…..or gay guys.

(I think we all know by even our experiences at school that there are all different personalities and styles for Interior Designers, and it is a shame that they are so simply categorized by the public.)

·         The “designers” only make minor selections in their design process. They are literally picking paint colors, curtains, and throw pillows for a space.

(What about all of the other material selections that we make? And more importantly, what about WHY we select them. There is no mention of choosing materials based on ratings, lighting, or any other reason other than “it looks pretty”)

·         The “designers” never mention anything about schooling or their education. There is never a license # shown, most likely because they are not licensed Interior Designers.

·         There is no mention of designing for safety or the psychological aspects that are involved in a truly good design.

·         There is hardly ever any construction involved, or mention of structurally sound importance.

Some things that I do like about what the media has to say….

·         Transformations- the media shows the ugly BEFORE and the beautiful AFTER.

We do that, but it’s so much more! Ugly to us means: dysfunctional, unsafe… and we transform it to make it functional, safe, and an overall better environment according to each client’s needs.

·         The “designers” do usually very simply de-brief the client about what they want out of the space and what their personal taste is.

That is a good start, but we have to dig deeper. We have to really find out what their wants and needs are for the space, and figure out how to make it happen. We have to find out why they feel that way….see the problem and come up with a solution.