If you don’t know the difference how will you know who to hire for your project ? Google is laden with various examples but still, there’s a lot of noise with each tilting toward their individual expertise.

The truth is, each has it’s place and it’s not just down to cost.

But on that note; last year when we touched on the subject of fee’s on Design Banter - namely how much interior designers charge, we noticed a huge amount of traffic found the podcast both refreshing (for broaching the dreaded dollar subject) and frustrating (as we didn’t end up throwing out any real figures).

FACT : That conversation with Jane Ledger (Interiors) was just that. A chance to open the discussion but by no means is it closed. Instead; it’s only just begun (‘The Carpenter's’ - little reno joke for ya!); but before we can start to punching numbers we should start right back at the beginning.

A question requested by a listener of our Perth design podcast (and current student) recently was “What do people think the difference is between an architect and someone who practices interior architecture”? Beacuse we love a great question Siba Interiors decided it was a poignant time to address who does what in design in a way that will help both design lovers and those in the industry considering niching.

You can listen to our episode here.

Burt St by architect Keen Architecture | image by Dion Robeson.

THE ARCHITECT.

Is the design specialist and they are responsible for crafting the overall concept and design of the project and since they carry the responsibility for their buildings’ occupants safety they must be professionally licensed. The use of the title ‘architect’ is only legally allowed if they are board registered.

“Their main area of skill and expertise is in maximising design opportunities for your home, your site and your budget.” - Amelia Lee Undercover Architect.

I see the architect as being an emotional connection between how I want to feel in a space and actually feeling it.

They are also good old fashioned problem solvers. They draw and design the home as well being your representative on site. When I interviewed Seamus Ryan last year and toured his Flinders St residence, I remember him talking about being on site all the time ensuring the build would be delivered as per the documentation. I think we’ve all just assumed that only this was the builders remit. Not so.

An architect will guide you through:

Concept Design Understanding your needs and helping you prepare a brief that is in line with your budget.

Design Development Translating vision by developing concepts that are cost-efficient and add value to your project.

Town Planning and Development Application Assisting in the preparation and submission of applications to local councils for approval.

Construction Documentation Processing building permits and overseeing documentations of other consultants.

Contractor Selection Helping in contract negotiations and the selection of reliable builders.

Contract Administration Assessing the builder’s quality of work and compliance to agreed specifications.” - Australian Institute of Architects.

Nedlands residence by Jill Owens Interiors | image by Gathering Light

THE INTERIOR DESIGNER.

Interior designers are involved in spatial planning; circulation; design of joinery (cabinetry and shelving) ; and the selection of finishes, fixtures and fittings, In addition, an interior designer may also take on a decorating role that involves selecting furniture, accessories, and artwork - The Design Files.

Basically; an interior designer can design a room from scratch in your home.

Now - the tricky bit comes in, in that there is NO moderation in this particular arena. Where the use of the word architect is protected, you can practice interior design without a degree or qualification, so you will need to make your selection based on much more.

There are many who have sought a degree level of qualification like the Bachelor of Applied Science (Interior Architecture) here in WA if you go to Curtin, and others who completed an advanced diploma; plus there is the online learning aspect that you can do remotely now as well as courses and downloads.

There are others who have worked for over a decade in a studio environment for other designers and architects, who have self renovated and designed numerous homes themselves (like local legend Castagna Interiors who is currently undergoing her 13th personal project with the build of @fairfield_lane), others again have transferred skills from a styling background into full spectrum interior design or from industrial design to interior design.

This is the big caveat to this profession; and that’s because the barrier to entry can be low and Instagram alone isn’t sufficient a yardstick. You will need to seek experts in their field and do some due diligence, as that part actually lies with you.

I will say this; perhaps controversially, but I don’t believe the qualification makes the designer. Experience does.

WHAT ABOUT INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE?

Well if we reference the qualification here in WA, you can get a Bachelors of Applied Science (Interior Architecture) however you can only legally be referenced as an interior designer. You cannot use the title architect.

But holding this degree is the separation to be noted between interior design (architecture) and your garden variety interior designer.

If Architecture is the design of the structural and technical aspects of a building, then interior architecture, is an arm of interior design which specialises in understanding the architectural side of the space. - Interior Flow.

In a nutshell, it’s about what the space can do.

Siba Interiors | images : Gathering Light

INTERIOR DECORATOR / STYLIST.

We quite often flick through the internet, Pinterest, Instagram and flick through countless interior design and architecture magazines without any real concept of how those seemingly perfect spaces came to be.

It’s not just clever lighting, photography or design that see’s those spaces jump out at you, but the astute eye of a stylist who knew that textured heirloom rug would beautifully balance the art-deco stained glass window or that artwork would offset the ideal amount of negative space needed to shoot the image so that the editors of said magazine can put their words on top of it.

It’s all about the finishing touches but with the ultimate balance between the space being it’s most attractive and it’s most practical and functional at the same time. The decorator is the cosmetic magician in the interiors puzzle.

They can refresh an entire room with a clever choice of paint (which takes years of understanding light, colour psychology, palette and flow), reupholstered furniture (including grannies favourite armchair) and a clever use of what they have already together with a few new decor additions to the space.

The specialise in using what they can first; unless you have hired them to do a full refresh in which case as with all design professionals involves discussion, concept, budget, delivery and finally the styling of the space.

If you do not require any restructure of space, removal of walls or construction - the interior decorator is your go to ! It is a purposeful profession that comes with an endless network curated over dozens of projects and incredible creativity when it comes to conceiving something new out of the space.

It’s no fluke and if you’ve tried even simplest task of creating a bedroom let’s say with layered throws, cushions and decor you’ll know, it can take hours to get it just so.

Their job is to make the space feel like home. It’s the touch and feel of the layered pieces of a cake that started with the architect and ends with how you interact with it.

Hopefully, this is a good start at creating boundaries to assist you with your searching and a little understanding of ‘what you can expect’. It’s very easy to blur the lines and over time, this profession will only see more niche branches of design emerging along with it.

You can be sure that Spreading Roomers will be at the forefront of whatever those new and exciting elements are and if you are avid designer or design lover and keen to hear more about our local design scene and general going’s on, you can tune into Design Banter here.

In the meantime, don’t be a stranger. If you have a topic you’d like more information on, if you are struggling with a particular element of your design business, get in touch or leave a comment below.

We’ll make sure to either cover it on the podcast or on the blog.

Deb xx