This  is my attempt to create a forum for interior designers, students,  and design educators to discuss the issue of interior design legislation, interior design regulation, interior design licensing, interior decorators posing as interior designers,  interior designers posing as interior architects, the organizations that represent the profession of interior design- ASID, IIDA, NCIDQ/CIDA, the stereotypical perception of the profession of interior design or anything related to the advancement of our profession that I, or you, feel needs to be discussed.  It is not a social networking site and it is not a professional networking site. If you want to find a job or sell a product don’t waste your time. If however you want to inform yourself about your chosen profession and its status within society please join in the discussion.

This blog is a neutral site with no affiliations. FEEL FREE TO POST OR COMMENT AT WILL WITH NO FEAR OF REPRISAL. You can post under your real name or a pseudonym. This blog is my personal two way soapbox. I welcome comments from all sides of the issues…and there are many.

There are millions (OK I have not counted each one…there are a lot) of blogs and websites espousing the virtues of interior design unfortunately there are few, if any, that properly represent the certified, qualified and/or registered interior designer. In fact it appears that anybody with a computer and a flair for color or a knack for creativity can claim that they are an interior designer. This is fine. It is thankfully a free country. However this is somewhat distressing to those of us who have dedicated our careers to the advancement of the profession by way of an expensive education, long hours of practical experience and proving our baseline knowledge by way of the NCIDQ examination.  Not to mention hours of continuing education and a lifelong commitment to advancing the status of the profession by supporting interior design legislation. Most websites that deal with this aspect of the profession are affiliated with professional organizations or professional service companies.  None that I am aware of offer an open forum for discussion on controversial issues such as licensing, regulation, and other forms of governmental oversight.

Unfortunately if you have followed the regulatory efforts of the profession over the past 35+ years you are probably aware that the effort has met some strong resistance. If you are unaware of that resistance or want to learn more before you take a position (and I honestly don’t care what side you end up on or if you choose to remain on the sidelines, as I suspect many of you have) then please engage.

Of course I have some pretty strong opinions on the current status of the profession. I am a bit cynical and jaded. As a straight male in this profession I have a different point of view. I am actually a minority….arrghh! You will find that my perspective on this issue is different than the party line. More on that later.

This is my first post. I will keep it short. Please be patient until I get some meaty posts and helpful links.

P.S. If I am the only one who reads and posts to this blog then so be it. I will have fun.