Thanks to HGTV interior design will forever (well our lifetime’s at least)  be defined as the ability of overly dramatic people with a creative flair to take a white box, or poorly decorated room, and to turn it into something all together different in an unreasonable time frame with very limited funds.  Here the Washington Post has been promoting the DIY makeover via this popular (read the comments) ongoing feature;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/AGq2iIhH_page.html

This unfortunately is what many HGTV fans and DIY decorators across the land think of when they hear the term “interior design” or “interior designer”.  Here is an example of the same white box syndrome being used as a marketing tool by a Maryland based residential designer;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/house-calls-local-rooms-get-virtual-design-makeovers/2012/01/31/gIQAPJp3JR_gallery.html#photo=1

Actually I am impressed by the renderings and a few of the solutions….no really.  The question I keep asking myself as I scroll through image after image of before and after white box (and a few green box) make-overs is “Is this really interior design”?

And the answer I keep coming back with is “Yes”!  Can the designer, who apparently has no credentials or professional affiliations, call herself an interior designer?  Much to the chagrin of many who have endeavored to prove their professional interior design status via education/experience/examination and legislation the answer is “YES”.

I know we want to be respected for doing more than simply making a room “cozy”.  I don’t have the answer….well yes I do….read my 250 previous posts….but as long as we sit back and let others define our profession we need to accept our fate.

“Can you really paint that fake brick paneling we put over the fake knotty pine paneling in our basement rec room?”

Rant over. Peace Out