UPDATED 6/23/14

Okay fellow ID Professionals time for a history lesson;

http://www.idlny.org/history-of-interior-design

Kudos to IDLNY for posting this great information on the history of Interior Design.  For those of you who took the time to follow the time line and note the various shifts in external influences affecting the evolution of the interior design profession as well as the internal struggles to maintain meaningful identity and cohesion you will note that it has not always been a clear path that we interior designers have forged..lots of organizational schisms along the way.  The list of organizations, acronyms, and titles is impressive for a profession that is 100 years old…(or 50+/- depending on which flavor of Interior Design you prefer).

“Schism”….always wanted to use that word in a post….just what is a schism?

schism
ˈs(k)izəm/
noun: schism; plural noun: schisms

a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief.
synonyms: division, split, rift, breach, rupture, break, separation, severance; More
chasm, gulf; discord, disagreement, dissension
“the schism between her father and his brother”
the formal separation of a church into two churches or the secession of a group owing to doctrinal and other differences.

What’s my point?……Glad I asked.

To me it is clear that interior design, unlike “architecture” or “accounting” or “law” is a relatively new profession in comparison* that has taken an incredible effort to define and validate its place in the building design professions.  Kudos to our earlier professional leaders for their time and dedication to get us to this point.  Interior Design’s march to societal respect and legal recognition as peers with other licensed design professionals has been  challenging at best, definitely frustrating and fraught with legal and political missteps. But trying to stay on the positive side of this  process I see a very constant state of  evolution mostly for the better.

It is time to keep the evolution going.  It is time for those of who wish to practice regulated interior design to the fullest potential of our learned and vetted abilities to have that opportunity unimpeded by those who find such evolution threatening.   It is time that we have a meaningful credential and it is time that we have a professional organization whose sole purpose is the legal, political and public advocacy of our rights to practice as peers with, or independent of, other licensed building design professionals.

History…or rather…Time is on our side.

* Personally I find the excuse that we are a “new profession” weak.  Times have changed….100 years ago a 50 year old professional entity would be “young”.  In today’s rapidly evolving business/professional landscape 50 years is ancient.  My perspective of course….you may be a tortoise for all I know.

P.S What is left of Michigan’s ID title legislation effort is on its way to being deregulated/repealed;

Michigan House Bill 4378, Repeal interior designer registration: Passed 29 to 9 in the Senate

“To repeal a law that establishes a government interior designer registry and makes it available to state or local government agencies. To be included on the registry a designer must have passed a test created by a national organization of incumbent interior designers (which has sought repeatedly in previous legislatures to impose a full licensure and regulatory regime on interior designers).

http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2013-HB-4378

What does this mean for the above described effort?  Is there anything we could have done to prevent this?  Should we care?  Don’t ask me.

Like I said earlier…..there are unregulated interior designers and regulated interior designers….that is,  in my humble opinion, the quickest and cleanest way to distinguish our domain from this;

“• Let pillows pack a punch.

Seasoned design pros often regard pillows as the ultimate accessory on an upholstered piece. A brilliant strategy: Outfit the sofa body in a neutral base cloth. This shows off the silhouette of the frame to maximum effect.

Next, introduce pillows to add pizzazz. Develop a color palette with pillows using fabrics and custom options.”   http://www.news-press.com/story/life/home-garden/2014/06/20/behind-scenes-designer-reveals-secrets/11165443/