Opposition Views to Interior Design Legislation:
The last post talked about interior design legislation and
the reasons behind it. Why shouldn’t interior designers be licensed? The 6 year
education and experience allows them to be aware of safety measures of public
spaces.
These legislation rulings give a very broad definition of “interior
design” so many different professions fall underneath it.
The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has many
members, who by the standards of the practice act need to be licensed because
the work they do falls under the broad topic of “interior design”. Many members
would not be able to continue their practice unless they get licensed. The
interior designers for this law say that the reasons behind the education and
practice is because of the health, safety and welfare that is learned through
these experiences and it is what is needed in using proper applications and
layouts of a space and if this is done by someone without this knowledge then
there is a possibility of harm to the occupants. NKBA and other people in the
profession of “interior design” argue that there is no evidence that can prove
that unlicensed designers have in anyway caused harm to the occupants of the
spaces they have worked on.
An Issue That Has Arisen:
There are only three states that have the Practice Act in
place Louisiana, Florida, and Nevada. In early 1990s Florida put its practice
act for “interior design” in place. Underneath this act the subject of interior
design covered a very large general topic. It forbid anyone without a licenses from
doing anything that fell under “interior design” in a nonresidential space whether
it was for hanging a picture or making a room layout. There were many that were
upset by this because they were now out of a job and could not continue their
practice without a license. The law was challenged in 2009:
Through all my research on this topic there seems to be the
same argument for many years, those who do not go through the 6 year process to
get a license feel that they are being wronged because all they are is just
honest competition that the other half wants out of the way, because they see
it as we are all just doing the same thing. Not to say that one is any better
than the other, but where interior design focuses on the health, safety, and
welfare of the individuals in a space interior decorating has a focus only on the
aesthetic aspects of a space. Interior Designers need to continue to focus on
educating others about what the profession is all about.
Refrences:
Theresa
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your classmates blogs with interest. I am glad your instructor made this an assignment....if ya'll voluntarily started blogging at the same time, and freely chose to discuss ID regulation, that would be mind blowing.....none the less I have some comments on your post that I want to pass on.
Not to pick on you but you said
"The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has many members, who by the standards of the practice act need to be licensed because the work they do falls under the broad topic of “interior design”. Many members would not be able to continue their practice unless they get licensed."
YES This is the claim of the NKBA But it is not true! Generally residential kitchen and bath work does not require a building permit therefore the designer does not need to sign and seal drawings for permit. No license is needed. Now there are some municipalities that require plan review and permitting of electrical and plumbing work which of course is often necessary in kitchen/bath work. But often a licensed plumbing contractor or elec. contractor will take responsibility for that legality. Again the actual designer of single family Kitchen and Bath work does not need to be licensed.
Where the real issue lies with the NKBA and the Interior Design Protection Council is the with the title "interior design" and "interior designer". This semantic issue is a fallout of the early attempt by the pro ID regulation effort to legally redefine "interior design" and limit who could actually use the title. Yes many Kitchen and Bath designers use the title even though they may not practice what you are training/educating yourself to do. But over 3 years ago several court rulings overturned legislation that restricted who could call themselves "interior designer" and their work "interior design". Unfortunately the NKBA and many unqualified interior decorators use the title freely and legally while opposing any effort by the ID profession to implement new ID regulation.
It is a complex issue and one that affects you and your classmates. I urge you to not look at this as an assignment but to really dive into all aspects of ID professional status.
You are paying too much tuition for others to claim they can do what you do without the education or experience.
I would be happy to discuss if you are so inclined.
I really appreciate the feedback. This issue is still fairly new to me. I will definitely continue to research and found out more about ID professional statuses. Thank You.
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