I am 13 years old and I have always wanted to be an interior designer or an architect when I am older. I think I want to be an interior designer as I have a huge imagination and I am full of creativity. Do I have what I need to become an interior designer and roughly how much do you get paid for being one?

i'm only a kid, but i'm artistic and love to draw. would this job be good for me? (i am 11)

Glad you mentioned "Getting a license in interior design isn't a walk in the park; it usually takes 4 years of schooling and a 2 year apprenticeship"

For those of us not fortunate enough to get a scholarship; it also costs a load of money! Why should we have to compete with un-licensed decorators in a market with already dwindling opportunities?

It is unfortunate in the design/build community of professionals that there is such a high level of prejudice. The prejudice stems from an overall lack of respect. According to Random House Dictionary, respect (n) is: “Esteem for, a sense of worth of, or excellence of a person; a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability."

Architects, Interior Designers and Decorators are three professions at the core of this industry’s professional discrimination. In truth, as an Architect friend of mine once said, “We need each other.” It may be hard, in fact, to comprehend this great truth unless you are – all at once – an: educated, trained and licensed Architect, and an educated, trained, and licensed Interior Designer, and a highly skilled and naturally talented and seasoned Decorator. The subtleties or delicate factors these professions intimately recognize are particular to their profession and not implicit to all industry professionals or even society.

Many natural, yet degree skilled, artists are capable of unique formulation, conception and development of designs and aesthetic aspects of these professions. The injustice stirs from within. Society has laid a prestige or general impression on these three professions based off assumed educational and professional practice requirements. Some of these assumptions are indeed unfounded and categorically inaccurate; while other qualities or developments in the profession go without basic job description understanding.

In truth, Architects spend long years getting educated, apprenticed and finally licensed before they are legally allowed to use the title Architect. Interior Designers too must be educated, apprenticed and finally licensed before they, after many years, are legally allowed to use the title Interior Designer. Decorators are a tremendous credit to the industry, and while their skills are usually underestimated and equally unmatched by most, they do not require any formal education or licensureto practice or use the title Decorator.

There is quite a bit of overlapping within the spectrum of these three professions. For instance – Interior Designers are educated and trained to understand and configure much more than colors schemes, furniture placement or slight wall changes. These often over-emphasized parts of our natural and trained talents are just 10% of what we are educated to perform competently. Interior Designers can proficiently craft an interior and exterior structural and aesthetic building design, model and even develop diverse types of structures at the same level, if not surpassing some Architects. Yet, these facts have no bearing on the fact that Architects spend a vast amount of time and professional proficiency earning accreditation. This accreditation involves personal/professional legal and ethical risk; protecting the safety of people in and around these structures. You cannot discount this! Many have taken for granted the trust and confidence assured and protected by the safety standards and ethical practices/behaviors of Architectural licensure. Education, professional tenure requirements and licensing are not just for training in the “Arts", they also help protect the lives and well being of American citizens.

What has happened in the industry, however, is these three professions, whether prided by their aptitude of distinct talents, depth of education and/or accreditation; feel and treat the others inferior using direct verbal and/or indirect (at some levels cowardly) written comments branding other professions’ skills and educational qualifications less or not at all worthy to the overall design/build industry. Well, it’s all a lie. Prejudice comes from ignorance and respect comes from learnedness and sincere tolerance. Researching and learning about skill-sets, licensure requirements, and disciplines in these three professions, and in the overall industry, is the only way to free us all from treating each other like " a red-headed step child" (no offense to red heads or step children). We cannot help society to more accurately gauge an understanding and respect for our individual professions, as they relate to the overall industry, until we work together to cause a solution. There is a talent spectrum among artists and other natural talents, why judge who is “better”, just remember...We need each other.

-idsign4welnz,Designer(BA InteriorDesign/unlicensed)

"respect." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 07 Mar. 2009. .

It is unconstitutional for a select group such as ASID to purport that decorators cannot practice in some states. Decorators decorate spaces, that is it. I am sure it would surprise the Designers who wish to put decorators out of business that we don't wish to do all that they do and that in reality, many decorators and designers to the same thing, they DECORATE a space. I believe ASID should back down from spending all of their members money on lawyers to force states to pass licensing and practice laws in an effort to squelch competition and have a monopoly.

In the US, some states require that interior design be practiced _with a license_. Most states don't have licensing requirements, but lobbying efforts by bodies like the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) are changing that. Alabama and Nevada are two states that such lobbying efforts have succeeded in.

Getting a license in interior design isn't a walk in the park; it usually takes 4 years of schooling and a 2 year apprenticeship.

The argument for licensing requirements is based on linking interior design to the health and safety of people. Really? Paint color? Architectural things, OK, but paint color? And yes, these licensing regulations cover more menial tasks like painting.

Unlicensed interior designers are fighting back though -- take the "Live Free and Design" team in New Hampshire for example!