by Javier Manjarres
We’ve all heard of the powerful lobbyists and unions that make Washington D.C. and Tallahassee tremble with fear- the SEIU, the AFL-CIO come to mind- but now there’s a newly organized labor force on the block to be reckoned with that makes these groups look like pussycats- look out, here come the (Commercial)Interior Designers! Yes, the Interior Design lobby is standing up to those who question their monopoly on expertise in kitchen & bath accessories- not to mention home organization!- and the lobby is not going to go quietly into the night as they oppose legislation aimed at deregulating the licensure of interior designers.
How is this important? Well, the truth of the matter is that this ‘union’ of sorts wants the trade to remain regulated so that it’s easier for them to dictate who can and cannot join their ranks and determine who really is an “interior designer.” At present, the members of interior designer’s union pay dues, but by deregulating the trade, the door opens for any Floridian to start transforming those living spaces with their own personal ‘savoir-faire’ through their own unlicensed- gasp! interior design business! For those of you not in the know, it is currently against the law to give interior design advice to anyone if you are not a licensed interior designer. Now, it’s been a while since I’ve caught an episode of Design Star, but do you really want Vern Yip showing up at your door the next time you illegally tell your neighbor that your drapery fabric clashes with your love seat?
At present, there are over 33 Conservative organizations in support of deregulating interior design here in Florida. The successful deregulation of the trade should result in more jobs and opportunities for Floridians. The Florida House of Representatives has already passed H.B. 5005 which supports the deregulation of interior design and 14 other occupations- it’s now up to the Florida Senate to tackle this issue.
Late last month, a meeting was held to hear both sides of the deregulation issue, and let’s say it brought out quite a few ‘colorful’ arguments from the pro-regulation side. One of the witnesses for the ‘Big Design’ stated that, “by not allowing interior designers to be specialists and focus on the things they do, what you’re basically doing is contributing to 88,000 deaths every year.” This witness declined to identify which populations are most at risk from falling HD flat screens or other fixtures crashing on their heads, but I digress.
I can’t end this piece without this quoting this gem- far and away the ‘coup de gras’ from the testimony rendered in support of regulation. Another ‘Big Design’ witness testified that, “Interior design is more than just selecting a color and a piece of furniture. It’s knowing the psychological impact of carpeting, and how carpeting affects the work environment and the living environment. There’s something to be said when you walk into a doctor’s office and the environment puts you at ease in your moment of illness and discomfort. It’s not fun when people get sick because of selection.”
I’ll be keeping close tabs on this legislation. If it passes, don’t hesitate to hit me up for some free advice on eco-friendly bedroom linens…
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15 Responses to ““Big Design” Is Going Out of Style in Tallahassee”
Hello Mr. Manjarres, You do a disservice to journalism when you report inflammatory sound bites without doing your homework. Repeating info from biased sources is not journalism, but sham politics. This issue is not about residential & home interior design. Anyone in Florida, whether trained or not, can pick out any products for a home- draperies, throw pillows, carpet, cabiinets. Heck, you don’t even need an architect or even a building contractor. Most of the time, you don’t need a building permit to renovate a home. A homeowner can also build their own home by pulling their own building permit. What this issue is about is COMMERCIAL interior design, where trained and licensed professionals are required by state statues to ensure buildings follow the Florida Building Codes (modeled after the ICC). In Florida, as in all states, any time a new building or renovation to a commercial space (hospital, office, restaurant, theatre, store, etc) is required, a building permit is required; the owner and licensed contractor must submit building plans and specifications to get a building permit to do the work legally. In Florida, a statute defined ‘Design Professional’ which includes ONLY REGISTERED engineers, architects, and in some conditions (like non-structural renovations) interior designers are allowed to SEAL those permit drawings. By deregulating from the Design Professional defined Commercial Interior Designers, owners will now spend more money to hire a higher paid professional, there will be less choice for the consumer, and thousands of employed professionals will have their business negatively impacted. For reference, I am not a Registered Interior Designer, but I am in commercial real estate. I hire interior designers to develop my ‘tenant plans’ for commercial offices, since I get a better product for less money and it helps me to lease the space quicker and at a better price. This bill is not-business friendly. It is sham politics. I am sure you aren’t really interested in causing viable commercial businesses harm, are you? I don’t care who picks out your home carpet or your throw pillows. That is your choice. But I do care that the County Fire Marshall does NOT come into my building and require me to tear out any products that don’t meet the NFPA 701. Do your homework.
@Annie
Homework has been done. The article is on point and correct. Note: I went back and specified ‘Commercial’ Designers-didnt do that earlier-slip due to lack of sleep.
Nice try, Annie. It is a cartel design to restrain trade.
What is “cous de gras”?
What is “cous de gras”?
- a misspelling- corrected.
no you didn’t do your homework.. I guess you didn’t read the building code section where it says ‘to get a building permit you must submit a drawing sealed by a ‘Design Professional’. So by deregulating interior designers, you would be reducing consumer choice, not expanding it. Only architects or engineers can seal construction drawings for commercial interiors if voluntary regulations to allow qualified interior designers get registered are removed from Florida statute. This bill is not about allowing more people to do commercial interior design. Anyone can now, as long as a registered ‘Design Professional’ (look it up- this is defined in the statutes) supervises and seals the documents required for permitting. Just because a furniture dealer now has to hire a ‘Design Professional’ to seal their open office layout drawings so the Fire Marshall can ensure it meets codes, deregulating interior design does not mean he won’t still have to hire someone ‘regulated’ to seal the drawings for approval by the Building Department. In fact, he will be paying more money to hire the establishment. And maybe you added ‘commercial’ but you didn’t take out the ‘bed linens’ part. so make fun of the silly comments on the other side (I agree they are overblown) but don’t insult your reader’s with your own silly exaggerations. : ‘question their monopoly on expertise in kitchen & bath accessories- not to mention home organization!’- What does that have to do with the points I made or with commercial interior design required to follow Building Codes? What is your agenda?
oh, I see your agenda. advertising robots.. now there is an ad for ‘bed linens’ on your site. so how much you get paid for making fun of people? I am not playing this game with you. You are a scammer,or as the kids would say, a poser.
Annie, you;re a fool if you think anyone is goping to bite on you putting interior designers in the same class with structural engineers or any other of the real professionals involved in designing buildings and insuring their proper construction and safety.
What? Is someone going to be injured by the wrong color sofa?
Are they going to fall through a safety-plate glass window because the stool was mahogany instead of oak?
Are the combined weights of improperly matched arm chairs going to cause structural failure?
Get a life.
Only professions concerned with public safety should be regulated. Interior design is a matter of taste, not safety. If their service has value, people will pay for it without being forced to with regulations.
I will be the politically incorrect guy here to pint out that male “Interior Designers” are usually gay. So this is nothing new for the gay lobby, demanding special rights and special circumstances to “protect” them.
@Annie is correct
I am a civil engineer working in land development and I have worked alongside with Architects and Interior Designers on large projects (Resort Hotels). The biggest problem I see is that the general public doesn’t understand the difference between and Interior Designer and an interior decorator. The Interior Designer typically has gone to a college or university and obtained a two or four year degree and has sat for a state licensing exam; just like engineers, architects and landscape architects. The decorator is unlicensed and may not have any formal training whatsoever. Interior Designers often take some of the same classes as architects and may have some knowledge about building components and even structural systems. Interior Designers can also specialize in lighting and often generate specific plans (reflected ceiling plans) as part of the construction set of documents. They also can assist architects with life safety plans (mandated by regulation). Interior designers must also create designs (commercial) that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for handicapped accessibility. This is a 257 page “manual” that specifies exactly how interior public spaces must be designed. Every municipality has officials that review those construction plans (created by Interior Designers) to ensure that they meet this strict code. Do you think your neighbor’s wife with a flair for decorating has the ability to sift through the numerous mandated codes and regulations regarding the construction of interior PUBLIC spaces?
While I agree with the Governor and his attempt to reduce the “red tape” I think he approached it from the wrong end. This proposed legislation also attempted to deregulate surveying and landscape architecture (I believe both of those practices were eventually pulled from the legislation). If he really wants to cut some red tape he should start with the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). This State run group throws up many costly impediments to development and the construction industry (a topic for a different thread).
Javier,
Thanks for shining the light on this topic. If the public is “confused” it would be because of the ASID industry association and its’ members that try to sell the public on only ASID (or in Florida ASID/state licensed) designers. Florida is one of only three states in the country to regulate this industry (and the strictest).
Do you know how this all started? When ASID began an aggressive move to “regulate” the industry throughout the US-to force more membership and reduce competition, it started aggressively going after the commercial office furniture suppliers/stores in Florida-about two or three years ago. The state was fining some of these companies 10K-$ 15K for, get this, having the nerve to draw a layout of furniture placement of office furniture! ASID and the state licensing board insisted that not only did a “licensed interior designer” have to draw the plans, but they could not just be an employee, they had to be a part owner in the company!
Many, many people have threatened and harassed by a law firm in Tallahassee-paid for by the state- where people could “anonymously turn in” people online. These attorneys would “investigate” and then come knocking at someone’s door with a cease and desist or a fine! Then, they would list that persons name on an online listing! And this for doing terrible things like, using the word “interior” and “designer” in an ad.
Florida has lost about half of it’s Interior designers and about half of the ones left were “grandfathered” into this licensing act years ago which means, they do not have the education and requirements–but I assure you they pay ASID dues.
Here is another thing that often happens in Florida. A well-known designer does a job in Florida and a Florida, licensed designer “turns them in” and the state harasses them-even though they are a professional in another state. I watched an excellent designer from New York, pack up and leave the state because of this type of harassment.
ASID members try scare tactics about unlicensed designers “killing the public” yet they cannot site one instance of this happening. It is an insult to hear them act like the people who do design, that are not ASID and “licensed by the State”, are just home makers who think they know how to decorate.
I read plans, I understand building and fire codes and I don’t remodel or build things-builders and contractors do that. I design interiors period. I have many years of experience and knowledge of the industry. These people have managed to have the State conduct witch hunts on their behalf to keep out competition. I am personally tired of hearing the insults and the unsubstantiated claims of “harming the public”. Please stop impeding on people’s rights to earn a living. Please stop confusing the public. I urge everyone to contact their State Senators and urge them to support deregulation of interior design because trust me, ASID has hired an expensive lobbyist to harass and barter with our State lawmakers to keep this prohibitive law on the books.
Florida was featured in a front page story in the Wall Street Journal on this topic and we look ridiculous-as one of only three states in the entire country that does this.
@Ric
So hire a ASID person for major buildings. I doubt if any architect or engineer is going to hire a interior decorator to lay out a lighting plan or any other design element that requires the expertise of an Interior Designer
@Clay
Many architectural firms also have Interior Design Departments for that very reason. It seems to me the reason that they would expend the money for an entire department devoted to interior design is twofold: 1) There is value to the client (and they can charge for it) and 2) The regulations regarding life safety (path and product) are so onerous that architects could use the help. I’m not saying that is the way it should be, just saying that is the way it is. Removing licensure for the interior designer does nothing to remove the regulations that require the interior designer OR another licensed professional to sign off on the life safety plan. If the Governor wants to cut the red tape start with some of the regulations that are imposed on the design industry. Take a page from the local governments that are doing things like placing moratoriums on traffic impact fees. Perhaps privatizing all design from the FDOT (and getting rid of the staff and costly pensions associated with the staff) would save the State money. But removing licensure for ID isn’t going to “streamline” anything or employ more people (for commercial design).
I’m a conservative. But I notice from the comments that posters don’t know the difference between interior decorators and interior designers, the latter of which work more with structural changes and design of interior space, not the decorating of interior space. This seems quite silly and counterproductive.