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Well, don’t beat yourself up too much. Most of us don’t have the vision or training to see past what is and visualize what could be. Those that do are called interior designers. Interior designers often get stereotyped as flamboyant types who describe colors with words like mauve or sage, or who simply flip open their MacBook to reveal the hidden potential of the house that no one wants to buy. Both of these versions do the profession an injustice. Designers are trained professionals with much of the same duties and education that an architect has, and their clients expect as much from them. A good interior designer can, in fact, help you uncover your home’s hidden potential or take a homebuilder’s floor plan up another notch to help you maximize the new home you are building. And like most professionals in the construction industry, interior designers have formed an organization to promote the best practices and highest standards possible. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the oldest and largest professional organization for interior designers. ASID was established in 1975, resulting from a merger of two predecessor organizations, the American Institute of Interior Designers (AID) and the National Society of Interior Designers (NSID). With more than 30,500 members, ASID establishes a common identity for professionals and businesses in the field of interior design. Members include 20,000 interior design practitioners, 7,000 students and 3,500 manufacturers and representatives of interior design products and services. Of those designers, 4,000 practice residential design; 6,400 practice contract design; and 9,600 practice a combination of both residential and contract design. Most ASID design consultants specify the products and services used in their design work, and more than 70 percent of ASID professional designers own or manage their own design firms. ASID’s mission is to promote the value of interior design, while providing indispensable knowledge and experiences that build relationships through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Professional members of ASID must pass rigorous acceptance standards: they must have a combination of accredited design education and/or full-time work experience and pass a two-day accreditation examination administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). This accreditation ensures that members aren’t dabbling in the business of interior design, but rather are adhering to high professional standards that will translate into competence for their clients. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the oldest and largest In addition to the designer members, ASID includes key partners that enhance interior design and look to the future of the profession.ASID Industry Partners is a program involving the manufacturers of more than 2,500 member firms with more than 8,000 individual representatives, uniting the professional designer with manufacturers of design-related products and services. ASID design consultants receive the most current information on appropriate materials, technology, building codes, government regulations, flammability standards, design psychology, product performance and more. Armed with this knowledge, ASID designers protect the health, safety and welfare of people in interior environments. Currently, there are 48 ASID chapters spanning North America. These chapters are the focal point for the designer’s involvement in ASID and its programs. Chapter activities provide support for a designer’s individual practice, education, community service projects, and marketing and industry relations. ASID Designers are qualified in many areas, including: • Long-term project and lifestyle planning This impressive support system is behind every ASID member and can be brought to bear on your project. Choosing a professional designer assures you that the person designing your home has been educated and trained to meet high standards, an assurance that is doubly important in a state (Pennsylvania) that has no licensure requirements for interior designers. “You should choose a professional designer because of three reasons,” asserts Janet Yester Klosky, current president of the ASID Pennsylvania West Chapter. “We’re professionally educated; we’re experienced; and we’re tested to prove that we meet a national standard.” Klosky points out that ASID members have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in interior design and must have at least two years experience in the field before being permitted to take the NCIDQ examination. “To be safe in the state of Pennsylvania, a consumer should choose an ASID member.” The Pennsylvania West Chapter holds monthly education programs for its members to provide continuing education units, and puts on a trade show for professionals each September. That emphasis reflects the vision of the national association. “ASID offers such value to its members in keeping them current with an enormous knowledge base,” says Janet Klosky. “And the affiliation with a national organization means that local designers get the benefit of best practices and new ideas from all over through the interaction with other professional designers.” Our regional chapter of ASID has more than 600 members. The chapter includes 152 professional designers and 83 industry partners. Like most chapters, ASID Pennsylvania West involves as many student members as professionals, as the emphasis on education and training draws those who are planning a career in design. Our region is blessed to have a number of colleges and universities that offer four-year degrees in interior design. Within Metropolitan Pittsburgh, bachelors programs are offered at Chatham University, LaRoche College, and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Degrees are also offered at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Indiana University of PA, and at West Virginia University and Fairmont State University to the south. Beyond the obvious training in space planning and aesthetic design, ASID members are also trained in many quality of life issues that can affect a home’s function and environment. Designers are experts in air quality to reduce the impact on asthma. They can guide choices in fabrics and carpets that will limit the toxins and volatile organic compounds that are emitted. ASID courses on lighting stress the importance of daylighting for maximizing attitude and productivity. ASID designers can lay out floor plans to optimize mobility for those with disabilities or for the increasing numbers of homeowners aging in place. And ASID’s emphasis on sustainable design and its REGREEN program can guide homeowners in making their home green, whether it is new or existing. Janet Klosky explains that working with an interior designer can maximize the return on your investment, whether the project is a kitchen remodel or the construction of a new home. “Getting an interior designer involved early, even with an experienced homebuilder, gives the homeowner the best chance of realizing his or her vision of the end result,” she says. “A professional designer has the training to ask the questions, and interpret the owner’s needs the best. Often it can be minor changes to a standard design that can make the difference.” One of the ways homeowners who are thinking about a change or building a new home can get a taste for what a professional interior designer can do is to visit the ASID booth at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, February 27 through March 8, 2009. Historically one of the most popular exhibits at the show, ASID’s offer free consultations for homeowners with an idea. The five-to-ten minute conversation can make a big difference on a project you are planning, and will help you understand how an interior designer who is an ASID member can add to your dream project.NH |
