The Difference Between Interior Design & Decoration

Many people use “interior designer” and “interior decorator” interchangeably, but the two professions are very different.

Interior design is the science of understanding behaviors to help property owners create a functional room within a building, including the shapes of a room’s walls, floors, and more. A professional interior designer must understand interior architecture and works closely with architects to design the interior space. The expert handling the interior design project has to have a good amount of experience within the construction field. Interior decoration or decorating, on the other hand, is the furnishing of a space with beautiful or fashionable things. It takes into account the style inspiration, the color scheme, the texture of the used accessories while working within its functionality. For example, an interior decorator may recommend changing the layout of the furniture. In other words, decorators are hands-off in the design process, whereas interior designers may design and decorate.

Check out our infographic below to learn more about the difference between an interior designer and interior decorator.