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Slide 1: ==== ==== Do you want a career as an Interior Designer? www.interiordesignerinfohere.com ==== ==== In Toronto and Suburbia (where I live and work) we are fortunate to have a wealth of service industries that cater to home owners. We have home stagers, interior decorators, interior designers, colour consultants, re-designers, home staging-to-live consultants and on and on. With so many closely related service industries it can leave consumers feeling very confused and uncertain about which service best suits their needs. I will try my best to briefly explain the primary differences between several of these services to make your job little easier. HOME STAGING: Home Stagers are part of the Real-Estate industry (not the decorating industry as many assume). Their primary focus is to make your home as appealing and desirable to potential buyers as possible. A fast sale for top dollar is the motivator and inspiration behind their decorating choices. Homes are striped of their personality. Belongings are carefully edited and minimized. Colour schemes are neutralized and decors are up-dated to appeal to today's buyers (more specifically targeted markets). They may recommend home up-grades or renovations that will bring a good return on the dollar and be in harmony with current buyer demands, but their role here is usually one of a consultant, as most lack the education and skills required to design and manage a renovation project). If you are looking to sell your home these are the people to call even before you call your RealEstate agent. A word of caution though; Home Staging is an unregulated industry. So do your home work first. Make sure the Home Stager you hire has been properly trained and is part of a trade affiliation that holds them accountable for their work and business conduct. Examples of Home Staging Trade Affiliations are: Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), Certified Staging ProfessionalsTM (CSP), Accredited Staging ProfessionalsTM (ASP). HOME STAGING-TO-LIVE CONSULTANTS: (also known as Re-Design) You will see this service offered by some Home Stagers. It is similar to Home Staging To Sell except for home owners personality will be encouraged in the decor not stripped away. This service is also similar to Interior Decorating except there is greater emphasis placed on the editing of the space. Decors tend to be more minimalistic and colour schemes more neutral (although the current decorating trend amongst interior decorators and designers right now is also quite neutral palettes). Most Home Staging-to Live Consultants (or Re-Design Consultants) are not formally schooled in the disciplines of Interior Decoration so take great care when choosing one. Some home owners will hire the stager they used to sell their home to decorate their new one. This is a good bet as they are already familiar with their work and their style. INTERIOR DECORATORS:
Slide 2: Interior Decorators usually have an in-depth expertise in window treatments, textiles, colour, paint, wall-coverings, furnishings and antiques. Unlike Home Stagers, their role is to fill homes with personality (the owners personality). Many Interior decorators liken them-self to an artist. Their canvas is your empty room; their artistic medium is paint, fabric, furnishings, carpeting, wall papers, accessories and art. Again an unregulated industry (for the most part but that is changing) so do your homework and choose decorators who belong to a trade affiliation like Canadian Decorators' Association (CDECA) or Certified Interior Decorators International (CID). Educational requirements for trade affiliations varies but typically a 2 to 4 year college diploma (degree) is required. If you are redecorating your space for your own enjoyment and plan on sticking primarily to surface design (rather than architecture modifications) then they are the ones to call. INTERIOR DESIGNERS: The criteria to call oneself an "Interior Designer", varies from province to province (State to State). Generally speaking though, an Interior Designer is a person who specializes in designing architectural interiors and their furnishings. Although it evolved from interior decoration it is a much more involved discipline requiring a sound knowledge of architecture, product design, drafting, CAD, commercial (contract) design, building codes and other regulatory requirements. Most Interior Designers, in the residential industry, are also Interior Decorators and as such offer all of the services an Interior Decorator offers. To find a qualified Interior Designer check out trade affiliations like The Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The educational requirements for membership in these and other trade affiliations can be quite comprehensive requiring a 3-4 year degree from a recognized design school, followed by a 3 year apprenticeship and finally the writing and passing of a qualifying exam (much like law students who are required to write the bar exam). If you want to do a complete decorating make-over including architectural modifications or custom design work, then they are the ones to call. Kimberley Pacholko is a Certified Staging Consultant, Interior Decorator, Professional Gardener and Garden Designer. Her company White Swan Properties, located in Whitby, Ontario is a full service Home Staging Company Specializing in Elegant Home & Garden Transformations at Affordable prices. For more information call (905)-725-7926. Web: http://www.csptraining.com/pages/?cspid=1494 White Swan Properties is on Face Book (White Swan Properties) and Twitter: (stagingwithwsp) Servicing: Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Bowmanville, Brooklin, Courtice, Port Perry and the other Durham Region Communities. Also servicing; Scarborough, North York and Don Mills & Toronto.
Slide 3: Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberley_Pacholko ==== ==== Do you want a career as an Interior Designer? www.interiordesignerinfohere.com ==== ====