Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
41
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
50
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
52
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
54
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
55
Warning: mktime() [
function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
41
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
50
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
52
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
54
Warning: date() [
function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
/home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line
55
Warning: mktime() [function.mktime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in /home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line 41
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in /home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line 50
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in /home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line 52
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in /home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line 54
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in /home/content/38/3338038/html/interior_design/wp-includes/functions.php on line 55
February 6th, 2009
On February 4th 2009 I attended a townhall meeting hosted by the Institute For Justice and the Interior Design Protection Council. The topic was the grassroots movement to get legislation regarding title and practice acts in the field of Interior Design currently in place in some states rescinded and stop it from spreading to other states. Like most of the general public, I was completely unaware of the in-depth training interior design students receive, the things that interior designers are in fact responsible for in an average project and the strict title and practice laws in place in my home state of Florida. I started learning about all of this when I enrolled at Palm Beach Community College in the Interior Design program. I had already decided that if I were to pursue a career in Interior Design I would like to do commercial work and was disappointed to learn that I would have to intern with a licensed designer for as many as four years after graduation before I was eligible to even take the exam necessary for licensing in the state of Florida. This was to be a second career for me and I would be 48 years old when I graduated. I wasn’t prepared to start at the bottom (again) nor was I interested in working for someone else. I spent a good deal of time looking for reasons that such strict regulation was necessary and never found anything substantial enough to warrant it. Many of the licensed designers currently practicing in Florida today were grandfathered in without having to take and pass the NCIDQ. Some of these Interior Designers were the biggest proponents of the legislation much to my surprise. I started suspecting that these laws were not put in place to protect the general public but to protect the industry from competition.
Many states have a title act which is restrictive enough. This act says that anyone practicing interior design may not refer to themselves as an “Interior Designer” unless they have completed that states requirements for licensing and attained a license. A practice act prohibits unlicensed designers from doing any commercial work. If a state has a practice act in place than they also have a title act. This means that unlicensed designers who want only to do residential projects may not refer to themselves as an interior designer. I have noticed that there is a negative connotation associated with the term “Interior Decorator” among those in-the-know. The general public not only doesn’t know the difference they don’t really care. Most people are completely unaware of the education required to become an Interior Designer. Licensed or not, qualified individuals with that level of education don’t want to be called “Interior Decorators” even if the general public is unaware of the distinction. Besides minimizing their education it limits the unlicensed designers ability to advertise themselves properly.
If We Do Away with Title and Practice Acts How Will the Public be Protected?
All states have very strict building codes in effect. In addition, there are codes that individual counties might impose above and beyond the state codes. Anyone practicing interior design (licensed or not) must adhere to these codes. Commercial buildings must be inspected and pass inspection by law on a regular basis. If a designer (licensed or not) specifies furniture, fabric, finishes, equipment or installations that aren’t up to code, the inspection will discover it. Any designer (licensed or not) that continually makes mistakes in this area will soon find themselves not getting work.
Seeking Proof That an Unlicensed Designer is a Threat to Public Safety
Before I started this blog I set upon a quest to find documented proof that work performed by an unlicensed (or licensed designer) resulted in a public safety risk or worse. I have not been able to find anything on the internet nor anyone in the industry with stories they can share. Please share your story if you have one but be prepared to back it up with proof. Convince me and the rest of the world that strict licensing requirements are or are not necessary.
Posted in Interior Design State Legislation | 7 Comments »