American Socitey of Interior Designers (ASID)

The ASID Credential

ASID membership eligibility requires that Allied and Professional members complete an established minimum of interior design education. 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).

There is an added confidence in working with an ASID member.  All members must agree to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.  To maintain their membership, they are required to conduct themselves and their businesses ethically, always respectful of their clients, suppliers, the profession and their colleagues.  At all times, members must keep the health, safety and welfare of the public in mind when designing a space.  You can read or download the ASID Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct here.

Residential Designers

Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling a single room, you want the finished space to be attractive, comfortable and functional.  It needs to fit the way you live, as well as reflect your personal style and taste. 

Interior design addresses all these concerns and more.  Images of beautifully appointed and arranged rooms are usually what first come to mind when one thinks of interior design.  Color, fabric, furniture, art and ornamentation are indeed important elements in the overall design.  How the environments we inhabit look and feel greatly affect our mood and sense of well-being.

But interior design also involves many practical and technical considerations that affect comfort, function and safety.  Among these are lighting, acoustics, space planning, organization and storage, scale, accommodation of special needs, fire safety and compliance with local building codes.

Interior projects include new construction, renovation, historic restoration and model homes.  Specialty areas within the home include the kitchen, bath, home theater, home office and home health care and fitness areas.

Professional interior designers can do so much more than recommend furniture, fabrics and colors.  They have a creative eye and artistic flair, but that’s only the beginning.  An interior designer has aesthetic, practical and technical expertise in all the elements that make up an interior environment.  He or she understands how people use and respond to these elements, not just individually but as the elements interact with one another. 

What Does a Residential Designer Do?

An interior designer is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment. Qualified through education, experience and examination, a professional designer can identify, research and creatively resolve issues and lead to a healthy, safe and comfortable physical environment.

A decorator fashions the "look" of a space and its outward decoration—paint, fabric, furnishings, light fixtures and other materials. In addition to enhancing the total visual environment, an interior designer creates a space that is functional, efficient and safe.

Among the many areas of expertise a professional designer commands are:

• Space planning and utilization, including organizational and storage needs
• Long-term project and lifestyle planning
• National, state and local building codes
• Safety and accessibility
• Ergonomics
• Design for people with special needs
• Conservation and “green” design
• Historic restoration
• Interior detailing of background elements, such as wall and ceiling designs
• Custom design of furniture, drapery and accessories
• Selection of appliances, plumbing fixtures and flooring materials
• Acoustics and sound transmission
• Audiovisual and communication technology
• Construction documents and specifications

Sample Scope of Services

• Programming and Space Planning
• Interview to determine client needs, schedules and budgets.
• Establish functional and aesthetics goals.
• Inventory existing furnishings and other items to be reused.
• Provide space plans with furniture layouts.
• Assist in developing the project timeline.
• Interior Design
• Develop budgets on all interior finishes and furnishings, as well as budgets for interior improvements.
• Assist in material, finish and furnishings analysis, recommendations and specifications.
• Design all interior details.
• Provide sketches and/or presentation boards of all interior selections and furnishings.
• Review and coordinate furniture layouts with lighting and electrical plans.
• Coordinate fine art and decorative accessories.
• Coordinate interior plant selections and placement.
• Construction Documents
• Demolition/new partition plans
• Telephone/electrical plans
• Reflected ceiling plans/lighting plans
• Wall and floor finish plans and schedules
• Interior details and design as required, including cabinets, millworks, etc.
• Furniture installation drawings
• Project Administration
• Coordinate and review drawings with contractors.
• Maintain project schedules.
• Review all bids and pricing.
• Provide on-site inspections during construction.
• Provide assistance during move-in.
• Provide punch lists of all work to be completed

*ASID Information - used with Permission from ASID