Rodriguez, Rochelle Naomi P.

September 13, 2020

3ID-1 ID1224 Interior Design Laws and Contracts

As a student majoring in Interior Design, our profession is often misunderstood and belittled by
the people who lacks understanding to what our profession is all about. People would assume
that our job would end with just designing or decorating interior spaces, but we are not Interior
Decorators, we are Interior Designers. Not only do we study and practice the process of
designing, but also the way of living. We make designs that are habitable, easier, and safer for
clients to live. Having an Interior Designer is like an assurance that you won’t experience
problems on your house in the future, which can also save you from spending more money. But
still, our profession is more than that.

If you are artistic, creative, and has a solid understanding of colors and principles in design,
then you may decorate or design your own spaces but it is not the same as calling yourself an
interior designer. Because designing interior spaces is easier said than done, if it is then
everybody can design their own houses and we won’t be studying this major anymore. People
should know that there is a law stating that this job, Interior design, requires or involves a
prolonged training and studying that is why we call it a profession. According to Republic Act
No. 10350, the State recognizes the important role of the interior design profession in nation
building, whose technical competencies have been determined by honest and credible
licensure examinations. We are also taught that Interior design is both science and art
because it requires deep research and designing.

So you can never be an Interior designer in just a day or even a month, but there is no harm in
designing your own spaces. So, we should never forget that all jobs and professions are
important – they may never be the same but they are all important. And one day, you will realize
that there is no point in comparing professions. Respect begets respect, so I hope that at the
end of the day, people would know more about our profession to make it hard for them to just
take our job lightly. And stop associating interior design with people simply fixing and decorating
their rooms.

Reference:

Philippine Interior Design Act of 2012, Republic Act No. 10350, Section 2 (2013).