SUPPORT Continued Regulation of Interior Design in Virginia
My name is Karen Goodrich Lewis and grew up and was educated in Richmond, VA and now I live and work in Northern, VA. I write this comment in STRONG support of the continued regulation of the interior design profession in Virginia.
I am a 54 year old female Interior Designer with a BFA from VCU. I practice in Northern Virginia mostly, although one of my clients, KPMG, takes me to many locations where they have offices. Our Firm's work includes commercial offices, some mission critical data centers and Landlord services as well as base building Architecture. I became a certified designer as soon as I was eligible. I have worked hard to uphold the standards of our profession both continuing to learn and mentor the next generations of both Architects and Designers. I am now Partner and owner of the firm that I have worked for, for 25 years now. I am told by others that they look up to me because I am a woman and a designer and I give them confidence that you can be successful in our profession full of Architects. I am the majority owner in my firm which is a small business. 1/3 of our professional staff are Interior Designers and the other 2/3 are Architects. We are responsible for building safe and healthy spaces. If certification of Interior Design is de-regulated it will have lasting negative affects for those who have aspirations in the profession as well as those that have worked hard to become owners and/or board members of their firms. We will also lose some of our federal opportunities is we are not "Certified" designers.
It is clear, eliminating regulation of Interior Design would gravely harm Virginia Certified Interior Designers, Interior Design small businesses, and others in the Commonwealth. For example:
– In order to hold a position on a corporate board for a “Professional Corporation,” the employee must be licensed or certified in their profession by the Commonwealth. Eliminating the interior design regulation would prevent interior designers from serving on the board of architectural-interior design and interior design-only firms.
– RFPs (Request for Proposals) and RFQs (Request for Qualifications) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and for Federal Government Projects that include Interior Design Services require that the Interior Designer providing these services be a Certified Interior Designer. Eliminating the regulation would bar Virginia interior designers from submitting for these proposals.
– Job postings for Interior Designers in the Commonwealth and for Federal departments typically require an Interior Designer to be a Certified Interior Designer. Eliminating the regulation would exclude Virginia interior designers from these opportunities.
In Virginia, of the 1,272 interior design establishments in the Commonwealth, 96% are small businesses of four or fewer employees. 83% of these small businesses are women or minority owned. Eliminating interior design regulation would crush these entrepreneurs and small businesses because of the reasons listed in this comment.
Eliminating the Interior Design statute would also harm the Commonwealth. Being a Certified Interior Designer in the Commonwealth provides the public with knowledge that a minimum set of requirements, including education, experience, and testing, has been met. Certified Interior Designers do complex design drafting work in large public and code-regulated spaces like hotels, hospitals, corporate offices, and multifamily housing where public life-safety is implicated. CIDs have a knowledge of building codes, standards, and other laws and regulations that are essential to the safe construction of public and other code-regulated buildings.
Washington D.C., Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, all have statutes in place for the regulation of the title and/or practice of Interior Design. In total, 27 states and two federal jurisdictions regulate interior design. No jurisdiction has ever deregulated the practice of interior design.
The interior design statute is not restrictive or protectionist. The title protection law—enacted during the 1990 Session of the General Assembly—does not restrict the scope of practice and serves as the framework for the voluntary certification program. While only certified interior designers may use the title “Certified,” any individual may contract with a client to render services as an interior designer, interior decorator, or similar practitioner if the client so chooses.
Eliminating the voluntary regulation of interior design in Virginia is bad public policy. Continued regulation is vital to the practice, profession, industry, consumers, and the public’s health, safety, and welfare. I ask you to not eliminate the regulation of this profession.