As the President of Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, I am writing in STRONG support of the continued regulation of the Interior Design profession in Virginia. 

Over the past 13 years of engagement with members of ASID Virginia I have been fortunate enough to work with hundreds of practitioners and business owners that have never ceased to amaze me with their dedication to their careers, their profession and to the communities in which they live and practice.  I have also never been more excited for the future of the profession than when working students from the nationally recognized Interior Design programs from Virginia Tech, James Madison, Radford, Virginia Commonwealth and TCC.

We believe very strongly in the power of design to positively affect people’s lives.  This means that we are constantly studying, researching and developing best practices that ensure the health, safety and welfare of our citizens wherever they encounter an interior environment.  It is a monumental task that employs designers, scientists, inventors, manufacturers and academics.  Over 90% of your day is spent in interior environments, which is why we approach our life’s work with the highest degree of responsibility and professionalism.  Being a Certified Interior Designer is the mark of that responsibility and professionalism that our clients seek out and value greatly.

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.

Thank you for your consideration.

Matthew Lee, CID, ASID, LEED AP BC+C, WELL AP

President, ASID Virginia