Interior Designer vs Interior Decorator: The Short Answer

An interior designer plans and changes the space itself: the layout, the walls, the lighting and electrical plan, the millwork and the drawings contractors build from. An interior decorator works with the space as it is: furniture, colour, fabrics, light fixtures, art and accessories.

In Ontario the difference is also legal. Only registered members of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO), and licensed architects, may call themselves an “Interior Designer”. “Interior decorator” is not a regulated title.

What an Interior Designer Does

An interior designer works on how a space is built and how it functions. On a typical Toronto renovation that includes:

  • Space planning: where walls, doors, kitchens and bathrooms go
  • Construction drawings and elevations for contractors and millworkers
  • Lighting and electrical plans
  • Custom cabinetry, built-ins and millwork
  • Materials and finishes chosen for how they perform, not just how they look
  • Coordination with contractors, trades and, in a condo, building management

If a project moves a wall, a sink or a light switch, it needs this kind of design.

What an Interior Decorator Does

An interior decorator furnishes and styles a finished space. ARIDO describes decorating as focused on surface treatments and on choosing and placing furnishings. A decorator typically handles:

  • Furniture layout, selection and sourcing
  • Colour palettes, paint and wall treatments
  • Rugs, window coverings and fabrics
  • Decorative light fixtures
  • Art and accessories

Decorating doesn’t change the structure, plumbing or electrical work, so it doesn’t involve construction drawings or permits.

Who Can Call Themselves an Interior Designer in Ontario?

The Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario Act, as amended in 1999, reserves the title “Interior Designer” and the designation “ARIDO” for ARIDO’s registered members. Architects licensed under the Architects Act are exempt. Using the title without being a member is an offence under the Act.

The Act protects the title, not the work. Anyone can offer interior design services in Ontario, but only registered members can call themselves an Interior Designer. You can check whether someone is registered in ARIDO’s public directory.

ARIDO is the Ontario body for the title. Interior Designers of Canada (IDC) is a national advocacy association; it doesn’t grant the title.

Building permits are a separate question. Ontario’s Building Code requires most people who prepare permit drawings to hold a provincial designer registration (a BCIN) unless an architect or engineer is responsible for the design, and some house renovations are exempt. ARIDO membership on its own is not that registration, so ask whoever prepares your drawings how they’re qualified to submit them.

Which One Does Your Project Need?

  • Furnishing a new condo or a freshly renovated home: a decorator, or a designer who also decorates.
  • Refreshing a room without changing its layout: usually a decorator.
  • A kitchen or bathroom renovation: an interior designer, because the layout, plumbing, electrical and cabinetry all need to be designed and drawn.
  • Removing walls, an addition or a whole-home renovation: an interior designer or architect, ideally working with the builder from the start, as in a design-build firm.

Many projects need both. The design work comes first, and the decorating finishes the space once construction is done.

How Much Each One Costs

Design fees depend on how much planning and coordination the project needs. A single-room design typically costs $3,000–$15,000+, and partial design services $5,000–$25,000+. Full-service design and project management on a larger renovation costs more. See what it costs to hire an interior designer in Toronto, and what 60 BKDP renovations cost for construction budgets.

How BKDP Works

BKDP is a design-build firm: we design renovations and build them under one contract. Our co-founders, Fardid Biglar and Kenneth Ho, trained in architecture at the University of Toronto, and Fardid Biglar is listed in ARIDO’s directory of registered members.

Decorating is an extension of that work. Our interior decorating service covers furniture layout and sourcing, rugs, light fixtures, art and colour, on its own or to finish a renovation. See home renovations and condo renovations for the design-build side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator?
An interior designer plans and changes the space itself: layouts, walls, lighting and electrical plans, millwork and the drawings contractors build from. An interior decorator works with the space as it is: furniture, colour, fabrics, light fixtures, art and accessories.

Is “interior designer” a protected title in Ontario?
Yes. Under the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario Act, only registered members of ARIDO, and architects licensed under the Architects Act, may call themselves an “Interior Designer” or use “ARIDO”. The Act protects the title, not the work, so others can still offer interior design services under a different title.

Do interior decorators need a licence in Ontario?
No. “Interior decorator” is not a regulated title in Ontario, and no licence is required to work as one. Some decorators join voluntary associations such as the Canadian Decorators’ Association.

Do I need an interior designer or a decorator for a kitchen renovation?
If the layout, plumbing, electrical or cabinetry is changing, you need someone who designs and documents the work, such as an interior designer or a design-build firm. A decorator is the right fit when the room stays as it is and you are choosing furniture, colours, lighting fixtures and accessories.

Can an interior designer get my building permit?
Not on membership alone. In Ontario, most people who prepare building permit drawings must hold a provincial designer registration (a BCIN) unless an architect or engineer is responsible for the design, and some house renovations are exempt. Ask whoever prepares your drawings how they are qualified to submit them.

Does BKDP offer interior design or decorating?
Both. BKDP designs and builds renovations, and offers interior decorating as an extension of that work: furniture layout and sourcing, rugs, light fixtures, art and colour. Co-founder Fardid Biglar is listed in ARIDO’s directory of registered members.