About Interior Design

Many people don’t realize that interior design is about much more than just aesthetics. Interior Designers create functional and beautiful design solutions for your home, business, or community in a collaborative process which considers your vision, your lifestyle, and your budget.

Qualified through a rigorous process of education, experience, and examination, ARIDO Registered Interior Designers are skilled in assisting clients to realize their goals, creating environments which are both functional and beautiful.

ARIDO Registered and Intern members are required to:

  • carry professional liability insurance
  • participate in the ongoing professional development
  • uphold a professional code of ethics and standards of practice

Designs must adhere to code and regulatory requirements and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability.

While no two projects are the same, and the scope of services to be provided varies, an interior designer will generally perform the following services on an interior design project:

  • Oversee the interior design process, including project budgeting and schedules.
  • Analyze the client's needs and goals.
  • Integrate findings with knowledge of interior design, sector and economic trends and legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Formulate preliminary design concepts that are functional, fiscally appropriate and aesthetically pleasing.
  • Develop and present final design recommendations.
  • Prepare working drawings and specifications for interior construction, space planning, materials, finishes, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment.
  • Collaborate with other practitioners who offer professional services in the technical areas of mechanical, electrical and structural design as required for regulatory approvals (building permits).
  • Prepare contract documents and administer bids as the client's agent.
  • Review and evaluate construction during implementation and coordinate completion of a project with consultant team.
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In addition, on some more extensive projects an interior designer may:

  • Act as Project Manager on behalf of the client to manage the project teams through all phases of the project.
  • Develop and implement a branding and communications strategy in relation to the project.
  • Undertake feasibility studies on potential facilities and coordinate with real estate professionals.

Interested in reading more? Projects by Registered Interior Designers are regularly shared on BLOG//ARIDO.

Image Credits (clockwise from top left): Image 1: Lenczner Slaght Offices; Interior Designer: Inger Bartlett, ARIDO; Design Firm: Bartlett and Associates; Photographer: Tom Arban.

Image 2, 3: Project Mariposa, Interior Designer: Serina Fraser, ARIDO; Design Firm: Clear Interior Design; Photographer: Urzula Muntean Photography.

Images 4, 5, 6: Project: GC Workplace Co-working Pilot Project; LWG Design Team: David Gibbons, ARIDO; Melanie Tracey, ARIDO; Kalmn Simmons, Intern, ARIDO

Images 7, 8: BridgeNorth Offices; Interior Designer: Lucia De Biasio, ARIDO; Design Firm: LDB Design Inc; Photohtapher: Yianni Tong.

Image 9: Interior Designers: Caitlin Turner, ARIDO; Danielle Leon, ARIDO. Design Firm: HOK.