The titles get used interchangeably at dinner parties, but in British Columbia they describe three different jobs with three different price tags. Here is the practical difference, and who to call for your project.
What a decorator does
A decorator works with what the building already is: furniture, colour, textiles, art and styling. No walls move, no permits are pulled. If your rooms function well and just do not feel finished, a decorator, or a designer working in that mode, is the right call and the lightest engagement.
What an interior designer does
An interior designer works on how the building functions: layouts, millwork, lighting plans, materials, and the documentation that turns intent into construction. In BC, experienced residential designers can prepare drawings for many permit applications. Our studio drafts permit and construction drawings in-house, which is the difference between a concept and a document a builder can price.
What an architect does
Architects are licensed under BC's Architects Act, and certain buildings legally require one, generally larger commercial buildings and multi-unit residential above defined thresholds. Most single-family homes, laneway houses and renovations do not require an architect, which surprises people. For those projects, a designer with drafting capability plus a structural engineer where needed covers the ground.
Who to call, in one paragraph
Rooms feel unfinished: decorator. Rooms do not work, or walls, kitchens and bathrooms are changing: interior designer. A large or unusual building with code complexity: architect, often alongside a designer for the interiors. When in doubt, a discovery call sorts it in twenty minutes, and we will tell you honestly if we are not the right fit.
