Kevin Holdridge is the owner and head designer at KDH Residential Designs. A leader in green construction and design, Holdridge has been recognized for his excellence in the field. Here, he tells us the difference between a residential designer and an architect.
Although residential designers, architects, and interior designers all work in the same industry, they each do every different things to help clients through the home-building process.
When someone is looking to build a new home, he is probably not going to be deciding between choosing a residential designer or an interior designer. He may be choosing between an architect and a residential designer.
Architects are state licensed and can design any type of building, be it residential or commercial. Residential designers generally have an associate degree and most belong to organizations such as the American Institute of Building Designers (AIBD). A residential designer has some stipulations on which building he can design, usually limited to light commercial and residential. Some states require architect’s seal on a set of plans. In these cases, if a residential designer is awarded the job, he will have to work in conjunction with a local architect. To become a member of organizations such as AIBD, a designer must submit samples of his work to prove he holds his drawings to a high standard set forth by the organization. I would be leery of any designer (non-architect) who is not a member of this organization.
As a residential designer, I design homes exclusively and I do them well. Although I generally design houses on a day-to-day basis, I am sometimes doing small townhomes as well. There are many stipulations on how many units can be put together and how big the residential space can be on a multi-unit building like a townhouse, but those things are dependent on the individual project.
When I work on larger projects such as townhomes, in fact, I will often team or partner with a local architect, and together we will combine our expertise to design the multi-unit residence. So there is a lot of congeniality there.
Now interior designers do something entirely different from residential designers or architects. Rather than designing what the structure of the home will look like, an interior designer will generally be commissioned to design the interior space. By interior space, I mean that the designer will select the furniture, paint, and colors that will go on the wall. Even the carpet and the installed furnishings will oftentimes be under the control of the interior designer.
The interior designer’s ultimate goal is to put together a package on the outside of the home that fits the style of the overall space and meets the needs of the client.
In the past, I have actually worked as a team with an interior designer. So when a residential designer and an interior designer team up on a job — which is usually only the case with much larger homes — what will happen is we will make decisions together above the home’s flow and style. We might also work together with the builder as a three-part team. We will all sit down in those cases and come up with a final product that meets the specifications of what the client wants and needs.
So if an interior designer tells me that she wants to put a window treatment on the inside of the house, maybe because she thinks it will really tie in with the homeowner’s desired décor, then it is my job as a residential designer to try to design around that feature when putting together the home’s design.
And then, once we have decided on those outside window treatments, I will get in touch with the builder and he will be in charge of trying to take those plans that we have drawn up and turn them into reality.
When you are thinking about building a custom home, I would encourage you to interview a couple of architects and residential designers and see who you feel understands your vision before signing a design agreement.
