NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERIOR DESIGN COALITION 

 Phone  603-279-0220 | Email Designers@NHIDC.org 

Interior Designers for Certification

Support the NHIDC, sign our on-line petition - click here

NHIDC
NEWS
MEMBERSHIP
CALENDAR
LEGISLATION
RESOURCES
 
 
COLLEGES FOR INTERIOR DESIGN
 
View Complete College Listings
 
New Hampshire
- Hesser College
- NH Community Technical
  College Manchester
 
Massachusetts
- Boston Architectural Center
- Endicott College
- Mount Ida College
  Chamberlayne School of Design
- New England School of
  Art & Design
- Newbury College
- Wentworth Institute
 
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island School of Design
 


 

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American Society of
Interior Designers

www.asid.org

National Council for
Interior Design Qualification

www.ncidq.org

International Interior Design
Association New England

www.iidane.org

Thank you for your interest in the
New Hampshire Interior Design Coalition.
 
The New Hampshire Interior Design Coalition (NHIDC) a 501c(6) non-profit corporation is comprised of professional interior designers, interior designers practicing under sole proprietorships, recent graduates and students of interior design, industry partners and design professionals in related trades.

NHIDC’s members are a both a visionary and pro-active group of professionals interested in consumer health, safety and welfare – a benefit offered exclusively by the unique value of professional interior design.

read the NHIDC newsletter
 

Consumer Information
Health, safety and welfare article..
It's about Protecting the Public
view here

Check out
Legislative Terms & Definitions

NHIDC welcomes you and encourages you to explore this site to be informed about the interior design profession, its standards, and professional associations and why setting a standard in New Hampshire for professional interior design is so important.

U.S. Legislation - Interior Design Regulation


NHIDC has prepared a bill for certification for consideration by the NH Legislature providing the opportunity for interior design practitioners, qualified by education, experience and examination to be certified which will enable their recognition as a design professional under the definition provided by the State of New Hampshire.

Recently, New Hampshire adopted the International Residential Building Code (IRC) containing specific and important compliance information for all those working and providing services in the built environment. Consumers planning new construction or renovations should be aware that this development affects them and the professionals hired to work on their project.

Interior Design: More Than Meets the Eye
Video Produced by ASID National 2004

Consumers can be confident that state certified
interior designers have met a minimum level
of professional qualifications
.

Watch the above video for more information.

Currently, NH has no law or certification in place assuring consumers of code compliance by a design professional. NHIDC is working to ensure consumers have a clear choice when seeking an interior designer for their project.

NH does not recognize interior design as a credible, viable profession. While the government has a definition of interior design, and includes the services of a professional which can affect the health, safety and welfare of consumers, NH fails to recognize this definition or the adverse affects consumers may be subject to while working with an untrained person.
See Legislative Terms/Definitions.

Purpose of Legislation

Interior design practice affects consumers on a broad basis; young and old, sick and healthy, homeowners, private and public businesses, healthcare, educational, hospitality and retail establishments.

It has long been understood and taken for granted that commercial design requires a solid knowledge of applicable fire and building codes as well as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to safeguard the welfare of the public. But with fire being the major cause of death in single family homes, residential design bears the same responsibility to be educated in flame retardant fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery and all products used in the home. Residential space planners share the same body of knowledge of building and safety codes when working on remodeling or new construction projects.

Currently, consumers have no advocacy group to help protect them or to help clarify the qualifications of an interior designer. They wrongly “assume” that their personal health, safety and welfare concerns are being considered. Employees and the public at large make use of buildings everyday without a thought to the qualifications of those who’ve designed those spaces. They entrust their welfare to others who must pre-qualify designers. Regulation will ensure consumers are working with a state registered professional.

The Profession of Interior Design

The interior design profession has been broken apart by design and decorating media including “shelter” magazines and HGTV to name a few. Through these vehicles, the public receives a distorted and bracketed view of the scope of services; the educational commitment and the body of knowledge college students acquire through the study of interior design. Unfortunately, this has led to the belief that “anyone” can be a designer and many with art backgrounds or fashion design backgrounds or those who have a natural talent with color theory state they are designers even though they’ve had minimal or no continuing professional education. This is a grave disservice to consumers and to the interior design profession.

In fact there is growing opposition to regulating interior design due to this fact alone. These groups of opposition are attempting to destroy the 30-year effort led by ASID, the most well-known and respected professional organization for the profession toward their work to set a high standard and regulate the profession.

Interior Design is a viable, necessary and worthwhile career and efforts to undermine the importance of this career only confuse the consumer. Architects, building officials, builders, electricians and plumbers in New Hampshire are discovering that interior designers are the “missing link” and can offer and provide many services that these trades do not and will not offer.

As such, the interior design profession should be listed among those of the NH Joint Board of Licensure and Certification which includes allied design professionals of the built environment and whose purpose is to protect consumers’ health, safety and welfare.

The interior design profession has in place nationally recognized regulating bodies for accrediting educational programs; verifying diverse design experience; administrating the professional examination and qualifying continuing education credits.

The NHIDC joins national professional associations such as ASID, and IIDA in providing standards for the practice of interior design when if affects the health, safety and welfare of our New Hampshire citizens. These National organizations set the standards for the interior design profession.
We seek collaboration and goodwill within the community of design professionals, construction contractors and retail establishments as well as others who contribute to the built environment.

NHIDC has the support of AIA NH, the NH State Fire Safety Marshall, Building Code officials, insurance companies and New Hampshire colleges offering degree programs in interior design education. These establishments understand the importance of the professional interior designer and recognize the vital element the trade provides as part of the built environment.

Support NHIDC by signing our online petition.
 

CONTACT NHIDC
Phone:  603-279-0220 
  Email:  Designers@NHIDC.org


Updated: 02/27/08

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