Jennifer Roberts

If you are looking to build or renovate your luxury Miami home then you may be wondering how you to find the best interior designer or architect? 

An architect and interior designer can do a lot to change your home. Both use a lot of the same skills, but each has its specialties that can help you.

It will be easy for you to figure out, but you will need to figure out if you are building or renovating your home. This will help in the decision of which professional to go with.

It is also important to note that an interior designer is not the same thing as an interior decorator. While interior decorating is an important part of home design and renovation, interior designers much have a much more specialized and advanced knowledge of the building industry.

In an attempt to help you understand the differences between an architect and an interior designer, we will first explain all of the ways that they are similar.

There are many cross over skills that the two fields share. They are both qualified to create spaces that solve common or specific problems for homeowners. They do this primarily through spatial design. 

Both the architecture and interior design fields are considered an art and a science. The spaces these professions are tasked to create have to be structurally safe, functional, and aesthetically beautiful. There are also many technical aspects that both are required to understand thoroughly and are expected to properly address these key aspects in their plans.

Architects and interior designers both receive a very high level of training to ensure that they have a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of architecture. Architecture is highly regulated. The most important thing for architects is that they must design safe homes for their clients. As architects design and build the main structures within homes, they are able to make changes to them. 

Now, let’s look at all the ways they are different. 

Interior designers do not work on the structure of homes, therefore most of their work is on the parts of a home that do not interfere with its actual structure. Their work is to design the look and feel of a home’s interiors. 

This involves developing a lighting plan for each room, designing the kitchen, bathroom and shower backsplashes, and choosing all of the tile and flooring. Interior designers spend a great deal of time focused on selecting the interior materials, finishes, hardware, furnishings, textiles, drapery, window treatments, paint color, wallpapers, and accent pieces.

Architects, on the other hand, design the actual structure of a home, it's exterior and interior. While the interior designer must plan out the look of everything (the lighting plan) but the architect must include electrical and plumbing requirements in their plans. 

Architects must pay close attention to the home’s exterior design elements, as well as its interior architecture. In certain circumstances, they will also select the tile, flooring, and lighting. This is not common, but if an interior designer is not present on the project then they can act on their behalf. 

Architects must be able to and be experienced in coming up with creative ideas to solve complex problems. They must also be skilled at making sure a project is aesthetically congruent.

 The architect and interior designers both have their specialties and training but they also can do many of the same things. There are times when one is needed over the other but there are also times where one might be able to do everything you need.

Now, you should have a better understanding of what an architect does and what an interior designer does and hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the blurred areas between these two professions.

They are both very useful to your remodel and will really impress you with everything that they are capable of. Nevertheless, one might be better suited to help than the other. 

With your knowledge of the skills that each individual brings to the table, you can ask yourself what you want to be done and then deduce who you will need to hire.

Let us say, for instance, that you are looking to renovate all of the bathrooms in your home and make them look more modern and chic. An architect could probably do this project for you and might do a wonderful job. But, an interior designer will be able to do more for you in this project. Their in-depth knowledge of current trends and new and popular materials will be more targeted to what you need to be done.

A great option for you if your project requires a lot of skills that both architects and interior designers specialize in is to hire an interior designer architect. . As the name suggests, this professional specializes in both professions and in turn can provide a broader service to their clients. 

Some firms keep an interior designer architect in their office to help clients that might need the help of someone who is specialized in both fields. A firm may also choose to hire individuals from both fields that can work as a team for certain clients.

As you can see, there are many things to consider before your project is underway. What you would like done could greatly alter who you hire to update your home?

A kitchen remodel could be a quick and easy project for an interior designer, but if you want to tear out a few walls and make some real structural changes to your home then you will need to hire an architect.

If your project requires some creative design but also has some structural changes, then you might be able to benefit from an interior designer architect. Their skills in both fields make them very versatile and capable professionals.

So take some time and consider what you want to be done. After you have done this, think about it will affect your home. Choosing the right person for the job will likely save you considerable time, money, and hassle.