Design Regulation Comes Under Fire

Joining the fray over who may or may not provide interior design services, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has joined with the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and other national organizations in opposing what it describes as “restrictive and unnecessary design regulation.”

Roughly half of the states have some form of legislation regarding interior design title or practice, although recent legislation has faced opposition. A California bill requiring licensing of interior designers died in committee earlier this year, and the Alabama Supreme Court recently struck down the state’s interior design practice act.

“The proposed regulation stems from the efforts of a small but influential group of interior designers who are lobbying state legislatures across the United States for legislation that would regulate who may provide interior design services to the public and would prohibit the large majority of designers from practicing their profession,” says a joint press release issued by the two organizations.

“There is a concerted effort on the part of a select few designers who insist that everyone seeking to practice interior design attend their approved schools, pass their approved exam, and apprentice under them, all without any demonstration that the current practice of interior design by those who don’t meet these self-imposed standards is in any way a cause for concern. Such unnecessary and anti-competitive legislation will limit consumer choice in retaining the services of a professional designer, while increasing the costs of design services beyond the reach of the ordinary consumer,” said Edward S. Nagorsky, general counsel and director of legislative affairs for the NKBA.

The proposed regulation includes many of the services that members of NARI provide on a daily basis. “NARI resolutely supports the NKBA’s efforts on this issue,” said Gwen Biasi, director of marketing and communications for NARI. “It is essential to protect the remodeling industry from disruptions in businesses that already face significant challenges by market conditions.”

On the other side of the controversy, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) supports regulation in the interest of the pubic good, according to its Web site. The National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) administers a licensing exam that is required in some jurisdictions.

Kitchen Trends

Preferences Change Little

Kitchen activities, design preferences and product applications have not dramatically changed over the past two years, although technology continues to be integrated into consumers’ lives, including their kitchens, according to a report issued by the Research Institute for Cooking and Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI), Charlotte. N.C.

RICKI’s newly released “Remodelers 360: Trend Report” was aimed at examining how Americans use their kitchens, as well as their design preferences and remodeling experiences. The research study, according to RICKI, was first conducted in 2006 and then repeated early this year to determine if significant differences exist in the findings. Some 10,000 consumers — defined as those who remodeled or made improvements to their kitchens in the past 12 months and spent $2,500 or more — participated in both projects, RICKI said.

Kitchen renovations remain “at the top of the list” in adding value to a home, and Americans still spend more on renovating their kitchens than any other room in the house, according to RICKI. Although kitchen remodeling projects are down from two years ago, spending levels have remained steady among those who remodeled, RICKI reported.

Of the 17 activities that take place in the kitchen — from entertaining to paying bills — only one activity was significantly more likely to occur in 2008 compared to two years ago: “use a computer” (up to 9 percent from 6 percent), RICKI said.

Other key results of the study were as follows: