When it comes to understanding the differences between the types (and sometimes styles) of different titles for those helping you to style interiors, you’re not alone if you’re a bit confused.
Here’s a brief break-down regarding what the different titles are and what [usually] sets them apart. Then, you can see where Creatively Staged fits in below.
Interior Decorator
People with the title of “Interior Decorator” are without degree, and commonly without a certification (but you can look for this, although uncommon), and they assist people with aesthetics that don’t require any re-design. These people are very often at the forefront of trends and pop culture, and enjoy creating spaces that mirror something else, or someone else.
For those who are over 50, this is a very common term, and it’s often because these people enjoy all the little additives throughout the room. These people are the ones who basically invented the idea of “sets” of everything. While still around in the industry today, the term has lost lustre a bit, as society shifted into choices along the lines of “less is more” and veins of adding unique pieces.
If these people were in the wedding industry they would be the “wedding coordinators” for the bride and groom. If you know the style you’re going for, and really want to make an impact they’ll usually coordinate for you like crazy.
If you do love intricate designs that are based on sets, and very specific styles of designs, you may find an “Interior Decorator” to be the right fit for you.
Interior Designer
State laws can differ as to requirements regarding the use of “Interior Designer,” however, anyone that does have a degree (while not always required by some states) will go by this title of choice.
These are the people who most commonly have a niche, as well as a portfolio. They often enjoy working from scratch, and room re-designing with the assistance of a general contractor or the like is very often common for them. Those who wish to be associated with this role are deep big-picture visualizers and can completely re-invent your room without looking for outside assistance. They do however often carry heftier pricing, and choose mostly to work only on big budget and large projects.
If these people were in the film industry they would be the producer + director + production designer, all rolled in 1!
Interior Designers go for adding their “mark” or something about their niche-design that is close to their reputation.
If you’re looking for “stay here” but you definitely want something entirely new – an Interior Designer might be for you.
Interior Stager
Now we come to the ones who are used to the most difficult of all: those who love the challenges of small budgets + quick timelines, and know how to find just the right thing to “make it all come together,” to fit a varietey of home or decor style(s).
These people may or may not have a certification, or be “certified” by an accredited program that they often spent hours, and sometimes up to a year on, learning industry standards — Yes, there are industry standards for these people, as expert go-betweens for real estate agents and sellers, and then again between the same sellers and potential buyers.
These people are in it for the ROI for the client (sellers or agents; sometimes both)! If they were in the financial industry, they’d be Portfolio Managers.
While experts for marketing homes, these people do so by becoming experts in visual layouts, pinpointing focal points, color choices, and placements. The mix is not for the faint of heart, and many decorators, designers, and even stylists dislike this type of work (- often because they don’t go start to finish or make ROI for themselves, if they’re honest).
When you are looking to refresh, add in a new style, or transition slowly into a nother style – these are your people, and especially if you’re on a budget. (They never back down from a budget.) They love the thrill of the challenging jobs, so anytime you see “Stager” or “Interior Stager” you know these people lay a foundation that may include many layers or transitions to achieve a foundational decor … sometimes [re-]design … for their clients.
Interior Stylist
Interior Stylists are today’s catch-all term for those who enjoy doing a bit of everything from the above. They may have a type of niche, but it’s often determined by the type of home and budget, rather than specific decor or even design style.
If these people were in the media industry, they would be your magazine publishers on all the different levels.
With a definite eye for “what fits,” they rarely have to start from scratch, and many may not prefer it. While trends may have an interest with their client, it’s not always at the top of their mind. Stagers and Stylists are very similar in this way, and in fact many stagers transition into stylizing as they become accustomed to larger projects and client budgets.
Unlike Interior Designers, Interior Stylists don’t need to leave their mark (or name/reputation) on every project. However, they are probably the first of all of these titles to be receiving word-of-mouth advertising simply because they can work with many different types of decor styles
If you’re looking to change your interior style while incorporating specific pieces you already own, then an Interior Stylist might be your best bet.
‘No Title’ “Interiors” or “Homes”
In cases where you find a web site or a person who doesn’t have a title, but just a name followed by “interiors” or “homes” then you can safely assume that these people have a niche portfolio, often branded to their name (leaving a mark as Designers often do) or sometimes associated with the word/s at the beginning.
These peple are often about positioning in the market, and you’ll have to review their website to see if they have any education or certification of any type, or even what their website shows about the types of home designs or decor styles and budgets they chioose to indicate as their preference.
There is zero way to know anything specific about these people that can lead you to know if they’re the right fit for a specific circumstances, however, you can be certain that they do expect to build a reputation for themselves, and that at least says something!
What About Creatively Staged?
Creatively Staged is represented by a certified (accredited certification program) stager, Missy, who is also a stylist.
Missy’s backgrouond involves working in operations under multiple Interior Designers and Decorators, property management, acting as a real estate agent, photography that includes real estate photography, and even background in film production, as well as marketing. You can read more about us here.
With all of the variations of experience, Missy delivers multiple types of what she terms “foundational” and “lifestyle” staging, for businesses, stores, homeowners, sellers, real estate agents, the film industry (including music fideos), and even restaurants.
Missy’s degree in leadership and graduate work in media has allowed Creatively Staged to spearhead many programs to accomodate people:
- Online assessments
- Programs for Airbnb Hosts
- Nationwide program so that anyone can stage their own home
Missy is a FIRM believer in maintaing budgets, never only going by trends (unless it’s sincerely in the best long-term interest of the clilent) and then she’s big on getting rid of the “cookie cutter” ideology. This is one of the reasons that our site and even our nationwide staging program that we offer does not contain a bunch of photos. Missy prefers to never divert a client into the belief that they, or she, has to do things in a certain way. This is where our focus on differentiating decor from design comes in; Creatively Staged takes a strong stance on the influence coming from within the clilent as opposed to coming to the client because of what others like. This is also the reason we have online assessments to help address these areas quickly, easily, and affordably. Missy puts it this way:
"The hardest thing for a client is to hear their own wants amid the layers of noise about what everyone else wants - those are trends. Instead, a client's life must be built on what's inside of them, and it's our job to help them curate a design revolving around the base of what deep down inside, they know they want, but haven't been focused listening to it - that's design & decor at it's finest. That's what brings about the lifestyle change every client truly is after when they come to us. This is our job at Creatively Staged, for every client."