The majority of CDECA members are Interior Decorators. They have graduated from College programs ranging from 7-course Certificates to 2-year Diplomas in Interior Decoration. Some members have many years of experience and have gained their accredited membership through submission of a portfolio and letters of reference, reviewed and approved by our Membership Committee. The vast majority of accredited CDECA members are graduates of recognized Canadian educational programs, all of which are listed in the “Education” Section of our website.

CDECA also has members who are designers with 3-year diplomas or 4-year degrees. To call oneself an “Interior Designer”, varies from province to province.

The difference in practice is basically the level of expertise due to knowledge of building codes and construction, with design having much more focus on drafting, CAD, and commercial (contract) design. There are certainly areas of cross-over of expertise, but decorating generally is limited to surface design. Decorators usually have more in-depth expertise in window treatments, textiles, colour, paint, wallcoverings, furnishings and antiques, although this distinction can vary with the different educational programs across the country.

Whatever the qualifications, it is important for those practicing in the industry to limit their practice to their own level of expertise and training and to hire other specialities when the need arises, for example, structural engineers. CDECA does have decorators whose practice includes commercial work and renovations. Some of our members have specialized in a certain aspect of interior decorating or design. These specialities will be listed in their profiles in the “Member’s Directory”. All of our members are required to follow our CDECA “Code of Ethics.

We invite the public to first detail their requirements for a project and to ask informed questions when they hire one of our accredited members to make sure the interior decorator or designer is a suitable candidate for the scope of the client’s project.