DISCOVER WHY
We’re Among the Best Interior Designers in Vancouver, BC.
Want to hire an Interior Designer who aligns with your style and goals?
Finding an interior designer who can work within your design style and goals on a renovation design project can feel overwhelming.
You have probably already searched local interior designer websites for inspiration and might have been searching the internet for the “The Best Vancouver Interior Designer Near Me”. Yet, finding a qualified interior designer that can meet all your investment targets and suit your needs can be challenging for any homeowner or business owner.
WELCOME TO ARTICULATED DESIGN STUDIO
We’re here to help you
and learn how to qualify an interior designer that won’t let you down.
Imagine finding the perfect interior designer that fits all of your needs.
Or so you thought. How can you arrive at the conclusion quickly?
The answer is that there is no fast and easy way to find the best interior designer without qualifying them first. Many interior designers offer a variety of ways that you can get to know them better before you meet them. They likely have a portfolio of beautiful project photography, a website with services listed, and even a snappy contact form that seems like a pretty easy first step.
Can it really be as easy as connecting with an interior designer and hiring them right away?
We wish it were, and there is a lot of work that goes into presenting a beautiful portfolio before anyone can establish themselves as a qualified interior designer and subject matter expert in their field of practice.
The first step in finding the best interior designer is to understand that personalized and custom services are built on trust, mutual respect, and professionalism — and this type of raport takes time to establish with each and every prospective client.
Let’s get clear about what an interior designer really does first:
There is an industry anecdote that describes the difference between decorating and interior design and it goes like this:
“A interior designer may decorate, but a decorator cannot design.”
Breaking this down, it means that although each of these skill sets may seem identical, they are actually critically different as a practice in many ways. The industry association that sets the practice standards for interior designers is called the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) and they define interior design as follows:
“Interior design encompasses the analysis, planning, design, documentation, and management of interior non-structural/non-seismic construction and alteration projects in compliance with applicable building design and construction, fire, life-safety, and energy codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines for the purpose of obtaining a building permit, as allowed by law. Qualified by means of education, experience, and examination, interior designers have a moral and ethical responsibility to protect consumers and occupants through the design of code-compliant, accessible, and inclusive interior environments that address well-being, while considering the complex physical, mental, and emotional needs of people.”
The Best Interior Designer
Here are the qualities of a reputable, top-tier interior designer that you should be looking for:
Qualified by means of education, experience, and examination
Award-winning
Offer flexible billing and design meeting options
Willing to work within your budget range
Offer guidance so that you can do some of the shopping yourself
Amiable to your design ideas without influencing their personal style on you
How to qualifying the best interior designer:
1st Place, Small Kitchen, 2015 NKBA International Design + Industry Awards01 — What is Interior Design?
Interior design is much more than aesthetics, it is about finding technical and creative solutions that help support the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants in a space by enhancing their way of life. Interior designers follow an evidence-based approach to solving complex design problems and their knowledge of finishes, fixtures, and equipment use, in addition to the building systems, interior finishing, indoor air quality and natural daylighting are all important in the practice of interior design.
Decorating is an aspect of interior design where furnishings, wall finishes, drapery, and decorative accessories are added into the interior space. Although an interior designer may decorate, a decorator cannot design. Therefore, designing a space to be both functional and attractive is at the core of interior design.
02 — How You Can Qualify an Interior Design Company?
What qualifies a reputable and trustworthy interior design company in the top-tier of local professionals can be determined by three factors or conditions. It is important for home and business owners to understand what to look for at the beginning of their search for the “Best Interior Designers in Vancouver” because there are some details that you may not be looking for so you do not know how to qualify your best options.
In our professional recommendation, you must deeply consider these three top-tier defining factors:
01 — History
Look for an interior design company that has depth and breadth of experience in the sector of interior design that applies to your project (e.g., residential, kitchen and bath, or commercial). They should have a history of experience that exemplifies their quality and knowledge.
02 — Peer Evaluated
Finding an interior desing firm that has been evaluated by industry peers through design competitions and award-winning projects, regardless of placement (e.g., honourable mention, 3rd place, 2nd place, 1st place). This means that they need not have won a particular award, but entering local and international design competitions is important for status, but it also showcases their passion and commitment.
03 — Industry Certifications
Seek out an interior design company who has professionals with top-tier regulated industry certifications and maintains their qualifications through continued education (e.g., ongoing professional development).
It is worth noting a small matter of reasonable regulation. In some jurisdictions across Canada and the U.S., an interior designer must be registered in order to both use the title “interior designer” (called a “title act”) and practice in the field of interior design (called a “practice act”). Out of the 3 territories and 10 provinces in Canada, only New Brunswick and Nova Scotia prohibit the use of the term “interior designer” without sufficient proof.
With these three defining factors, every home and business owner is able to assess the real value of hiring a qualified interior designer. Not only with a professional interior designer guide you through every step of process, they will also provide you qualified and experienced recommendations on the design and layout of the interior spaces of your home and/or business.
03 — What Defines an Interior Designer from a Decorator?
To consider who the Best Interior Designer’s in Vancouver B.C. are, we need to reflect on professional qualifications and education — or something called the 3E’s. The 3E’s that differrencicate an interior designer from a decorator, or other bad actors, is through 1. education, 2. experience, and 3. examination.
Yet, to fully understand why each of the 3E’s matter, we need to take a closer look at each element individually.
01 — Education
In order to qualify for examination, an interior designer must have either: a) a diploma in interior design and 3 years work experience, or b) a bachelor degree in interior design plus 1 year work experience. A certificate in interior designer may qualify an individual to work design industry, such as a furniture showroom, but it does not qualify them to practice interior design professionally for clients and produce code-compliant drawings and documents.
02 — Experience
An important part of qualifying for examination is by completing qualified work experience. Professional and practical experience in the field of interior design is broken down into sectors such as professional practice, building systems and technology, interior detailing, construction drawings, building codes, finishing materials and methods, plumbing and lighting fixtures, and equipment (such as appliances). All of these knowledge and experience areas contribute to the health, safety, and welfare of occupants.
03 — Examination
There is only one examination available to individuals in North America wishing to become an interior designer: the 3-part National Certification of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination. The NCIDQ exams are a thorough and rigorous set of industry-set testing that focuses on fundamentals, professionalism, and practice. In addition, once successfully passing all three levels, the individual must maintain their certification through ongoing education.
Many like-minded professional interior designers believe that hiring an under-qualified individuals (without an industry certification) is unacceptable risk to the public. Under-qualified practitioners in the field of the built environment can be extremely costly for clients because these individuals often unaware of the requirements that qualified interior designers must strive to achieve on every project. These achievements include building-code compliance, building systems, non-loadbearing alterations, movable parts and tolerances, cabinetry and millwork design, quality furnishings, and sustainable and environmental factors.
So, the big question is: why would you trust an unqualified individual with such a significant investment?
04 — Should You Seek-Out Only Award-Winning Interior Designers?
There are many important interior design industry awards in every province across Canada and the U.S. that set the bar very high. These awards have qualified and independent jurors, typically comprised of industry leaders and peers, who will evaluate the standards of applicants and select winning entries.
Some of the more notable awards you may already recognize are the Ovation Awards, Georgie Awards, DDA Canada Awards, and Western Canada’s Design Excellence Awards. Across the continent, the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Design and Industry Awards held annually at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show are the pinnacle of many awards as a reputable and historic competition for qualified interior designers working in the sector of kitchen and bath design in both Canada and the U.S.
As a professional interior design studio, we believe that it is vital to continue to submit our very best work for industry evaluations, but we also recognize that winning isn’t everything. Not every project we work will have finished photography and an award entry because it becomes a large marketing budget that is often is a cost reflected with higher billable rates. Our initial conversations we never focused on whether your project will be entered into a design competition and from our perspective, every project is an winning project because it is yours.
05 — Business Licenses and Insurance Coverage that an Interior Designer Must Carry
It is of paramount importance that every qualified business possess a licence to operate and hold valid insurance coverage.
Finding an interior design firm in Vancouver, B.C. means that they must have a valid business licence from the City of Vancouver under the category “Design Services”. If the interior design company you are considering does not have a valid business license, then they are not operating a professional business.
Additionally, it is extremely important that every interior design company with professional and practicing interior designers on-staff have insurance coverage that protects the home and business owner. The two types of insurance that they must carry are Commercial General Liability (“CGL” - protects you from injury and other liability exposures when working with them) and Errors and Omissions (“E&O” - protects you if they make a mistake).
Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, so having the right amount of insurance coverage should be valued at the cost of your project budget, and this ranges from $500,000 to $5 million. You can ask the interior design company for copies of their insurance certificates at anytime.
06 — Does Hiring a Local Interior Designer Matter?
Vancouver is an incredible mix of urban dwellings, West Coast residences, and outdoor community enthusiasts. Interior designers work all across Vancouver, BC and into the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky Corridor, and beyond. Maximizing the opportunities of these residential and commercial spaces in our cosmopolitan hub and service region is a thriving community of interior design professionals, Registered Architects and Technologists, decorators, and other building design creatives.
A variety of geographic features make each of the neighbourhoods located in the City of Vancouver unique, but across the 21 cities in the Lower Mainland (and the rest of the Fraser Valley) there are many distinct and diverse neighbourhoods. This means that there are many ways people reside and work in the metropolitan areas surrounding “VanCity”. Working with someone familiar with your neighbourhood is a bonus. They can recommend local business that provide value to not only your project but also their favourite finds from their many years in business
Here are the most recognizable neighbourhoods in the the city of Vancouver where our interior design team has worked:
West End, Coal Harbour, and Yaletown
Crosstown, False Creek, Strathcona, Gastown and Chinatown
Kitsilano, Arbutus Ridge, Dunbar, Kerrisdale, and West Point Grey
Mount Pleasant, Riley Park, Commercial Drive,
South Granville, Shaughnessy, , Marpole, Grandview-Woodland
Renfrew-Collingwood, Victoria-Fraserview, Sunset, Hastings-Sunrise
At Articulated Design Studio, our Creative Director at Articulated Design Studio, Corey Klassen, is not just a practicing interior designer, they are also an interior design educator, public speaker, and have won numerous local awards and international accolades. Further proof that our studio is among the best interior designers of the region for a number of factors.
So, looking for an interior design firm with a beautiful portfolio on a well-designed website is one thing, but understanding the steps that you can take to qualify an interior design company labeled as “among the best in Vancouver B.C.”, will actually help you make a sound investment decision for your project needs.
But don’t worry, we are here to help!
Here’s where we help you put it together:
Let us help you to determine what qualifies a Vancouver interior design company like ours, to be among the best interior designers in Vancouver, British Columbia.
To help you ask the right questions when you book a complimentary discovery call with us. You can also book an in-person design consultation for your home or commercial business in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and in the City of Vancouver. We provide a range of interior design services that include convenient online design services and fulfilment across the Lower Mainland.
View our Design Consultations➔
Hi 👋, I’m Corey Klassen
I understand how challenging it is to find the best interior designer for the project you are thinking about, whether it is a condo renovation, kitchen or bath design renovation, new custom home build, or a commercial tenant improvement.
That’s why I founded Articulated Design Studio in 2011, to help home and business owners achieve the best design possible with their budget, with an emphasis on making responsible, educated, and informed decisions. Using my 2 decades of industry experience, top-tier certifications, and depth of product knowledge, I believe that it all comes down the root of my design studio’s name: articulated. We offer you more that just a pretty decorated room and we are not just technically successful with preparing your building permit drawings, we truly aim to help you solve your complex design problems and maybe win some design awards while doing it.
Do you want to interview me for your next big design project?
I offer a free, 30 minute discovery call by telephone or video conference so we can discuss you ideas, budget, and timeline.
What are the benefits can you expect from hiring us?
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We're Confident with Colour
The elevation of a design begins with a favourite obsession of ours. Check out this article from Better Homes + Gardens Magazine where Corey is interviewed on the topic.
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We're Style Design Experts
While searching, a design style is often the most noticeable. Our team is not tied to working in one particular style or aesthetic because we believe that the design style is inspired by you.
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We're Industry Advocates
Corey’s upcoming public engagements are compiled in this article with past topics + speaking engagements at design industry events across North America.
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We Understand Renovations
The top 3 significant factors in a renovation are solution, budget, and schedule. Depending on the type, location, and age of your home, there could be additional factors to consider.
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We Have Great Resources
We curated a page to access some of our most helpful blogs and tips. Based upon your design journey and the types of projects you might be investing in, like condo renovations.
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We Really Want to Help You!
Some of the most common questions can be answered in our Design 101 series of articles, but there is much more than meets the eye.
Testimonials
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You’re really saving your money using his expertise. He takes care of the details so you can stay sane with the whole process. An active listener, he is also very mature, encouraging, professional and really fun to work with. He’s won multiple awards so we consider our kitchen a winner too! The whole process was totally stress-free, we’re so happy with the turnout and felt really, really good with our decision to have him design our kitchen for us.
Charity - Richmond
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We recently downsized to a condo and with Corey’s help created lots of storage with a beautiful design. Corey was amazing to work with and he designed and supervised all the work including deliveries. His attention to all the little details made it very easy for us to move into this new space and be very happy with it. Thank you for everything Corey you are a great designer and wonderful to work with
M. Indra - Vancouver, BC
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What can we say except Corey is incredible!!! People walk through our door and they are in awe... we are in awe. My husband and I were a bit concerned about finding a designer that would get our style but Corey listened, did his homework, used his amazing talents and now we are living in our dream home. Thank you Corey. We could not have done it without you.
A + F Quo Vadis - North Vancouver, BC
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