My name is Ann Walkowsky and I live and work in Virginia. I write this comment in STRONG support of the continued regulation of the interior design profession in Virginia.

When I tell people that I am an interior designer they think I just design pretty spaces. Yes, that is a part of it, but when I explain to them how I designed that “pretty space” they are taken back by the fact there is way more to interior design then finishes.

I first went to community college to get my Associates Degree in Interior Design. Those 3 years I saw plenty of students drop out because they thought Interior Design would be picking out the materials and furniture of the space and a few regulations. While I saw the codes and regulations as fun puzzles to solve how to fit the client’s programming into their space while adhering to safety and accessibility rules. After receiving my Associate's Degree I went to another college to get my Bachelor’s Degree. I admit I originally wanted to get my Bachelor’s Degree because most firms only hire designers if they have a Bachelor’s Degree, but by the time I graduated I learned that there is a reason a Bachelor’s Degree is important. My first big “Aha” moment is when I learned about the WELL Building Standard, showing me that I could use my role as a designer to make spaces work in the user’s best health interest.

In my senior year, I worked for my first design firm. It was intense. Then I saw my first project go into construction. That is when I really hit me, all those computer-generated plans and renderings are cool but when you see it come to life – that is when it hits you – real people use this building and I am making all the safety decisions for them. Yes, I made mistakes, but the senior staff helped me solve those mistakes. Lucky those small mistakes did not turn into life-changing mistakes because the senior staff were very knowledgeable. “Hey, Ann that conference room needs two exits because it has more than 50 occupants.” Just imagen what would have happened if there was only one exit for those people to get out of…. Now flash into 2020, welcome to COVID. Everyone has been staying at home so they can not get sick. However, people have to start coming back to work so the economy doesn’t crash. As a designer, I influence almost every aspect of the building. With education, a designer can learn what materials, equipment, hardware and etc. can be used to keep an environment clean and available for the next user. Thanks to the education I can make informed decisions that impact people every single day. Why would I want someone uneducated to make those decisions?   

It is clear, eliminating regulation of Interior Design would gravely harm Virginia Certified Interior Designers, Interior Design small businesses, and others in the Commonwealth. For example:

– In order to hold a position on a corporate board for a “Professional Corporation,” the employee must be licensed or certified in their profession by the Commonwealth. Eliminating the interior design regulation would prevent interior designers from serving on the board of architectural-interior design and interior design-only firms.

– RFPs (Request for Proposals) and RFQs (Request for Qualifications) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and for Federal Government Projects that include Interior Design Services require that the Interior Designer providing these services be a Certified Interior Designer. Eliminating the regulation would bar Virginia interior designers from submitting for these proposals.

– Job postings for Interior Designers in the Commonwealth and for Federal departments typically require an Interior Designer to be a Certified Interior Designer. Eliminating the regulation would exclude Virginia interior designers from these opportunities.

In Virginia, of the 1,272 interior design establishments in the Commonwealth, 96% are small businesses of four or fewer employees. 83% of these small businesses are women or minority owned. Eliminating interior design regulation would crush these entrepreneurs and small businesses because of the reasons listed in this comment.

Eliminating the Interior Design statute would also harm the Commonwealth. Being a Certified Interior Designer in the Commonwealth provides the public with knowledge that a minimum set of requirements, including education, experience, and testing, has been met. Certified Interior Designers do complex design drafting work in large public and code-regulated spaces like hotels, hospitals, corporate offices, and multifamily housing where public life-safety is implicated. CIDs have a knowledge of building codes, standards, and other laws and regulations that are essential to the safe construction of public and other code-regulated buildings.

In light of the pandemic and as Virginians get back to their stores, businesses, and corporate offices, it is Certified Interior Designers who are redesigning and space planning these environments to mitigate COVID risk.

Our health is influenced by everything we touch in interior spaces. Disease-causing pathogens, like those that spread COVID-19, can be transferred from person to person, but also through everyday objects like office door handles, restroom grab bars, and schoolroom desks. It is critical to have interior environments that can protect our health by reducing pathogen transmission. Interior designers specify materials and finishes in 90% of residential and commercial construction and renovations and these professionals will be key in protecting the US against the virus.

Regulating interior design is a sensible practice. Washington D.C., Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, all have statutes in place for the regulation of the title and/or practice of Interior Design. In total, 27 states and two federal jurisdictions regulate interior design. No jurisdiction has ever deregulated the practice of interior design.

The interior design statute is not restrictive or protectionist. The title protection law—enacted during the 1990 Session of the General Assembly—does not restrict the scope of practice and serves as the framework for the voluntary certification program. While only certified interior designers may use the title “Certified,” any individual may contract with a client to render services as an interior designer, interior decorator, or similar practitioner if the client so chooses.

Eliminating the voluntary regulation of interior design in Virginia is bad public policy. Continued regulation is vital to the practice, profession, industry, consumers, and the public’s health, safety, and welfare. I ask you to not eliminate the regulation of this profession.