My name is Rachel Watkins, I work in Washington, DC, and I write this comment in STRONG support of the continued regulation of the interior design profession in Virginia.

As an interior designer and proud DMV community member, I strongly encourage the state of Virginia to continue its regulation of my profession. I was born and raised in Maryland, I currently work as an interior designer at ZGF Architects in Washington, DC, and every project that I have touched in my career has been in the state of Virginia. My work in Virginia has included workplace design and office consolidation projects for several government and private clients based in Northern Virginia, including work for a large tech company with significant business presence in the community. The interior design certification process is highly rigorous and demonstrates an individual's competence in the practice of interior design to protect the health, life safety, and welfare of the public. As someone currently embarking on voluntary certification, I can attest to its incredible difficulty and requirement for full competency in the profession related to accessibility, code requirements, sustainability, and business practices. Our profession works in tandem with architects; the work we do is of equal rigor and caliber, and regulation confirms the legitimacy of the interior design profession within the built environment industry. Interior design touches every facet of one's life, and regulating our profession ensures that the built environment provides an accessible, safe, and healthy for all users and community members.

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.

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.

Thank you!