the past few weeks have been non-stop working & volunteering from 7am until midnight it seems.  we had a big deadline on our hotel project that was going out the door the day after MLK day so instead of taking the 3-day weekend we worked a few hours that weekend and will take our monday holiday another day.  the presentation looked great, but it’s always last minute stress that you’re trying to avoid.  :)

this month brings our big push for interior design legislation with the start of the legislative session in olympia.  i’ve been a board member of IDCW for a few years now, and it’s my role to educate the students and our allied organizations about the benefits of ID legislation, and encouraging them to get the facts whether they plan to stay in WA state or go elsewhere for their careers (34 other states, jurisdictions and provinces already have licensure of varying levels).  after introducing a practice act two weeks ago, it’s been a fierce battle between those in our field who want legislation and those who don’t (typically the kitchen and bath designers and those who have not received an education or taken the NCIDQ exam; or the libertarians who don’t feel the government should be involved in our industry more than it already is).  we’ll always be educating the general public since many are still clueless about our profession and what services an interior designer really provides (we do much more than selecting paint and hanging art on a client’s wall).  to sum it up in a few words, this legislation to to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public by requiring those who design public spaces to have education, experience and pass our national exam.  the bill includes a whole list of exemptions including architects, retail stores, and design services (that do not require to get submitted to the building department).  this bill will not limit people to do design work in their own homes, this bill will not force retails stores to close business, and in almost all cases exempts residential design all together.  

i’ve found some days a bit challenging to not take things personal (like this insane blog where people claim they won’t be able to feed their family if this bill passes – if they would only take 10 minutes to read the bill most of their fears would be resolved).  but at the end of the day i realize that this will never be an easy battle, and that no matter what happens this year, i’ll continue this fight to stand up for what i believe in and to elevate the profession of interior design.  i’ve been doing presentations for students and faculty over the past month and it’s nice to see students actually get it.  i could ramble on for hours about legislation, but i’m too exhausted. :)