A college major in Interior Design is necessary for a person to become an interior designer. However, due to licensing laws in various states, many interior designers are without formal interior design education. There are many do-it-yourselfers or self-appointed decorators and designers flooding the marketplace. The consumer cannot know whether their designer was ever college educated. The consumer must look for two things: first, certification and second, professional affiliation. Interior Designers are certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and usually maintain a membership in the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).

Credentialed interior decorators are certified by and maintain professional membership in Certified Interior Decorators International (C.I.D.). A Certified Interior Decorator (C.I.D.) must complete training by a C.I.D. approved educational program. They are not required to have a college degree. There are several excellent interior decorator programs available on a post-secondary educational level administered by direct mail or online. This is a perfect situation for individuals desiring to make a career change without the additional time or expense required to go back to college. C.I.D. members may also be required to maintain a local occupational license as an interior decorator on a county level only and tax resale certificate on the state level. C.I.D. does not permit grandfathering which is based on experience only without recognized education.

Certified Interior Decorators International is an association of full service interior decorators who can give advice as paid consultants and prepare furniture floor plans showing the client placement of all furnishings. C.I.D. decorators provide assistance in the selection of furniture, accessories, lamps, lighting fixtures, plants, pots, pictures, custom picture framing, area rugs, carpet, flooring, window treatments, wall coverings and patio furnishings, all of which C.I.D. decorators can purchase at discounted trade prices. C.I.D. decorators can also provide new themes and decorations, new furnishings and re-upholstery work for residential and business projects, yachts, restaurants, hotels, motels and other hospitality plans. C.I.D. decorators are trained experts at furniture placement, re-arranging, decorating, re-decorating and preparing a home for resale.

Unlike interior decorators in the past, a Certified Interior Decorator (C.I.D.), has the same credibility and buying power as a trained professional Certified (or licensed) Interior Designer and can actually earn as much as designers. Certified interior decorators are not required to perform architectural interior design and therefore are not required to have a college level education as are interior designers. As consultants, they can be more affordable since they are not required to have a college degree and do not have to maintain fees for licensing, continued educational programs and the other costs incurred by being state regulated. Charges for furnishings are about the same due to trade discounts being equal for interior decorators and interior designers.

C.I.D. is recognized as a professional member association listed in trade magazines such as Interior Design, Interiors & Resources and many other publications. We are listed worldwide on the Internet and are recognized internationally as the only membership association and certifying body exclusive to certified interior decorators.