There is a lot of indoctrination on a college campus: who to pledge, what to wear, where to live, who to vote for, etc. This list goes on and on! While some of this varies based on your campus or your major, there’s one point that all interior design students learn: Design certification matters. In Intro to Design or Design 101 they’re not just teaching about color theory or design philosophy. The professors are broadening and correcting the students definition of interior design. The core of interior design is not just making spaces beautiful—it’s about the health, safety, and welfare of the client or end-user. I hope you look at Lambert Home’s portfolio and think things are beautiful but if the shower floor was slippery, or the kitchen countertops were uncleanable, I would’ve failed as the interior designer! My main job as your interior designer is to keep you safe. Once I know you’re safe, then we can address the beauty! We’ve all seen those posts on instagram of the outlet installed IN THE SINK or of the refrigerator IN THE BATHROOM. The horror!
I am now Sarah Lambert NCIDQ. Think of NCIDQ as a similar title to MD or JD! The Council for Interior Design Qualification has been considered the gold standard for interior design professionals for over 40 years. I am now able to register with the state of Texas as an Interior Designer. The Fall 2019 statistics from CIDQ for their test: 531 designers passed the certification with a 63% pass rating. For your knowledge—the Texas bar exam pass rate for 2019 was 57%. These tests are hard!
I want you to know about this certification because it is designed to keep you healthy and safe! While lots of men and women have great taste or a great sense of style, they may not have the knowledge or the formal training to protect you and that should matter to you! Everything from accessibility or asthma to aging in your home are considerations that your designer should be thinking through. In the same way that we bring our legal problems to a lawyer and trust them to take care of us, your certified designer can be trusted to take care of your design problems.
Finally, this is one of the things I’m most excited about as a certificate holder, Lambert Home can officially train designers who are pursuing their certification! This opens up a world of opportunity for us to expand our design team in the future with people who are passionate about design, have or are getting their design education, and are ready to get practical experience.
