Press Releases

30 Jan 2009

Contact: Jennifer Thompson
Public Relations
ASID COLORADO
7010 Broadway Suite 320
Denver, Colorado 80221
3032045869 p
www.asidcolorado.org
jen@jenniferincorporated.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

COLORADO’S INTERIOR DESIGNERS WORKING TOWARD STATE REGISTRATION

January 30, 2009- Denver, CO- In an effort to set standards for the registration of Interior Design professionals in Colorado, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the Colorado Interior Design Coalition (CIDC) held its first ever panel discussion this week at the Denver Design Center.

In two separate events, designers and trade professionals joined in the discussion to learn about CIDC’s efforts to pass House Bill 1104, which seeks further the definition of Interior Design as a profession by establishing a system to register those individuals who meet the stated requirements in the state of Colorado. “Interior Design is not what it used to be 50 years ago,” explained Bruce Goff who sits on the National ASID Board. “In Colorado, it doesn’t exist as a profession so the state doesn’t keep records on us.”

Currently, Colorado has a Permitting Statute that was enacted in 2001 which allows qualified Interior Designers to submit plans for permit within their specified scope of service. This law is the first of its kind. However, because there is no registry board in place to regulate qualified professional Interior Designers, the statute has been under utilized. Rich Gebhardt, CIDC’s Lobbyist, continues to work toward passing House Bill 1104 which asks that the state create and maintain a database of individuals that meet the requirements already in the statute. Other members on the panel, including Sandy Nienaber, CIDC’s current President, explained that this new bill would not limit Interior Designers’ right to practice in the state of Colorado. Instead, the bill’s primary purpose is to protect the consumer of design services by being able to easily differentiate the qualifications needed for their project.

CIDC has worked to protect Interior Design since 1998 when legislation passed that defined the scope of work Interior Designers could perform in Colorado. If successful in their efforts, Colorado will join ranks with twenty-six other states which have implemented legislation for the profession of Interior Design. The majority of these states have adopted standards that were developed by ASID and IIDA to define the profession. CIDC hopes to raise additional awareness and funding by holding more panel discussions with targeted organizations throughout the state.

More information on House Bill 1104 and CIDC can be found online at www.cidc-colorado.org.

The American Society of Interior Design (ASID) is the largest professional organization for residential and commercial Interior Designers. With more than 30,000 members nationally, ASID establishes a common identity for professionals and businesses in the field of Interior Design. The ASID Colorado Chapter is proud to represent more than 1000 local ASID members. For more information on ASID COLORADO please visit www.asidcolorado.org