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September 19, 2005

Interior design conference probes
public perception of the profession

Interior designers do more than the fun redecorating projects typically seen on home improvement television shows such as “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “Trading Spaces.” That’s why the Interior Design Educators Council is holding its Pacific West Regional Conference, “The Big Picture: Media & Public Perception of Interior Design,” at Sacramento State to analyze the latest entertainment trend of interior design shows and dispel public misconceptions about the profession. The conference will be held Oct. 28 to 29 in the University Union and Mariposa Hall.

“The media perception of interior design has generally put the profession in the category of an interior decorator, a person who knows about color and furnishings, and applies that knowledge,” says Sacramento State design professor Carolyn Gibbs. “There’s a general lack of understanding of what the design profession does and who’s in the profession, and those issues will be explored.”

The conference, generally geared towards educators, invites professionals and the public to attend two days of presentations, activities and discussions, as well as tours of buildings in Sacramento and Napa Valley. There will be a keynote address by Stanley Abercrombie, former editor of Interior Design magazine.

Registration, which includes all conference events, tours, transportation to Napa Valley, tour of Clos Pegase Winery and four-course dinner at Greystone Restaurant, is $165 for council members, $155 for undergraduate and graduate students and $180 for non-council members. A $50 fee will be added to all registrations after Oct. 1. Visitors may attend the Napa Valley tour for $95, or $105 after Oct. 1.

Contact Gibbs at (916) 278-3948 for registration, conference information and schedules. For media assistance, contact the Sacramento State Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

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