Christina O'Connor | Special to The Roanoke Times

Four students in Virginia Tech's interior design program, (from front) Emily Jane-Regodon, Brook Christman, Amber Ding and Justin Castillo, critique a group project on Monday. Critics of the plan to deregulate the interior design industry say doing so could prevent graduates of such programs from starting their own design firms in Virginia.

Virginia Tech's interior design program, part of the School of Architecture and Design, has more than 130 students.

Tech's interior design program and those at Radford and Virginia Common-wealth have in recent years been ranked among the 10 best in the country by an international trade publication.

An attempt by Gov. Bob McDonnell to reduce state regulation may harm at least one industry in Virginia that has brought accolades to three of the state's colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech, those involved say.

McDonnell's office last week proposed a slate of recommendations to the General Assembly that the governor says will increase efficiency and save taxpayers more than $2 million a year.

Buried in a long list of suggestions for cutting or restructuring agencies, committees, boards and commissions were recommendations to deregulate three industries — hair braiders, mold remediation professionals and interior designers.

But interior design professionals and educators are questioning that recommendation, and at least one trade organization is ready to fight it.

If the General Assembly discontinues state certification, "it will be anti-competitive," said Greg Tew, program chairman of interior design for Virginia Tech. "It will grant a monopoly to architects."

Furthermore, it could force entrepreneurial graduates in interior design to move out of state to start their own firms, Tew said.

If true, that would negate one of the stated reasons for the governor's reform initiatives, which, according to McDonnell press secretary Jeff Caldwell, is "reducing regulatory burdens on business."

"The governor's point in seeking this deregulation is not to lower the standards that these professionals work with. ... It's just to get the state out of role of regulation," Caldwell said.

But industry professionals see it differently.

"We see this certification as a driver to the state economy, especially for small businesses, many of which are also women-owned," Caroline Alexander, president of the mid-Atlantic chapter of the International Interior Design Association, said in an email.

"Our organization ... is very aware of this measure and is engaging our 600 members ... to actively fight this deregulation proposal," Alexander said.

Deregulation could cost the state revenue it might gain by certifying designers who are based in nearby states but work on projects in the commonwealth, Alexander said. Many interior designers based in the Washington area, for example, work in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

"There is a revenue opportunity for the state as we increase our number of members who practice in Virginia to become certified in Virginia, in addition to their certificate status in the District of Columbia and/or the state of Maryland," Alexander said.

To be certified in Virginia under current regulations, an interior designer must complete at least a four-year college degree in the discipline, intern for two years under the supervision of a licensed professional, pass a national exam, and apply for certification to the state's board for architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, certified interior designers and landscape architects.

The board has overseen interior design professionals since 1990 under the auspices of the state's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. The department maintains a public database of certified and licensed professionals in a variety of industries and also investigates consumer complaints.

Virginia is one of 27 states that regulate interior design practitioners, according to McDonnell's office.

More than 670 interior designers are currently certified in Virginia, according to the DPOR.

According to Caldwell, the three industries recommended for deregulation, including interior design, didn't meet the criteria set for the governor's reform commission, which was to winnow oversight to "core services for public safety."

Another profession, licensed landscape architects, was considered for the deregulation list, Caldwell said. But McDonnell, a Republican, ultimately scrapped that recommendation because industry leaders and others made the case that the work of landscape architects does affect public health and safety.

Rather than have the state regulate interior designers, a trade organization or other private group could certify or license them, Caldwell said.

The National Council for Interior Design Qualifications, for instance, offers credentials that allow designers to work on federal government projects, Caldwell said.

But Tew argued that nixing state regulation for interior design professionals could harm a vital industry in the commonwealth.

Interior design is not what cable viewers see on HGTV and home decorating shows, Tew said.

"We are an essential part of the construction industry in the state of Virginia," he said.

Certified interior designers are empowered to prepare "documents for non-load-bearing interior construction, furnishings, fixtures and equipment in order to enhance and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public," according to the DPOR website.

Much of their work is done in commercial and public facilities, such as hospitals and schools, and deals with fire and building code requirements meant to ensure public safety, Tew said.

With state regulation, designers have some autonomy and can function without oversight from an architect or engineer, a status that makes it easier to open an independent firm. But without state certification, designers might not be allowed to submit floor plans for their own projects, Tew said.

The industry has brought accolades to three of the state's public universities and could limit options for some graduates.

Interior design programs at Tech, Radford University and Virginia Commonwealth University have in recent years been ranked among the top 10 in the country, according to DesignIntelligence, an international trade publication.

Tech's interior design program is part of the university's School of Architecture and Design and has more than 130 undergraduate and graduate students, Tew said.

But deregulation of the profession could prevent graduates of all these programs from starting their own design firms in Virginia and force existing firms to drastically change the way they do business, Tew said.

The final impact of any deregulation of the interior design industry will be determined by the General Assembly, Caldwell said.