Interior designers, decorators and stylists design the interior spaces within buildings.

Some of the tasks employees in these roles do include:

• researching and analysing the spatial requirements of interiors
• preparing drawn designs of interiors, including using CAD programs
• redesigning the interior layout of buildings
• working with contractors and architects in constructing and decorating interiors
• choosing colour schemes
• choosing furniture and furnishings
• designing furniture layouts.

Industry award coverage

An industry award covers an interior designer, interior decorator or interior stylist if:

• their employer operates in the industry covered by the award
• there’s a classification that matches their qualifications, duties and responsibilities.

Retail Award

Interior designers, decorators or stylists will be covered by the Retail Award if they work for an employer in the general retail industry, and there’s a classification that matches their qualifications, duties and responsibilities.

The general retail industry means the sale or hire of goods or services to final consumers for personal, household or business consumption.

Example:

Angel is employed as an interior decorator and colour consultant by Intense Colour, a business that retails paint products. She’s based at Intense Colour’s showroom.

Angel travels to customers’ homes and designs colour schemes for them. She uses a basic CAD program to demonstrate the designs she puts together. She also recommends appropriate products to meet customers’ requirements.

Angel has a Certificate III in Painting and Decorating which she uses in most of the work she does. Angel is covered by the Retail Award as a retail employee level 4.

Other industry awards

To work out whether another industry award covers you, you may wish to contact us on your own situation.

No industry award coverage

Interior designers, decorators or stylists not covered by an industry award might be:

• covered by an occupational award
• covered by the Miscellaneous Award, or
• award free.

Occupational award coverage

Manufacturing Award

Interior designers, decorators and stylists who mostly make drawn designs from data may be draughtspersons covered by the Manufacturing Award on an occupational basis.

Professionals Award

Interior designers who are required to have an engineering qualification, recognised by Engineers Australia may be covered by the Professionals Award on an occupational basis. For example, a designer engaged in preparing structural redesigns of interior spaces.

Architects Award

An interior designer who is registered as an architect and is required to use their qualification in their role will be covered by the Architects Award on an occupational basis.

Miscellaneous Award coverage

Unqualified and trade qualified interior designers, decorators and stylists are covered by the Miscellaneous Award if:

• they’re not covered by another industry or occupational award
• they’re not a managerial or professional employee.

An employee may be considered a professional employee if their role requires a degree qualification, such as a bachelor’s degree.

They’re classified based on their duties and qualifications.

Example:

Archie is employed as an interior stylist for an interior design agency. He’s completed a Certificate IV in interior decoration.

Archie specialises in putting together the furnishings, linens and decorator pieces for interior spaces designed by degree qualified interior designers within his agency.

Because Archie doesn’t have a degree qualification, he’s covered by the Miscellaneous Award as a level 3 employee.

Award free

Interior designers, decorators and stylists who aren’t covered by an industry or occupational award or the Miscellaneous Award are award free.

Award free employees are entitled to the national minimum wage and the National Employment Standards.

Example:

Felicia works in the same interior design agency as Archie.

She has a Bachelor of Interior Design. She designs the internal layout of spaces, including the positioning of furniture and repositioning of walls.  This requires the use of her degree qualification.

Felicia is award free.