What is the difference between "architecture" as a field/profession and "interior design"?

Question

Is it that the architect builds what the interior designer designs? Or that the designer is more concentrated on the look & feel of a space and the architect with the structure? Also, which field is more lucrative or has higher earnings potential?

Answer 1

Architecture designs the shape of the building. They build the inside wall spaces. Yes in short they are most concerned with the structure. You have to have a good grasp on math and know all the building codes in an area and for the type and size of structure. There is more technical knowledge.

Interior design deals with in short the decoration of a space. They deal with wall color and decorations, carpeting, furniture, curtains, etc. They in short decorate the room. If you want a good feel of what an interior designer does catch Trading Spaces or While You Were Out on TLC. An interior designer deals more with the aesthetic part of the room. Making it look and feel a certain way (i.e. for an office you'd want things to flow nicely and feel comforting).

With both careers how good you are determines how well you do. If you are one of the bests in business you can charge more and have a very lucrative career out of both of them. This is a business where you need to build an excellent reputation and repartee in order to be lucrative. Most start off with a firm and build up their resume of buildings or rooms that they have done before breaking off on their own. But in short as I have stated you need to build up a really good reputation and resume before either of these fields would be lucrative.

Answer 2

Architecture deals with the building of something. More over, the aesthetics of a building, such as how it is shaped. Interior Design deals with aesthetics as well but in the interior such as how you decorate a house on the inside. Quite frankly it is up to you what profession you choose.