Both the Billing and Inquiry indexes have been above 50 for the past four consecutive months, signaling moderate industry growth, according to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Findings are based on a quarterly performance index from on a monthly survey of interior designers.
“The ASID index is intended to differentiate interior design performance measurements from those that are used in the construction and architecture industries,” said Michael Thomas ASID President. “In addition to a focus on interior design billings, the index monitors key indicators such as product selection. This information is a valuable resource for keeping our members apprised of the industry outlook.”
Improvement in the interior design industry is broad-based across regions and multiple sectors:
Regional Indexes: Northeast 65.2, Midwest 55.3, South 57.8, West 57.1
Sector Index Means: Residential 57.1, Commercial 55.9, Institutional 55.4
Slightly larger increases in residential billings are mirrored by reported increases in fabric, paint and finishes for renovation projects.
“Interior designers have good reason to be optimistic,” said ASID economic advisor Dr. Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D. “The renewed health of the US economy is becoming evident in interior design. Both billings and inquiries have shown modest improvement across the board in the first quarter. Looking forward, we can expect that level of growth to continue, with possible seasonal boosts in some sectors.”
