You are too caught up in the technicalities of the profession. Your job as an interior designer is to "design" the interior. Doing construction drawings is the technical process of your consultancy. What is the difference if one do a sketch on a toilet paper and still get it built the way it was intended or you drawing your 64pcs of drawing to achieve the same end product? Perhaps you are doing so many drawing because you are not effective in your communication to both the clients and the contractors.
Why are you saying style has no substance? How do you define substance?

I cannot believe there is someone out there who is willing to pay  RM18K for 3D and furniture layout plan only, Adrian, are the " designer" select colour scheme, material and provide cost estimation and do site inspection for the client also.

This is the fee for full designer consultant service for standard terrace house normally.

From my experience, majority of Malaysian still cannot differential what is the difference between interior designer and contractor ( who say they are id too to their client)

normally these contractor just pay some student for 3D perspective showing to their clients. Surprisingly his client really thought they are real interior designer.

This is what make the ID industrial in Malaysia look unprofessional compare to other country.

I'm currently working as an interior designer in both UK and KL with more then 10 years experience.
I was flabbergasted and shocked after meeting with someone from a design firm yesterday. Company not to be named. I would just like to express my feeling and thoughts towards the work actic and the practice of Interior Designer in Malaysia. I'm not intending to make any enemy or conflict.

I had just finished designing a 3 storey house in cyber jaya and a single storey old house in Klang.
I had done up 64 pieces of drawings excluding mood boards, furniture planing for the 3 storey house which consist of layout plans, ceilings, lightings, M&E, details specification drawings and 3D. This one whole set of drawings cost my client RM18,000.00 but he has the freedom of hiring anyone to construct the renovation.

Yesterday I was told by a design firm that they will only provide 3D and furniture layout plan with the same fee RM18K.  Which, I totally disagree with him and that is not a proper interior designer .

The reason why they don't provide detail drawings is because they want to construct the renovation. Without detail drawings / material specification, it will be hassle for a client to engage other contractor.

3D drawings is important but detail specification drawings is much more important when it comes to interior/carpentry renovation.

So I ask myself why so I need to provide 30+ pcs of detail drawings??? I shouldn't have bothered because clients in Malaysia is so easily hooked up with fantastic 3D drawings and without any knowledge of what an interior designer supposed to provide.

A good 3D but where is the real built? Style with no substance.

I'm currently starting on my reno, and has already contracted a kitchen design company during the last expo. Truth be told, they just provide us 3D images, without any further details. From what I get, these images are just simply plucked from their archives. Furthermore, it was after some coaxing, they only managed to give me the images. Now I need the dimensions for my contractor to refer, but still they seem to hesitate. Somehow, I believe these companies do not have qualified IDs in their stable. It's so easy to give designs, just have to pluck from the web.

After reading your comment, I'm going to acknowledge but disagree with your 1st paragraph. We know some client don't really know the usage of detail drawings but we as a designer has to educate them the importance of these in order to minimize any dispute or receiving V.O with contractors during the built. As you have mention, the drawings helps on construction part which is the main subject. Client may skip and not bother with these drawings but he or she is still entitle to have them.

Just received a private message asking me for a full quotation with breakdown. The list is very impressive and precise which includes alarm system, autogate, doors, shower heads, solid wood bedframe and everything you can think off. And me reply to him :

" Thanks for your inquiry. I think you have mistaken my job scope. I'm an interior designer not a contractor. I charges design fee based on client's specification and im very Impressed with the list you provided. You need to get your estimated quotation from A contractor. Once you get the rough quotation, you then hire an interior designer to discuss layout planning, furnitures, material, colours, style, tiles, doors and so on...... He or she will present you a moodboard and when everything is agreed, it will then render into 3D, all layout plans and provide you with detail drawings.

You have written interior design as MISC, which I think that is interior decoration.

I'm sorry I can't provide you with anything. We will only provide BQ when we are
Engaged as the interior designer "

He's asking me to provide him a BQ and expecting me spending the whole day telephone every single trade. How am i supposed to quote him on the solid wood bedframe witout knowing the design? It is thousands of ringgit different between solid wood frame with carving and a clean solid wood frame. A shower head can cost RM80 - RM1000, Im wondering why he thinks that i'm able to predict what he really want and willing to provide him a BQ despite not being a confirm designer for this project. I'm never mean to any potential client, just straight to the fact.

This is the reason why I start this topic and to differentiate my profession with contractors and suppliers.

I don't think every single ID able to do a proper BQ, cause it is normally a QS job.