The design profession became well-versed after World War II. From the 1950s onwards, investing in the home increased. Interior design courses were established, requiring the publication of textbooks and reference sources. Historical accounts of interior designers and firms distinct in the decorative arts specialists were delivered. Organisations to education, qualifications, standards and practices, etc. were established for that profession.[18]

Interior design once was seen as playing another role to architecture. It also has several connections with design disciplines, concerning the work of architects, industrial designers, engineers, builders, craftsmen, etc. For these reasons, the us govenment of design standards and qualifications was often included in other professional organisations that involved design.[18] Organisations like the Chartered Society of Designers, established in the UK in 1986, as well as the American Designers Institute, founded in 1938, governed various parts of design.

It hasn’t been until later that specific representation to the interior design profession was made. The US National Society of Interior Designers was established in 1957, within the UK the Interior Decorators and Designers Association was established in 1966. Across Europe, other organisations such as The Finnish Association of Interior Architects (1949) were being established along with 1994 the International Interior Design Association was founded.[18]

Ellen Mazur Thomson, author of Origins of Graphic Design in America (1997), determined that professional status is achieved through education, self-imposed standards and professional gate-keeping organizations.[18] Having achieved this, home design became an established profession.