Introduction to Interior Design

Entry Requirements

No previous art or design experience is required to undertake this course, just an enthusiasm and interest for the subject.

Course Details

The course programme is delivered through a combination of inspirational lectures and hands on workshops and a showroom visit and specialist talk. Tutors are professional interior designers or industry specialists.

In addition to talks on colour, wall and floorcoverings, textiles, trimmings, window treatments, lighting and accessories, students will be introduced to space planning, kitchen and bathroom design and shown how to work with scale and create impact. They will also learn how to use colour effectively and develop a scheme using pattern and texture and how and where to source materials and finishes.

An exciting aspect is the process of accessing creativity and developing themes to provide a cohesive result. In addition to an introduction to the key subject of lighting there is also a valuable session on co-ordinating a project and how to work successfully with contractors and ensure that the project runs smoothly.

Delivery

Tutors are all practising professional designers and will take students chronologically through the design process from setting the budget through to assembling a professional looking design scheme. Students will be shown how to develop their creative ideas through a combination of lectures, hands on workshops and voluntary assignments. By the end of the course, they should have the confidence to plan simple room layouts, create a cohesive look, put decorative schemes together and communicate their ideas.

Syllabus

• The starting point (where to begin, prioritising the budget)
• The decorative palette (developing a scheme, effective use of colour, pattern and texture)
• Developing a scheme, sourcing and styling (how to create an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive decorative style)
• Conceptual development (where to find inspiration, how to release creativity and develop a concept)
• Planning room layouts (working with scale, how to make an impact, introduction to ergonomics)
• Window treatments (ideas for inspiration, appropriate treatments for different shaped windows and rooms, working with a curtain maker)
• Textiles and trimmings (an introduction to their application in interiors)
• Wall and floorcoverings (paints, papers, hard and soft flooring, advice on sourcing)
• Styling and display (using accessories in interiors, mixing inherited and contemporary pieces, using antiques in today's interiors)
• Lighting (ideas for lighting on a room by room basis, creating mood and developing an awareness of energy efficiency)
• Kitchens and bathrooms (introduction to requirements for these areas together with planning options)
• Visual presentation skills (how to communicate your ideas visually through the preparation of concept/mood boards and sample boards)
• How to coordinate your project successfully (schedule work, pitfalls to avoid, communicating with contractors)
• Design inspirations and trends