Diploma in Interior Design & Decoration

About our Interior Design Diploma Course

The Diploma course in Interior Design & Decoration is an in-depth course that covers the fundamentals of interior design and decoration, preparing you for a career in the interior design industry. Any interior design consultant working with interior spaces must have the skill and ability to select appropriate colour and style details, as this is the only way to create interior schemes that are visually attractive and coherent.

To do this effectively, you need to have a thorough understanding of the elements of style and design, so that you can successfully deconstruct and reconstruct any style effectively, making changes and adaptations to reflect the individual preferences of your client.

Developing these skills play a significant part in this interior design and decoration course, however the program goes beyond mere interior decoration; teaching you the fundamentals of professional interior design by planning interior layouts, designing soft-furnishings and lighting schemes, and learning how to communicate your ideas professionally to both clients and contractors...

It is a relatively small percentage of residential clients who hire an interior designer to make major renovations that affect the structure of the building. The majority of homeowners prefer to work with their existing structure and use surface finishes and furnishings to create a style that is visually pleasing, coherent, and reflective of their own personality.

With so much choice available to us it's easy for the untrained person to make expensive mistakes and that is why so many residential clients will seek the services of a professional consultant, so they can get it right first time! If this is the area you are interested in then the high standard of skills and knowledge you will attain with this interior design and decoration course will undoubtedly give you a strong competitive edge in the residential marketplace.

On successful completion of this course you will be able to provide clients with design solutions that are as practical as they are visually pleasing, and you will have sufficient skills and knowledge to implement your changes successfully.

Students of this course are eligible to join CID (Certified Interior Decoratiors) International as student members and they may progress to full professional membership status once they graduate from the course. Essentially, this interior design course is a professional training program for individuals interested in designing interior schemes, primarily for residential clients.

What you will learn?

To get a full description of this course curriculum and see examples of student work, we would recommend you download the digital prospectus on the right side of this page. The curriculum details are also listed below for your convenience. Essentially, there are 20 lessons in this course, which are grouped together under the following collection of modules:

• Colour
• Style & design
• Surface finishes
• Curtains & soft furnishings
• Lighting
• Professional presentation
• Final project

Colour - Achieving the right colour balance is central to any successful interior design scheme, as even the most expensive materials will look cheap and garish if the colours are clashing. Although society greatly admires those who are “naturally” creative with colour, the ability to use colour is a skill that everyone can learn and there are simple (yet powerful) tools and techniques that successful designers use to create winning colour combinations time and time again. In this section of the course, you will explore the most important aspects of colour for the interior designer, including the following topics:

• Colour Science – what exactly is colour; the relationship between colour and light
• Colour theory – the natural laws of colour and how to use them
• Successful colour combinations – how to make any colour look good (so that you can work with any colour successfully)
• Colour characteristics – using colour to disguise, emphasise and create illusions in your interior schemes
• Colour notation – understanding the language of colour so you can communicate your design decisions with knowledge and confidence
• Colour Psychology – how and why colours affect our emotions, and the importance of colour psychology to you as an Interior Designer

Style & design - Fashion is transient, changing with each new season, while real style is timeless, and its enduring quality is testimony to the skill of the designer that created it. It can be quite a balancing act to create a scheme that has lasting appeal, without looking dated or passé, and even more so when you are creating a style that is not to your own personal tastes. Yet, successful designers must be able to design practical and visually stunning interiors in a variety of styles that echo the personality of their clients rather than the designer.

The key to success is understanding what exactly it is that makes a “style”, and this section of the course will help you to “train your eye” so that you can objectively assess any style and use the main elements as a foundation on which to build a new, unique design; one that reflects the tastes and individual ideals of your clients. Topics include:

• What makes a style? – How to analyse and identify the key elements of a variety of styles
• Categories of Style – Major design styles around the world
• Eclecticism in design – Beyond style, designing for the individual client
• The Elements and Principles of Design – The building blocks of design and how to use them successfully in interiors (Shape & Form, pattern and texture, rhythm and harmony etc...)
• Achieving Visual balance – Symmetry, asymmetry and radial balance
• Designing with Space – Space Planning & Open-plan living
• Accessories & Finishing Touches – Using decorative details to create a design that is individual and up-to-the-minute.

Surface finishes - Walls, floors and ceilings are the largest surface areas in our rooms, so they create a considerable impact in our designs. With more choices available than ever before, it can be exciting to think about all the decorating possibilities, yet practical issues must be taken into consideration if a design is to stand up to the wear and tear of everyday life.

Well planned interiors balance creativity with practicality, by incorporating suitable materials and storage facilities so that clients can enjoy their homes without excessive strain maintaining a “designer show-home”. This section of the course examines the main products available for our interior surfaces, and reveals the advantages and disadvantages of each, so you can design for function as well as aesthetics.

• Walls, Ceilings & Work Surfaces – A complete look of the options available and how specialist preparation and installation techniques can impact your design choices short and long-term
• Flooring choices – This area receives the most wear, so designers must be familiar with the options available in soft, hard & semi-hard flooring and the practical implications of each
• Paints & Wallpapers – These play a major role in residential interiors, and are examined in depth with guides for calculating requirements
• Specialist Decorative Finishes – Using murals, trompe l’oeil and faux finishes to achieve dramatic and unique interiors
• Kitchen & Bathroom Design – Planning space efficiently and the kitchen “Work Triangle”
• Storage – Maximising space for improved living
• Practical planning –Creating an Order of Work and logical work flow pattern
• Creating your design – Analysing the requirements

Curtains & soft furnishings - Windows determine the view and amount of natural light that enters your windows, and successful window dressing is as much about framing the view outside, as it is about adding style to the inside. Curtains and soft furnishings are investment purchases, and mistakes are costly in more ways than one ? but a clear understanding and knowledge of how curtains are made and fitted will help you to avoid un-necessary mistakes. Furthermore, you will be able to see how simple techniques can be used to achieve an interior that is co-ordinated without appearing predictable or contrived.

In order to design window treatments and soft furnishings successfully, you must have a full understanding of fabric and soft furnishing construction. These are covered in full in this module, as well as the following:

• Curtain headings, edges and bodies – how you can vary an individual element to create curtain designs that are individual and easy for any curtain maker to achieve
• Pelmets & valances – various styles and how they can be adapted
• Choosing fabrics – practical considerations and pitfalls to avoid
• Poles, tracks & accessories – how to choose the right one
• Readymade curtains & soft furnishings – when and how to use them successfully
• Ways of using fabric around the home – tables, beds, upholstery and “tenting” effects

Lighting - Lighting is not just an obvious necessity, it can be skillfully used to draw attention to decorative details and it is a wonderful way to create mood and atmosphere. Recent studies have shown that well-designed lighting systems enhance our health and well-being and homeowners and businesses alike can benefit greatly from improved lighting design. However, successful lighting schemes must be planned at the beginning of a design project —so that wiring can be installed before decorating begins.

This module takes a practical approach to lighting, and you will learn about the different types of lighting (such as ambient, task and decorative...) and the fundamentals of lighting design in relation to residential interiors. All too often, our homes lack quality lighting systems because of improper planning, and retro-fitting is simply impractical after expensive decoration has been carried out. After you have completed this section of the Diploma course, you will have the knowledge to incorporate lighting into your total interior scheme successfully and you will have the tools to communicate professionally with architects and electricians. Topics covered include:

• Natural Lighting – How to make the most of natural lighting with glass and mirrors
• Artificial Lighting – Various lighting effects & how to achieve them
• Quality of Light – The right way to choose bulbs & light fittings
• Adaptation Levels – Choosing appropriate light levels for specific requirements
• The technicalities of lighting – What’s relevant and what’s not in residential interiors
• Switches & wiring – Practical issues and safety considerations
• Electrical Plans & specifications – How to create clear instructions for general contractors and electricians

Professional presentation - Interior designers are expected to create interior spaces that are as practical as they are visually stunning. However, for many designers, the real challenge lies in communicating their design ideas effectively and professionally to two completely different audiences – clients and contractors.

Scaled drawings and mood boards are an important part of every designer’s work, not least because they will give you the chance to experiment with various layouts and design options before making any decisions, helping you to avoid problems and expensive mistakes before they occur. They are also valuable communication tools, and this section of the course will show you how to create impressive presentations that will help to sell your ideas and illustrate your ability as a Professional Interior Designer. The following topics are covered in this module:

• Design preliminaries - Meeting your client and defining design requirements
• Visual communication - Using mood and sample boards to help clients “see” your design ideas
• Surveying - How to measure a room and record relevant details
• Creating scaled drawings (the international language of professional designers) – Step-by-step diagrams will show you how to produce detailed plans and elevations to a professional standard
• Design briefs and specifications - Presenting your design ideas effectively and with clear instructions for contractors
• Contracts & paperwork - Professional dealings with clients, suppliers and contractors
• Pricing your services - How and what should you charge a client?

Final project - At the end of the course, students will be asked to complete a Final Project, which will involve designing and communicating an interior scheme for a domestic situation. Receipt of the Limperts Academy Diploma in Interior Design will acknowledge your proficiency and skill as in Interior Designer, and will give you the confidence to go forward and pursue your new career with vigour.