Learn to Design Home Interiors

What You Learn:

• Different design components and their varied characteristics
• 18 different interior design styles
• Incorporating services into design – eg. electricity, telecommunications, gas, water
• Varied contexts eg. new or old buildings, commercial or residential, etc
• How to apply fundamental principles of interior design to create better interior spaces
• Balancing aesthetics, function, occupant wellbeing and cost in interior design. 

Course Content

There are 10 lessons in this course:

Lesson 1.

• Scope and Nature of Interior Design
• Introductory Considerations
• Interior Designers & Skills Required
• History of Interior Design
• Popular Styles
• Trends
• Decorating with Colour
• Decorating with Texture
• Wabi-sabi
• Decorating with Pattern
• Decorating with Artwork
• Decoration with Features
• Principles
• Other Influential Design Components

Lesson 2.

• Choosing Components
• Introduction
• Paints
• Hard Materials. metal etc - glass, masonry, polymers, stone, tiles, plasterboard
• Floor Treatments
• Finishes
• Soft Materials and Accessories
• Choosing Furnishings
• Window Coverings
• Design Brief
• Preparing Colour Samples and Materials Boards
• Preserving Nature in Interior Design
• Indoor/Outdoor Rooms and Spaces
• Using and Placing Indoor Plants

Lesson 3.

• Choosing Services
• Introduction
• Types of Services -electricity, gas, water, telecommunications
• Heating and Cooling
• Managing Heat Transfer
• Heating Options
• Hot Water Systems
• Lighting
• Ambient Lighting
• Task Lighting
• Accent Lighting
• Electrical Outlets & Light Switches
• Telephone and Internet
• Water Supply
• Other Services
• Smart Building Solutions
• Robots for Cleaning
• Collaboration in Creative Processes
• On site Safety

Lesson 4. Redesigning an Old Building

• Ethics and Legalities
• Ethics of Building Preservation
• What is Regulated
• Planning Consent
• Heritage and Conservation Areas
• Evaluating the Site
• Creativity
• Determining a Client Goals
• Changes? - Restoration, REnovation or Design
• Redecoration
• Reorganisation/Altering Space
• Drawing Floor Plans

Lesson 5. Designing a New Building

• Role of a Designer
• Colour and Aesthetics
• Physical Features
• Practical Features
• Luxury Features and Quality
• Resources
• Structures -considering size, level, straightness, type of materials
• Sound and sound proofing
• Acoustic Panels
• Properties of Different Materials - Thermal, Electrical, Environmental, Economic, etc
• Technology in Design
• Sensors and Robotics in New Home Design
• Design Simulation
• CAD Design Process

Lesson 6. Altering Spaces

• Working with a Brief
• Spatial Awareness
• Photos, Sketches, Accurate Measurements
• Levelling
• Using Computer Software
• Spatial Planning
• Use of Space - storage, work, social, private
• Design Considerations - axis lines, focal points
• Creating Flow
• Creating Specific Areas
• Using Views
• Functionality, Proportion, Scale
• The Kitchen Triangle Design
• Altering Existing Spaces -Extensions, Conversions
• Recreating Original Styles
• Workplace Interiors.

Lesson 7. Organising the Interior

• Introduction
• Design Decisions for Organising Space - Harmony, unity, balance, scale, proportion, rhythm, contrast, details
• Reorganisation
• Temporary or Permanent Change
• Creating Ambience
• Reorganising Furnishings
• Maximising Use of Space -Decluttering, distancing, space saving furniture, using smaller items, using walls, visual effects
• Storage Example - Butlers pantry
• Creating Open Plan Spaces

Lesson 8. Designing for Health & Wellbeing

• Introduction
• Interior Materials for Better Health - paints, natural paint
• Managing Bacteria, Rots, other Biological Hazards
• Adhesives, Fabrics
• Feng Shui
• Biophilic Design
• Green Design
• Ergonomics
• The Psychology of Interior Design

Lesson 9. Budgeting

• Budgeting Priorities, Timing, Feasibility
• Managing a Project
• Implementing an Operational Plan
• Controlling a Project
• Creating a GANTT Chart
• Critical Path Analysis
• Invoicing
• Bad Debts

Lesson 10. Special Project

• Four parts to this project 
• Choose a room to design
• Research design considerations
• Prepare a design
• Report on your design

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Until you get some experience behind you, advice from a professional is essential.  If you have a friend or relative who is a tradesman, or who works in the property industry; get their opinion. 

Start with Bite Size Designs

It is best to begin with small jobs. Even if you have an entire building to design, don’t start by trying to renovate the whole house at once. Consider planning and executing the design of just one room first. You will learn so much from that first experience, that your task of planning the design for the next room will be so much easier. 

Colour & Aesthetics

Many people start by considering colour. Certain colours (and patterns) are often associated with certain periods. If you are living in a time where cool colours are fashionable, it may be wise to paint over warm colours. If you live in a place and time where bright, flamboyant patterns are fashionable; it may be worth introducing these, but such things may not be always appropriate in all locations and at all times. 

The materials and finishes you choose may be influenced by aesthetics. Aesthetics is a very important consideration. No-one wants to look at something they consider to be ugly however it should also be borne in mind that whilst some finishes are clearly of a higher quality than others, aesthetics is very much personal taste.  You may like marble kitchen bench tops but your client may prefer granite or timber. Remember you are working for your clients tastes and preferences.   

Practical Features

People expect certain features in modern houses e.g., for houses in warm climates most people would look for ceiling fans, good ventilation, and air conditioning.  For houses in cold climates insulation and heating systems are desirable. In places where mosquitoes or other insects are prevalent insect screens fitted to doors and windows would be highly sought after. In places where criminal activity is perceived as a threat, security systems, strong or impenetrable fencing and lockable gates would be high on people's wish list. In bushfire prone areas a sprinkler system, gutter guards and smoke alarms would be a good idea.  

Luxury Features & Quality 

Luxury features also have a place in design. A swimming pool may be great if you live in a warm climate, but it is not everyone's favourite idea of how to make use of outdoor space. It could deter some potential buyers from the property. Similarly, if the client wants to spend excessive cash on marble kitchen floors and bench tops, whilst it might look amazing, you may not recoup that money when it comes to selling up.    

Any design should be done with performance in mind. Furthermore, the quality of materials and finishes can determine whether faults occur later. For instance, using the wrong type of plasterboard in a wet area could result in moisture problems later on. It is not always possible to avoid problems later on. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances can affect quality e.g. changes in climate could affect external finishes. 

Resources Available 

The money, time, and skills available to your client will always be a limitation upon what can be done. If money is unlimited; plans may be unhindered, but this is rarely the case. If a homeowner intends doing as much of the work as possible themselves, there may be limits due to time they have available and their skill level. Sometimes people start a design project on a new build with the greatest of intentions but soon find they have taken on too much and are unable to continue. The cost or expense of a project is usually the main factor which decides whether the project is "worth it", or feasible, from a spending point of view.

A budget proposal gives a rough indication of expenses that can be estimated, and is not a detailed forecast of what actual costs will be. A budget however should make provision of any unexpected costs, or extra spending that may be required to complete the project. Although a budget should not exaggerate, provision should be made for additional costs by adding a percentage to the total figure (usually 5-10%). Other additional expenses should be clearly listed, and separately noted in the budget under "Provisional Extra Costs". Finally, care should be taken to avoid "miscellaneous" or "contingency" items which can be misrepresented or confused.

WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THIS COURSE?

Anyone who contributes to or plays a part in arranging the interior of a building (residential, industrial or commercial).

This might include amateurs or professionals, for example: A home renovator, Interior decorator, Interior plantscaper, Artist, Property manager, Architect, Builder, Furniture salesperson, Wellbeing consultant or ecotherapist.