Interior Design

Contrary to popular belief, Interior Designers do much more than just arrange furniture or pick out wallpaper! While it is true that Interior Designers must have comprehensive interior decorating training, they are also responsible for the much larger task of ensuring that a building's layout and furnishings create an efficient, welcoming, and productive environment. Our interior design courses will prepare you for everything from reading blueprints to planning full-building layouts, and will also provide extensive interior decorating training.

Interior Design Description

Interior Designers often work directly with architects to ensure the best possible design of a building from the very beginning, and can be involved in planning the interior spaces of hospitals, offices, schools, restaurants, shopping malls, residences, and just about any other type of building. No matter what type of building an interior designer is working on, however, the goal is the same: to enhance the aesthetics, function and safety of the space within.

Interior design courses will teach you how to accomplish this goal by covering the steps that all design processes go through. First, an Interior Designer must understand the client's needs, wants, and budget in order to create a plan. Planning can include everything from determining the placement of windows, doors, and stairways, to choosing stylistic motifs or color patterns. Once the plan is finalized, the Designer must oversee the initial implementation, which includes specifying materials as well as meeting with architects and builders to ensure the work is done properly. Finally, once any construction is complete, the Designer must use his or her interior decorating training to make the space aesthetically pleasing, which might include picking out floor and wall coverings, setting up lighting, and choosing the best furniture for a particular application.

Interior Design Careers

There are many career options for Interior Designers. Most start as apprentices at larger firms, but many move on to focus on one particular type of design, such as restaurants or schools, and many even form their own independent design studios. Interior designers might also be contracted by large businesses or corporations to oversee large-scale design, where they might focus on improving aspects of existing space; for example, by improving energy efficiency or lowering environmental impact.

As more businesses and institutions come to fully understand the effect that a building's interior spaces can have on the people within, career opportunities will continue to expand, and individuals who have completed interior design courses or who have interior decorating training will be in high demand. Many areas now require Interior Designers to be licensed, which usually requires the completion of adequate interior design courses or an appropriate degree program. Enroll now, and you'll be well on your way to a fulfilling career doing much more than just arranging furniture!