Our course is designed to prepare students to work professionally as Interior Designers. We recognise the importance of continuing professional development and recommend that our students join the British Interior Design Association (BIDA) as student members. BIDA is the only professional interior design association in the UK. Once Learning Curve students have completed their course they may apply to BIDA to become a Qualified Designer Member after one years' work experience. Achieving designer membership of BIDA involves attending for an interview and presenting a portfolio of work. For more information about BIDA and the requirements of membership please see their website: www.bida.org

why choose us?

Our tutorial support is second-to-none! You'll be assigned a personal tutor as soon as you enrol who will work with you all the way through. You can contact your tutor directly at any time if you have any questions or problems, or if you would just like a chat about how the course is going. Tutorial support is by e-mail and/or telephone.

Tutors can also offer advice on developing your portfolio, working as an Interior Designer, and your continuing professional development. 

Click here to learn more about practical work in our design courses.

course outline

Each module averages around 30 - 40 pages in length, and there is an assignment at the end of each one. During the course you will also complete a project. Many of the assignments and modules include practical exercises - all of which can easily be completed by the home study student.

Students have the opportunity to create a number of designs, including one full-length design project.

Includes course book, The Interior Design Course, as well as booklets - Introduction to Presentation Tools for Interior Designers and Drawing Skills for Designers.

Module 1: The World of Interior Design. An introduction. Working as an interior designer. Developing as a designer. Key principles. Understanding colour. Working with lighting. Beginning your style and design notebooks.

Module 2: Planning Space. Working with clients. Developing negotiation skills. Presentation techniques and tools. The survey - understanding and using a survey sheet. Planning the space: room-by-room analysis. Understanding ergonomics. Working to a client brief.

Module 3: Foundation Work. More on colour theory, including colour perception. Sensory experience. Designing to include utilities - water, electricity, gas. Windows and light: selecting window dressings for problem windows. Understanding unique client needs.

Module 4: Design Principles.1. More on soft furnishings: key features of fabrics; selecting the right fabric. Surface treatments: wallpaper; wood; stone; slate and marble; stone flooring, tiles - natural stone options, composites, linoleum, cork, rubber, and vinyl, glass, terracotta, metal; carpets and natural fibres. More on lighting. Daylighting and well being, including seasonal affective disorder. Sources of inspiration. Feng shui.

Module 5: Design Principles 2. Patio Areas. Outdoor living. Indoor planting. Plants in interior design. Selecting and maintaining plants. Psychology of interior design. psychology of space. Enhancing well being.

Module 6: Rules and Regulations. Building and planning regulations. Listed building status and interiors. Understanding building regulations for the interior design project. Identifying and selecting suppliers. Creating a sense of place. New trends.

Module 7: Furniture. Furniture and interior design - establishing function, seating groups. Understanding space - balance and functionality. Creating a traffic plan. Choosing furniture - upholstered pieces, non-upholstered pieces. Selecting materials. commercial interiors. Disability discrimination act 2005. Practical considerations when designing a commercial interior. Names to remember: Alvaar Aalto, Antoni Gaudi, Charles Mackintosh, Frank Lloyd Wright,Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Salvador Dali, Le Corbusier, Josef Hoffmann, Philip Webb, Louis Sullivan, John Ruskin, Frank O. Gehry. Glossary of Furniture terms.

Module 8: The History of Interior Design. Beginnings - Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, revival influences. Medieval furniture and decor - early design, Byzantine design. Early Medieval. Renaissance design. High Renaissance. English Renaissance. Elizabethan interiors. The Jacobean era. Georgian interiors. Regency furniture. Early Victorian. The battle of the styles. The Arts and Crafts movement. Art Nouveau. Edwardian furniture. The Modern Movement. Gropius and the Bauhaus. Art Deco. Post-modern design.

Module 9: Green Design. Understanding green design. Health issues - identifying hazards. Sourcing materials and supplies. Understanding air quality. Climate change and home design. The home as a system - thermal comfort, lessons from the past, sunlight and the home, daylighting, passive solar energy, ventilation and the home, heat loss and wind chill, water and the home. Energy use in the home - energy options, including renewables. The low-impact home.

Module 10: Running Your Own Design Practice. Client contracts. Understanding professional insurance. Record keeping - client file, job-tracking worksheet. Planning your business - working alone or with others. Why new businesses fail. Planning your business. Introduction to marketing and advertising. Understanding PR. Marketing your business successfully. The coaching section - defining your business goals, the difference between goals and dreams, using a goals board. Design project part 1.

Module 11: Your Business Plan. Creating a business plan. What shall I charge? Understanding expenditure. Cashflow. Sources of funding. Contingency planning. The coaching section - working towards your goals, step out of your comfort zone. Design project part 2.