Course Structure & Content:
There are 10 lessons in this course:
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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 – Butler’s pantry
- Creating Open Plan Spaces
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
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
Special Project
Four parts to this project
- Choose a room to design
- Research design considerations
- Prepare a design
- Report on your design
LESSON AIMS
- Explain the impact of the macro-environment (location) on health.
- Develop an understanding of chemicals used in and around buildings and their impact upon human health.
- Explain the impact of building surrounds, including a garden on the interior environmental conditions.
- Choose interior furnishings that are not likely to damage human health.
- Explain the health implications of using different types of finishes, including sealers, paints, preservatives and stains.
- Explain the health implications of using alternative methods of pest control in buildings and adjacent gardens.
- Plan health-conscious management systems for interior environments.
- To develop an appreciation of the opportunities for, and implications of, advising people on the health status of buildings and recommending changes to the management of their use.
CHEMICALS IN BUILDINGS
Chemicals are used in most buildings in a variety of different ways, for example:
- As a construction material (e.g. bitumen roofing, insulation materials, etc.)
- As a lubricant (e.g. grease or oil to make door hinges move easily)
- As a sealant or coating material (e.g. paints or varnishes)
- As an adhesive (e.g. glues which fix other materials together)
- As a cleaner
- As a pesticide (e.g. to control termites on foundations, to bait vermin, etc)
- As a fungicide (e.g. to control dry rot).
In many cases, the chemical is meant to do a job, and then disappear. However, this is not always the case. Residues of chemicals are usually left behind and some chemical residues may accumulate with repeated use of the same chemical. Research undertaken by the University of New South Wales indicated that globally there are an astounding 80,000 in commercial use
Although no single chemical may cause problems, the cumulative effect of many different types of chemicals can increase a person’s sensitivity and eventually lead to problems.
Do You Have the Potential and Commitment to become a Good Interior Designer?
Interior design appeals to many different types of individuals. There is no “typical” interior designer. It may be someone interested in
- Art
- Architecture
- Construction
- Textiles and fabrics
- Upholstery
- Fashion in furnishing
- Design
- Drawing or CAD (computer aided design)
What skills are required to be an interior designer?
- Good design skills
- A good knowledge of interior design
- A knowledge of building and construction
- High attention to detail
- Thoroughness
- Good customer service skills
- Good communication skills, both written and verbal
- A good imagination, to come up with new ideas and ways of doing things
- The ability to work under your own initiative
- Able to work to tight deadlines and under pressure
- Good team player
- An understanding of design software packages is also useful.