Interior Design
College Award
Applications open
Course duration: 1 Year (September or January intake)
School: KLC School of Design
Location: London
Learn the essentials of residential interior design, style, and sourcing and advance your career in the world of interior design on this part-time industry-respected certificate course.
This part time, one-year course is the perfect option for those with busy life commitments who want to become a professional residential interior designers in an immersive, but flexible way.Tailored to help students develop theirpersonal creativityand encourage them to start thinking like an interior designer, this part-timecourse is a great option for those looking to fast track their route to employment.
Course structure
Alongside engaging and carefully formulated lectures and workshops, the course is enhanced withregular inspirational talksfrom leading designers and industry experts as well as showroom visits and trips to the V&A.
In between easy-to-follow inspirational lessons andfundamental skillsworkshops, students undertakea number oflearningresearchprojectsandsourcing assignmentsin the first half of the course. This gives them a goodfoundation of knowledgeas they work towards commencing theirfirst concept design projectwhere they have an opportunity to put skills learned into practice. The course then culminates in anexciting final live project where students are able to work with an actual client, pitching their design exactly as they would in a real-life job.
Students will leave the course ready to work in the residential interior design industry with all the key decorative and technical skills to design, style and source for kitchens, bathrooms living and sleeping areas of the home. Others may wish to combine previous knowledge and workplace experience with their new skills to open up exciting entrepreneurial opportunities.
Course units
Projects and Assignments
Design Project 1- Residential bedroom and bathroom
Design Project 2- Residential kitchen, dining and living space
Research Project 1- Evolution of Style project and test
Research Project 2- Sourcing Assignments x3.
Syllabus
Design Process
Taking the brief, research and conceptual work
Design analysis and development
Design implementation and evaluation.
Colour, Texture and Styling
Theory and psychology of colour
Suitability, composition and application of textiles and trimmings, wall and floor coverings and materials and finishes
Upholstery
Window treatments
Accessories, art and antiques
Styling
Decorative Schemes and Sourcing
Putting together a successful decorative scheme, incorporating patterned and plain fabrics, paint finishes and wallpaper
Sourcing furniture and accessories for a given brief
Sourcing from different trade suppliers
Writing a professional design statement
Introduction to Technical Understanding
Introduction to the principles of design to include scale, proportion, ergonomics and space planning
Introduction to lighting
Introduction to building construction
Introduction to kitchen and bathroom design
Communication Skills
Drawing from survey notes
Drawing plans, elevations, sections, furniture layouts and lighting plans
Graphics
Freehand sketching
Introduction to EstiPC / EstiMac
Visual presentation skills to include concept, presentation and sample boards
Rendering techniques
SketchUp
AutoCAD (taught on PC)
Evolution of Style
French and English interior styles from the 17th to early 21st Century
Influential interior designers and decorators
Professional Practice
Specifying, ordering, estimating and invoicing
Record keeping and business administration
Preparation of fee proposals
Setting up trade accounts and the use of trade showrooms
Time management and working to budget
Planning permissions
Contracts and insurance requirements
Working in the industry and introduction to BIID
Portfolio preparation
Advice on finding work in the industry
Please note that students cover the same content and receive the same qualification whether they take the full time or part time study option.
Contact hours
Part Time, 2 days a week (10.00am - 4.00pm). Monday & Tuesday (September intake), or Thursday & Friday (January intake), plus aminimum of 5 hours of self-directed study per week is required to complete the course.During projects, many students voluntarily spend more than the minimum.
This course has half-term breaks for each of the three terms: 1 week in Autumn, Spring and Summer.
Entry requirements
The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:
- No previous art and design experienceisrequired.
- Applicants must be 18 or over
English Language Requirements
- Good command of written and spoken English is required for all applicants.
- If you reside in the UK, but English is not your first language, you may be asked to undertake an approved English language test.
Student gallery
Our extensive links with designers, suppliers, manufacturers, specialists and professionals within the interior design and garden design industries allow us to offer our students unmatched opportunities to work on live design projects, work shadowing and employment opportunities.
As part of our commitment to offering industry-ready qualifications, our students are offered guidance on CV preparation, portfolio presentation, professional practice and upon graduation; our careers service also helps graduates find internships, job placements and freelance appointments utilising our jobs board.
Read more
Course tutors
Edith Morgans, BMus is our Course Manager for Certificate of Residential Interior Design.
Ally Wates originally trained as a theatre designer, moving into decorating and then attending KLC as a Diploma student. Ally is our Certificate Course Leader at KLC School of Design.
Sarah Berry, Dip ISD is our Certificate Tutor.
Daniela La Cava, BA(Hons) PGCertHE FHEA is our course tutor who is an experienced Interior Designer, holding a First Class BA Honours in Interior Design.
Ina Parker, BA hons, PgCert is our Interior Design Tutor.
Natalie Arnold is a multi-faceted artist, illustrator and designer. After graduating with a degree in Interior Architecture BA (Hons), she worked in the commercial design industry while continuing to practice her fine art.
Rita Pohoomal, BA(Hons) , PsychD,MUKCP is our Senior Course Tutor FT Certificate.
Ariela Cassinelli is ourSubject Lead Interior Design at KLC School of Designwith 13 years of practical experience working in London, Miami, Lima and Tel Aviv.
Fiona Bell is an interior design tutor with fifteen years of experience in the industry. She trained at the KLC School of Design in London and has worked for several interior design consultancies as well as running her own company. She teaches the Certificate course at KLC, specialising in residential design.
Jelena Radelj is a trained Architect and Interior Designer with 22 years of experience working in London, Milan and Zagreb.Jelena has five years of teaching experience as a supporting Interior Design Tutor at KLC School of Design.
Our KLC School of Design offers industry-leading interior design degrees and garden design courses with unrivalled teaching, flexible learning and ongoing career support
KLC School of DesignFees & funding
Course fees are the same for UK and international students
- £10,475
How to apply
Entry onto the course is by interview only. Applications for this course can be made by submitting a completed application form and emailing it to[emailprotected].
Computer-aided design is a key part of this course; therefore applicants must be computer literate and able to confidently use their personal laptop.
Any questions?
Email[emailprotected];call us on: (01243) 818 300and select option 1.
Related courses
Our online Certificate Interior Design course is accessible on all your devices 24/7 via KLC's bespoke virtual learning environment (VLE). Through this online web portal, students have constant access to dynamic course materials developed by industry experts. Broken down into four sections, the course layout is clear and easy to use with practical step by step instructions.
Online Certificate in Residential Interior DesignNews
Awards 1st December 2023
Students announced as Finalists in Society of Garden Designers Awards 2023
Congratulations to Garden Design Diploma studentsSophie Knittel, Julia Hill, Rebecca Lloyd-Jones and Joshua Millard who have been announced as finalists in the Society of Garden Designers Awards 2023!With a judging panel consisting of industry-leading garden designers including Sarah Morgan, David Stevens, and Tom Massey, the student awards are a celebration of outstanding proje...
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KLC School of Design 27th July 2023
KLC School of Design Graduation 2022-2023
KLC School of Design held the 2022-23 Graduation and Awards on the 15 July inthe Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour, and it was a great success as students, tutors and a whole host of design industry professionals, as well as family and friends, attended the ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the 2022 and 2023 interior design graduates.KLC School of Design has always been incredi...
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Foundation 7th July 2023
Making makes the difference: Our new brand
We are delighted to introduce our new brand design for West Dean following our integration with KLC School of Design and the expansion of our courses.The new style embodies the power of making and the maker, across arts, craft, conservation and design. It is a celebration of mark-making as well as the mark our students make on the world.We are very proud of it, and hope you like it to...
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Events 23rd May 2023
RHS Chelsea Flower Show success
Congratulations to all involved in making RHS Chelsea Flower Show such a success for 2023!
Garden Diploma Course Leader, Horticultural Consultant & Show Garden SpecialistHumaira Ikram was invited with her planting team to work withCleve West on the incredibly important and Gold Medal winning Centre Point Garden about youth homelessness.Current Garden Design Diploma...
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Events 3rd May 2023
KLC School of Design Connect's Inspirational Talk with Katharine Pooley
KLC School of Design Connect was delighted to host an Inspirational Talk withKatharine Pooleyand designers in her team, Hannah Durojaiye, April Hudson and Sarah Jane.
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Events 14th March 2023
KLC Connect Designers Evening at Waterworks
KLC Connect is an initiative which aims at introducing and connecting students to the interior design community. Launched in 2017, KLC Connect is designed to facilitate the transition from studying to employment. During these events, students have the chance to meet and talk with interior designers, industry experts and suppliers.
KLC hosted another successful Designers Evening at the...
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KLC School of Design 7th March 2023
The success story by Studio 3 Creatives, founded by KLC Alumni
Studio 3 Creatives, founded by KLC Alumni, featured in The Sunday Times for Barnes Refurbishment
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Events 7th March 2023
‘Grow Your Business – Design for Wellbeing’ Design Week Talk
KLC School of Design was delighted to present ‘Grow Your Business – Design for Wellbeing’ talk at London Design Week. This informative and valuable talk was presented by Emma Storey of Ensemblier, journalist and writer Geoff Heath-Taylor and Evie Bulmer of Edward Bulmer Natural Paints.
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Awards 5th October 2022
KLC School of Design Tutor, Gerard Puxhe, Wins 1st Prize at International Contemporary Art Contest
GerardPuxheisaninternationalaward-winningSpanishLondonbaseddesignerand digitalartist, aswellas a KLC School of Design and West Dean College seniorDiploma Applied HEtutor andlecturer.
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Awards 23rd August 2022
KLC School of Design recognised in a Financial Times article
In a recent Financial Times Article, ‘How to choose a good interior designer’, the author, Sarah Fokschaner, addresses the concern of an unregulated interior design industry consisting of tens of thousands of designers and the problem of how to find talented and professional interior designers.
Find out more
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