OfCourse Interior Design Academy Course Modules

What makes OfCourse Interior Design Academy unlike any other interior decorating certificate program is our ability to teach students that interior design is not about taking a home out of its reach.

During our interior design online courses, students are taught to thrive in this NEXT GENERATION Interior Design Environment. You can continue to hold a tight grip on what the design field was like 10-15 years ago, but as an OfCourse Interior Design Academy Student you will be taught how to educate your clients with impactful designs that will touch them on multiple levels including a sense of security, comfort, peace and support of their home on an emotional and physical level.

01

A Designer’s Approach to a Career in Interior Decorating

 

What is design and how do you develop your thought process when meeting with a client? What is the professional mindset to be a successful decorator? How do you set your visions and goals?

Plus our Pre-programming Questionnaire to assist you to interview our storybook family, Robert and Kathryn Peterson so that you can better understand a client’s needs and requirements to deliver the most functional and beautiful spaces, flawlessly and with great confidence.

Lessons

  • Brief History of Interior Design
  • What is Interior Design?
  • The Mindset of a Successful Interior Decorator
  • A Day In the Life of An Interior Designer
  • What is Visioning
  • Introduction to Vision Boards
  • Six Simple Steps to Create A Vision Board
  • Checklist to Ensure a Successful Vision Board
  • Pre-Programming Questionnaire

02

The Origins and History of Interior Design and Architecture

Want to feel like you are back in time while gaining knowledge about the design periods and movements in Europe and America since the mid-18th century?

Explore as we discuss periods such as Rocco, Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modernism as well as the impact of the Industrial Revolution, globalization, and the origins of interior design. Learn how to identify these periods and movements through our unique assignment at the end of this module.

    Lessons

    • The Origins of Interior Design
    • The History of Interior Design and Architecture
    • Neo-Modernism and Parametricism 1997 to Present
    • Legendary Decorators You Need to Know

    03

    Design Styles & Current Trends

     

    How would you explain your decorating style? Would you like to be clear as to your own design aesthetic? Style as it relates to interior design is how to create a space that is harmonious, balanced, comfortable, and practical.

    Learn all the characteristics and elements during our online interior design course that are needed from past to present to flawlessly design any space with ease and confidence.

    Lessons

      • Identifying Your Design Style
      • Design Styles:
        • Industrial Style
        • Neoclassical Style
        • Victorian Style
        • Traditional Style
        • Tropical Style
        • Tuscan Style
        • Arts and Crafts Style
        • Rustic Style
        • Modernism Style
        • Art Nouveau Style
        • Colonial Style
        • Eclectic Style
        • Modern Style and Urban Modern
        • Bauhaus Style
        • Country Design Style and Farmhouse Style
        • Art Deco
        • Mediterranean Style
        • Surrealism
        • Mid Century Modern-Mid 1980’s Style
        • Scandinavian Modern
        • Transitional Style
        • Contemporary Style
        • Minimalist
        • Bohemian Style
      • Current Trends

    04

    Colorful Thoughts on Color

    Want to know more about color than the average decorator?

    Go beyond a simple color palette as you begin to understand the theory of color and it’s application in a space. Complementary and analogous colors, the principles for harmonizing colors, high key and low key colors, artificial and natural light, value, intensity, how to apply these color theories to any residential or commercial property.

    Have fun with our hands-on interactive assignments where you will use paint and colored pencils to reinforce your learning of Color in this module. Become the GO TO Color Expert!

      Lessons

      • The World Of Color

      • Introduction to Color Theory and the Color Wheel

      • Warm and Cool Colors

      • Active versus Passive Colors

      • Color Schemes or Color Harmonies

      • High Key Low Key Color

      • How Light Affects Color

      • How Light Affects Color- Natural and Artificial

      • Tricks Color Plays on Color

      • Make A Magic Window, Optical Illusions

      • Solutions: Making Colors Work for Your Client

      • Color Meaning

      • Metamerism

      • Working with Paint

      • Glossary Of Color Terms

      05

      Understanding Lighting – From Concept to Scheme and Everything in Between

      Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live without light? Did you know the Human Centric light expresses the positive effect of light and lighting on our health, well being, and performance?

      Here you will learn what light really is, what mix of lighting types each and every space should have, how to design a lighting plan that is flexible, easy to use, and features all the elements and light sources required to illuminate the perfect space, as well as light and color and the circadian rhythm, and much more.

      Lessons

        • What is Light?
        • What is Human Centric Lighting?
        • Man and Light
        • Light and Color
        • Color Temperature
        • Natural Light
        • Artificial Light
        • Lighting and Interior Design
        • How to Thoughtfully Implement a Lighting Plan
        • The Options for Adding Different Layers in a Space
        • Fixture Options to Enhance a Space
        • Light Sources
        • Key Lighting Dimensions
        • The Basics of Dimming Down the Light
        • Installation Considerations
        • The Anatomy of a Lamp Shade How To Choose The Right Lampshade
        • Last Notes on The Concept of Lighting

      06

      Space: Designing a Vision into A Reality through a Holistic Design Approach

      Good design is personal and comfortable, but great design is timeless. What is a Design Concept and how will it help with keeping you focused on your vision? How will you convey your message? Bubble Diagrams? Adjacency Matrix?

      It takes talent, experience and a willingness to take risks. This module will give you the opportunity to learn and take these risks while you expand your knowledge about designing spaces in every room of a home, sight lines, positive and negative space, incorporating a holistic approach with Maslow’ Hierarchy of Needs, How to develop a design concept and statement, and our five step programming process to help you establish guidelines to keep your design project on track, and how to draw a floor plan to scale and place furniture.

      Here you will begin to apply your knowledge to develop your concepts and visions for our storyboard family’s beautiful residence in Arizona.

        Lessons

        • A “Holistic “ Approach to Analyzing a Space

        • How To Incorporate Holistic Interior Design Into Your Business

        • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Interior Design

        • Psychological and Social Influences of an Interior

        • Suggestions to Help Your Client Reach the Top of Maslow’s Pyramid.

        • Proxemics And Ergonomics/Human Factor

        • What is Positive and Negative Space?

        • Space Analysis: A Designer’s Thought Process before Drawing A Floor Plan

        • Sizing Up The Space

        • Laying Out the Space

        • Drawing a Floor Plan to Scale

        • Furniture Plans

        • Bedrooms

        • Bathrooms

        • Living Rooms and Family Rooms

        • Dining Rooms

        • Kitchens

        • Entryways

        • Home Offices

        • Children’s Multi-Purpose Rooms

        • Supplemental Material Plus One and Two Drawing

        • Perspective

        07

        Understanding the Visual Language of Interior Design

        The phrase visual language refers to an idea that communication happens through visual symbols, as opposed to verbal symbols, or words. It is through the elements and principles of design that you learn how to use them, manipulate forms, spaces, and interior components to design flawless interiors.

        Learning these concepts during the interior design course will help you better understand why some designs work or just don’t. You will be able to make intelligent decisions with the knowledge that will be gained from this module as well as learning how to use the 60/30/10 rule, where to find inspiration, and continue to design the home of our StoryBoard clients, Kathy and Robert Peterson.

        Lessons

          • Element of Interior Design
          • Principles of Interior Design
          • The Principles and Elements of Design in Action
          • What is the 60:30:10 Decorating Rule and the Golden Mean Rule?
          • Finding Design Inspiration
          • What is a Mood Board

        08

        The Elements of a Room

        Every space is made up of many key elements that are needed to be chosen, with the design style and function playing a vital role at each decision point.

        In this module, we will cover every element from A through Z which includes art and accessories, moldings, cabinetry, doors, windows, fabrics, floorings, furniture, the healing power of crystals, and more. You will become the expert in harnessing a decorating scheme that will become a real design, when you pull all these details and elements of a room together.

        Here you will continue to work on the design of six rooms in the Peterson’s residence and begin to use our unique Budgeting and Planning Tools that we have created just for this course. In addition, will also be asked to create your very own Fabric Notebook, that will be invaluable to you for your future decorating business or passionate hobby.

          Lessons

          • Woodwork

          • Architectural Features

          • Hardware

          • Flooring

          • Wall coverings

          • Fabric and Textiles

          • Furniture and Upholstery

          • Window Treatments

          • Soft Floor Coverings

          • Art and Accessories

          • The Healing Power of Crystals

          • Textile Glossary from A to Z

          • Hardware Placement Resource Guide

             

          09

          How to Turn Your Passion and Talent Into A Design Business

          Having your own design business isn’t easy. There are so many moving parts with many things that need to get done. If you are not organized and have no idea how you would like your business to look, you’ll end up frustrated. So I hope to alleviate some of the frustration that you might experience and get you organized in your thoughts in this Module.

          Here, we will breakdown some of the most important business secrets that you can use to build your dream interior decorating business. We will also discuss the importance of core values, how to find your dream client, how to write a business plan and mission statement that will be utilized to support your design business in the future, choosing a business structure, and how to name your business, and so much more.

          Lessons

            • Good Design is Intentional
            • The Nuts and Bolts of Setting Up Your Business
            • What are Core Values?
            • The Vision and Mission Statement
            • The Business Plan
            • The Name Game
            • Defining Your Dream Client

          10

          An Insider’s Roadmap to Documents, Procedures, Budgets, Blogs, Websites, Social Media

          To officially initiate a working relationship with a client, you will need to prepare a letter of agreement or a contract for the client’s review and signature.

          This module will help you to decode the designer contract, learn the process of purchase ordering and documentation, the 12 step design process that will help each one of your prospective clients achieve their vision for their space as well as allowing you to collaborate with them flawlessly, budgets, the importance of a website, the art of writing a blog,  social  media, and the role of a mentor and how necessary it is for the success of your future business, finding your niche, working with clients, and other business practices.

            Lessons

            • Setting the Tone for Your Interior Decorating Business

            • The Interior Design Agreement Decoded

            • The Process of Working with Your Design Clients

            • Design Documents and Procedures

            • The Role and Benefit of a Mentor

            • Getting Your Business Systems in Place

            • Branding

            • Social Media & Blogs

            • Sign-Up and Opt In Ideas for Your Website

            • How to Run Your Design Business – Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success – Year One

            • Finding Your Niche

            • Pricing Strategies

            • The Design Consultation

            • What is Your Budget? 

            Start Your Design Career Today!

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