Interior Design for Beginners
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£495 (Summer 2025 courses) or £510
- Start Date(s): 14 July 2025, 11 August 2025, 2 October 2025, 22 January 2026, 16 April 2026
- Duration: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week or Thursday evenings, 6 pm to 8.30 pm, for ten weeks
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
14 - 18 July 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
11 - 15 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
2 October - 4 December 2025, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
22 January - 26 March 2026, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
16 April - 18 June 2026, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
On this course you will explore both the practical elements of interior design as well as its philosophy and history. You will learn how to create dynamic, visually interesting, and functional spaces for residential and commercial interiors.
You will be working on a mixture of real client and self-selective briefs, gaining experience undertaking an interior design scheme from concept to design completion. The teaching is delivered through a combination of university style lectures, engaging studio activities, and individual tutorials with your tutor.
This course is ideal if you are looking to develop an existing passion and understanding of interior design and provides you with the tools and techniques to decorate your own spaces whilst also creating a portfolio of work which could be used to kickstart a future career in interior design.
This course will also give you an insight into the world of interior design and aims inspire you with the confidence to present your own interior design schemes.
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You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your designs at home or work. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices. -
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance.
Here's what previous attendees have said:
‘I wanted to learn more about all aspects of interior design, to inspire me to be more creative. I feel more confident about using my creative skills to make designs now in the home, and enjoyed all the practical exercises, working with colour etc. Our tutor was engaging and knowledgeable. They made the course very interesting, and I feel I have learnt a lot. Thank you!’ JP
'This course allowed me to be creative and feel my passions come to life. I now understand the fundamentals of interior design.' AG
‘Really enjoyed the course - I improved my understanding and confidence, gaining some key and useful skills to apply such as lighting schemes and using hues versus tints etc. I enjoyed it all.'
‘This course has encouraged me to continue with my passion. I enjoyed the colour theory and how to approach a project from start to finish, and meeting like-minded people.'
'Really enjoyable, good opportunity to be creative and get hands-on, which was great, a nice balance of theory and practical.'
What you’ll study
The course will cover topics including understanding clients, spatial planning, lighting design, colour theory, furniture selection, and textile selection.
Throughout the course, you’ll develop skills through hands-on projects and exercises that simulate real-world design scenarios.
You’ll learn to how to survey, produce scale drawings, sketch interiors, create mood boards and sample boards, and make 3D digital models to present and communicate your ideas effectively.
You’ll be introduced to the methods and techniques used to complete a project (whether this is for your own home or for a client) and translate those requirements into a cohesive design plan.
During this course, you will:
- understand the importance of being a creative and a conceptual thinker and how to translate your ideas into a practical spatial design
- appreciate the importance of materiality in a space
- learn how to develop an interior design scheme with the use of colour, furniture, and materials
- consider the importance of sustainability within the design environment and how to design a greener future
- understand the impact of scale in a design, through the application of colour and the use of furniture and furnishings
- plan an interior design space whilst thinking about the customer journey and user experience
- develop methods and techniques that explore what is required to take on a design project
- research and question different sectors within the interior design environment that might lead to rethinking and reworking of existing norms and experiences in a design project
- develop industry skills within a supportive and creative learning environment
- prepare and develop a portfolio
- discuss what is required to start your own interior design business
- learn the basics on using computer software to produce digital models and visuals.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying during the course:
- The Role of an Interior Designer
- Working to a Project Brief
- How to Create Unified Interiors with Light, Colour, and Materials
- Starting a Portfolio and Future Employment
You’ll come up with your own brief to work from and complete a project throughout the course. Initial sessions will include live sketching, learning about scale, form and measuring spaces, along with other practical work and small tutorials in groups.
You will experience the workflow of seeing a project from concept to design completion and have the opportunity to pursue your own interests as well as the chance to work on a live project brief.
You will explore how light is used to illuminate our interiors, the effects of colour on our perception of spaces, and how materials unlock identity and culture within our spaces.
We will also focus on how sustainable and ecological considerations can have positive effect on creating healthy and safe interiors.
You will learn how to put together a creative portfolio which can be tailored to your next steps. We will discuss starting your own business, routes to employment, and further education.
Student Work
How you’re taught
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid foundation in interior design principles and techniques and will be able to create well-designed spaces that meet the needs and preferences of specific spaces, and clients.
You’ll leave the course with two distinct interior design projects and will have developed a good understanding of the profession.
During the sessions you will learn through university style lectures, participate in group activities with peer discussions being encouraged, as well as one to one tutorials with the tutor.
This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University city campus.
96% of previous course attendees were satisfied with the course, received the attention they needed and would consider doing another short course at NTU.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the design industry, from designing your own home to working with clients and what it’s like to be part of a larger interior design practice.
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
After the course, you will be able to progress onto the Interior Design in Practice course.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment on the City Campus.
You’ll work in our spacious IT suites equipped with industry standard software including SketchUp and Chaos Enscape.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
Entry requirements
Level: Beginner
Entry requirement: No design, drawing or software experience is required, although you must have basic computer skills and be familiar with Windows operating systems and file management.
You must be over the age of 18 in order to attend this course.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £495 (Summer 2025 courses) or £510.
Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, including most materials to create your designs and other great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
You will also need to bring with you:
- any drawing materials you may like to work with (pens, pencils, crayons, markers etc)
- a sketchbook
- any interior design magazines that you already have
- smart phone or camera
- a collage of images / interior design styles that you like, to share with the group and tutor for a fun and informal way to get to know everyone. If you’re not sure where to start, you can create a collage of something else that you’re interested in. You can view some examples here.
If you’d like to do some pre-course reading and research to gain inspiration, have a look at these Interior and Architectural platforms:
- https://www.dezeen.com/
- https://www.archdaily.com/
- https://www.architecturaldigest.com/
- https://www.elledecor.com/
- https://www.livingetc.com/
- https://www.worldofinteriors.com/
- https://housebeautiful.co.uk/
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
Need accommodation for a week long summer course?
Accommodation can be booked separately to the course; the rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms, and cost £259 per week.
These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
Find out more and book your accommodation here.
How to apply
This course is available for booking via the NTU online store:
14 - 18 July 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
11 - 15 August 2025, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm
2 October - 4 December 2025, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
22 January - 26 March 2026, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
16 April - 18 June 2026, Thursdays 6 - 8.30 pm
Browse all our architecture and interior design short courses.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813