There are lots of different interior design courses on offer in colleges, over the web and offered from private companies but is Interior design something that can actually be taught to everyone or does one need to have a basic ability for the work in the before starting? It might be an option, before taking on a new decorating project like say restoring a period home or configuring your new build, to take some training in interior design. On the one hand this could, if successful, be very helpful, saving you the cost of an Interior Designer altogether and equipping you with a skill that will with any luck last and have a positive effect on many future projects. However one questions if the very nature of the expertise depends rather heavily on a inherent aptitude or ability in that vicinity.

Of course the businesses offering these training plans would argue against that but I have to say that I have my misgivings. Without doubt I know that if I look at room or space I can figure out if it works. I can appreciate if a space works for specific tasks etc. However actually getting to that point seems an impossibility when dealing with a blank canvas. Still that’s what training is all about, learning new skills and developing oneself.

Looking at some of the course details it does all seem very foreign and of course a lot of them are aimed at people wishing to train for a new role. So what exactly would you learn? There appear to be a lot of “woolly” things as I’d label them. Such as “The Language of Design” which appears to be all about insight, and meaning behind design. This would of course be very alien to a layperson. I would have thought one simply should have to understand how the room made you feel, not that it would have secret meanings of it’s own.

Of course another not so useful section of a training programme would be all the phraseology, the language of design as used amongst the experts, of course if you’re hunting for a new career this will be important but if not, superfluous. More real sections should cover topics such as space planning, proportion, lights and colour. All doubtless very useful for the recreational decorator and as long as there are some simple rules to follow, the benefits of these sections of an Interior Designer course might be quite handy. I suppose, that to an interested layman, these sessions would also be very enjoyable to work through.

Other areas of these courses seem difficult to grasp and I wonder if that is because I am simply not the “arty” type. The emotional attributes of a room, i am convinced, would still mystify me no matter how long I spent workingon it! As too would the hidden meanings and messages hidden in a room designed by a top Interior Design Firm.

However if you’re looking to pass some time on, get some nice skills in design and replace the need for a Professional Interior Design firm in your home than this type of study could be just what you’re looking for.

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