Improving your interior design skills doesn’t have to break the bank. With the right resources, you can learn it for free. Interior design is often thought of as an exclusive field with a high barrier to entry. But if we take a moment to think about it, what exactly is interior design? It’s the art of organizing and designing spaces to enhance your lifestyle, mood, and productivity.
While there are many nuances that separate a great interior designer from a mediocre one, you don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a decent education. A simple Google search will reveal plenty of free courses that can help. But how do you tell a quality free course from a “sloppy” one? We’ve done the research for you.
Here’s a list of the best free interior design courses you can enroll in today.
1. Oxford Home Study
This course comes from the Oxford Home Study Centre and offers 20 hours of content that takes you through the fascinating industry of interior design. Oxford Home Study is perfect for beginners looking to start a career in the field, but it can also be a guide for homeowners looking to take on DIY projects.
You’ll learn the basics of interior design, including the principles of using color, lighting, and decoration to achieve a certain style. This course is also a great starting point for further exploration in architecture and interior design.
It’s worth noting that this beginner-level course is free, with three other paid options: Certification, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma. These paid options are very cost-effective, considering the knowledge you’ll gain.
2. Photoshop Launch
If you’re looking for a short course to get a taste of the world of interior design, Photoshop Launch could be the one for you. This course is only 73 minutes long and is available on the Design Cure Academy website.
The focus is on teaching interior designers the basics of Photoshop and how to create eye-catching drafts quickly. This course is also a great way to refresh your Photoshop skills.
The main advantage is that this course presents a condensed version of Photoshop specifically for interior designers, eliminating unnecessary explanations and functions. Plus, you’ll get access to a social media community and exercises to hone your skills. After completing the course, you can display your Photoshop (Level One) certificate on your LinkedIn profile.
3. HGTV’s Design 101 Blog
HGTV’s Design 101 Blog is more like a detailed guide to interior design and specific solutions that will help elevate your style and aesthetic. While not a formal course, this blog is an invaluable resource for the latest and greatest in interior design.
Each page is like a class that teaches a specific topic, with additional resources at the bottom. Recommended videos, articles, and slideshows are helpful in expanding your knowledge.
4. Kelly Wearstler Teaches Interior Design (MasterClass)
Kelly Wearstler is an award-winning interior designer who focuses on contemporary hotel design. This course offers practical tips through interactive video tutorials.
You’ll learn Kelly’s unique techniques for choosing color palettes, interior tones, textures, and backgrounds. Most importantly, this course teaches you how to truly understand a space to create something stunning.
5. Alison Diploma in Interior Design
The Alison Diploma provides an in-depth look at interior design in 6-10 hours. Some highlights include client communication, project planning, color theory, and the use of materials and textiles.
The course also provides a style guide for setting a furnishing theme and tips for finding furniture that fits a particular interior style.
6. MIT – Principles of Design
Part of MIT OpenCourseWare, Principles of Design covers the basics of interior design. This course is not only for beginners, but also for designers who want to deepen their knowledge.
Although the syllabus has not been updated since 2005, most of the topics covered remain relevant.
7. YouTube Courses
YouTube is a great place to learn interior design, especially if you are looking for sketching tutorials. This course consists of a series of videos that provide step-by-step instructions on one-point and two-point perspective sketching.
8. Lynda – Free Interior Design Classes & Courses (LinkedIn Learning)
Lynda offers a variety of free courses and classes, including tutorials on SketchUp and Revit. This course is suitable for intermediate to advanced levels, with a focus on blueprint design and construction planning.
9. Interior Design Basics (Howcast)
This course consists of 53 video tutorials covering topics like sustainable design, Feng Shui, and vintage decor. While not interactive, it can be a great source of inspiration.
10. Designing a Tiny House With SketchUp (LinkedIn Learning)
This niche course teaches you how to design and build a tiny house from scratch. While it focuses on tiny house design, it provides valuable insight into using SketchUp and the challenges of working with limited space.
Time to Learn!
You can’t go wrong with any of the courses above. Ideally, combine several courses for a more comprehensive learning experience. For example, start with Oxford Home Study, continue with Photoshop Launch, and brush up on your technical skills with a sketching course on YouTube.
With the knowledge you’ve gained, are you ready to take your interior design business to the next level?
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