There are lots of different interior design courses available in colleges, over the net and run by private companies but is Interior design something that can really be taught to everyone or should an individual have a basic capacity for the work in the before you start? It might be a plan, before taking on a large decorating project like say renovating a period home or preparing the layout of your new build, to take some training in interior design. On the one hand this could, if successful, be very useful, saving you the cost of an Interior Designer altogether and equipping you with a skill that will hopefully last and have a positive effect on many future developments. However one questions if the very nature of the ability depends rather heavily on a ingrained aptitude or ability in that area.

Of course the companies offering these training courses would argue against that but I have to say that I have my doubts. Without doubt I know that if I look at room or space I can tell if it works. I can recognise if a space works for specific tasks etc. However actually getting to that point seems an impossibility when facing with a blank canvas. Still that’s what training is all about, teaching you how to do something new.

Looking at some of the course information it does all seem very alien and of course a lot of them are focused on people wishing to train for a new role. So what exactly would you learn? There would seem to be a lot of “woolly” things as I’d label them. For example “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 believed one simply should have to understand how the room made you feel, not that it could have hidden meanings of it’s own.

Of course another not so useful section of a training programme would be all the terminology, the language of design as used amongst the professionals, of course if you’re hunting for a new career this will be important but if not, totally unnecessary. More substancial sections should cover topics such as space planning, ratios, lighting and colour. All probably very useful for the recreational decorator and as long as there are some clear rules to follow, the benefits of these sections of an Interior Designer course could well be quite handy. I expect, that to an interested layman, these sections would also be very enjoyable to work through.

Other parts 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 certain, would still baffle me no matter how long I spent studying it! As too would the hidden meanings and messages hidden in a room developed by a top Interior Design Firm.

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

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