There are many different interior design courses presented in colleges, over the net and provided by private businesses but is Interior design something that can actually be taught to everyone or should an individual have a basic aptitude for the work in the before starting? It might be an idea, before taking on a new decorating project like say re-working a period home or configuring your new build, to take some training in interior design. On the one hand this could, if it works out, be very useful, saving you the expense of an Interior Designer altogether and giving you with a skill that will hopefully last and have a good impact on many future ventures. However one wonders if the very nature of the expertise depends rather heavily on a inbuilt aptitude or ability in that vicinity.

Of course the companies offering these training courses would argue against that but I have to say that I have my doubts. Certainly I know that if I look at room or space I can appreciate if it works. I can understand 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 information it does all seem very strange and of course a lot of them are geared to people wishing to train for a new role. So what exactly would you learn? There seem to be a lot of “woolly” things as I’d label them. Such as “The Language of Design” which seems 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 will have secret meanings of it’s own.

Of course another not so useful module of a course 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 vital but if not, over the top. More tangible sections should cover topics such as space planning, proportion, light and colour. All probably very useful for the amateur and as long as there are some simple rules to follow, the benefits of these modules of an Interior Designer course might be quite handy. I suspect, 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 just not the “arty” type. The emotional properties of a room, i am sure, would still baffle 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 need.

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