Do you find that furniture stores make you giddy, and you're constantly watching HGTV as you dream up new ways to style your living room? Are you looking for a career where you can put your creativity and planning skills to good use? If so, this program will give you the basic skills and background you need to start working as a residential interior designer.

First, you'll find out what it's like to work as a residential interior designer for a day, and you'll see what qualities it takes to become successful in this business. You'll also explore the cornerstones of good design, such as proportion, balance, and rhythm. Using these cornerstones, you'll discover how to plan spaces so that they're both beautiful and functional.

 Next, you'll take an inspiring journey into the past as you learn about the history of design styles and furnishings. What can ancient civilizations teach us about design? Surprisingly, quite a bit! You'll find out what our contemporary design aesthetic owes to the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and you'll explore historical design styles that people still love today. If Modernism speaks to you more than the columns of classical Rome, don't worry—you'll get familiar with 20th-century styles and contemporary movements, too.

With a solid understanding of design basics and history under your belt, you'll have a chance to investigate the various elements of interior design: materials, color, textiles, lighting, and accessories. You'll discover how you can combine these elements to create any type of atmosphere that your clients desire. 

Finally, you'll get a glimpse into the excitement of running your own design business. You'll find helpful information on establishing your business, networking with contractors and vendors, marketing, meeting with clients, and managing projects in an ethical, professional way.

Throughout the program, you'll discover useful documents and exercises to help you practice your skills and put them to use. Your work will culminate in your very first interior design project: a floor plan and complete design concept for a family room. By the end of the program, you'll be ready to seek out your first clients and help them transform their interiors into satisfying spaces.

In addition, you’ll be eligible upon completion of this program to take the Residential Interior Designer Exam (RIDE) through the Designer Society of America (DSA). You’ll also receive a free one-year DSA membership, and you may be able to participate in an optional 40-hour internship through DSA (where available) if you meet eligibility requirements.

Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete this program.  Should you need more time beyond the six months, an extension of six months is available at no additional cost.

Upon completing this program, you will:

• Understand what a residential interior designer does.
• Be familiar with major design styles and movements throughout history.
• Know how to manipulate the basic elements involved in residential interior design projects.
• Understand the steps required to work as a residential interior designer and start your own design business.
• Have experience creating a design concept and floor plan.

PART I: Getting Started

Lesson 1: Exploring a Career in Residential Interior Design

Lesson 2: Design Basics

Lesson 3: Space Planning

PART 2: History of Styles and Furnishings

Lesson 4: History of Styles and Furnishings, Part I: Prehistoric Times to the Middle Ages

Lesson 5: History of Styles and Furnishings, Part II: The Renaissance to the 20th Century

Lesson 6: History of Styles and Furnishings, Part III: Modernism, Non-European Influences, and Furniture Styles 

PART 3: Elements of Design

Lesson 7: Materials

Lesson 8: Color

Lesson 9: Textiles

Lesson 10: Lighting Fundamentals

Lesson 11: Accents and Accessories

PART 4: Working as a Residential Interior Designer

Lesson 12: Industry Regulations

Lesson 13: Putting It All Together

You do not need any interior design experience to participate in this program. You should, however, have a strong interest in interior design and a desire to learn. To complete your assignments, you will need access to a digital camera and a basic understanding of how to use it. Access to a digital scanner is also helpful but not required.

The textbook Interior Design, by John F. Pile, is included in your tuition. You will also receive a free one-year membership in the Designer Society of America. You will need to have access to a digital camera and will need to know how to download digital photos to your computer. A high-speed Internet connection is also recommended.

This program can be taken on a PC or a Mac. The program is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. It is also compatible with Internet Explorer (versions 5.5 through 8) and Firefox (any version).

Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required for this course.

Hardware Requirements:

For Windows Vista or Windows 7: Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual-core processor, 3.0 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology; for Windows XP: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 1.6 GHz or higher with SSE2 technology

Natasha Lima-Younts has worked in the field of interior design for more than 20 years. She graduated from Bauder Design College, where she studied both clothing design and interior design. She went on to found Gables Interiors in Miami, Florida, in 1991. In 2006, she moved to Albany, Georgia, and founded Gables Plantation Designs. Her work has been featured in magazines including Florida Architecture and Spectacular Homes, as well as on The View with Barbara Walters. She was also chosen as a "Designer for the Stars" for seven years in a row in Miami. In 1999, she founded the Designer Society of America (DSA) to create a sense of community among interior designers and help aspiring designers achieve their goals. Currently, she devotes most of her time to the DSA and works with clients when her schedule permits.