8 Best + Free Interior Design Courses: Benefits, Review, Cost [2021 List] (2024)

Last Updated on 3 years by Anoob P T

Interior design courses will teach you the fundementals of interior designing and is a great stepping stone towards a successful career.

While I was working at my last company which was in a coworking space, I started developing a keen interest in interior design.

After speaking to a number of interior designers and observing different design elements at coworking spaces, I understood that good design does not have to be expensive.

It is all about the skill, creativity and experience of interior designers and if you have a natural inclination for spaces and design, an interior design course could help launch your career as an interior designer.

Here are 8 Best and free interior design courses you can consider in 2021.

Best Free Interior Design Courses (Udemy)

Udemy is one of the popular online learning platforms so far. They offer different courses in various disciplines, taught by experts and with a nominal fee.

The interior design courses provided by Udemy are in high demand among the students. They have courses both for beginners and those on an intermediate level.

You get to learn many amazing and interesting aspects of Interior designing like lighting design, lumion, Sketchup, photorealistic rendering, architectural history and design and much more.

You can learn these courses with huge discounts up to 70-80%.

Some of the best-selling courses are How to Work with Interior Design Styles like a Pro, How to Use Color like a Pro, How to Use Lighting Design to Transform your Home and so on.

Key USPs:

• Nearly 141,104 students are learning Interior Design on Udemy.
• The classes are taken at a perfect pace and all the concepts are structured in order to emphasis on the key factors.
• This course helps you to solidify the foundation and learn about the use of software and tools so that you can come up with building complete and industrial level ideas.
• You will get the best advice of experts and professionals in the interior designing arena through this course.
• The assessments and assignments prepare you to put the concepts into practice and get started with your project.
• You will receive quality lectures and downloadable resources, which can be accessed for full lifetime.
• The study material and videos can be accessed for a nominal fee.

Review: “Enjoyed this course, every design style was analytically analysed .Great for professionals or students wishing to gather more knowledge about designing.”-Mama O Oteng.

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Free Interior Design Classes and Courses (LinkedIn Learning-Lynda)

LinkedIn offers you with trending interior design courses which are basically divided into three levels—beginner, intermediate and advanced. They have more than 50 courses in interior design helping you to be a professional and expert. Most of these courses are of short duration and you can learn your chosen skill in a concise manner. The most popular courses are SketchUp for Interior Design, Revit for Interior Architecture and Designing the Ultimate Man-Cave or She-Shed Design in SketchUp.

Key USPs:

• You can explore the different aspects of this field by getting hands-on and with the relevant software and tools.
• The lectures include a detailed explanation of working on exercises and the practical skills.
• Exercises and videos are available for online attendance and can also be watched when offline.
• Implement the concepts covered in the lectures and create content that exceeds expectations.
• The training is divided into sections along with relevant chapter quizzes.
• The complete study materials are available for free after the first month of signing up.

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Interior Design Course (New York School of Interior Design)

This interior design course offers mainly three different subjects, which includes a basic certificate program, Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design and Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Interior Environments.

The classes are given both in online mode and through live teaching in classrooms.

The BID certificate program is a great introduction to the field of interior design, with a series of self-paced classes on topics like drafting, color, textiles, and more.

The Associate in Applied Science in Interior Design focuses on core studies in a range of residential and commercial design studio courses, technology, and graphic communications, as well as courses in the history of architecture and the decorative arts.

In a broad way, the third interior design course is to prepare design professionals to assume leadership roles in developing and maintaining sustainable interior spaces that will positively impact the world.

Key USPs:

• The beginner level certification will help you to understand the basic terminologies and the significance of this area.
• Weekly assignments are given that will provide the opportunity to test your understanding of the concepts.
• Classes are self-paced; you can take the time to learn as per your convenience and can get a better understanding of the concepts.
• The MPS in sustainable interior environments course takes place via video conferencing with the instructor and classmates with real-time discussions. This will help you to ask doubts and get clarifications just like in live classrooms.
• Complete and clear all the graded assignments to finish the certification.

Review: “You do not feel like you’re online at all. It’s like physically being in a classroom. The professors can be easily reached, and the format is well structured so it’s almost instinctive to successfully complete the courses.”—Sandrina Rubelli

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Diploma in Interior Design (Alison)

You will get an overview of Interior Design as a discipline through the diploma course in Alison.

This course deals with qualities and qualifications an interior designer needs in order to launch a career in the field and an outline of the practical issues.

This course includes different aspects like project planning, client communication, working with colour, and using surface materials and textures.

Key USPs:

• Practical instructions that will give you grounding in design principles and factors a designer should consider when working in a particular space.
• It can be learned by beginners and offers basic understanding of the course.
• The whole course is divided into modules, which will help you to learn in a systematic way.
• You will be assessed in order to evaluate your progress with the course.

Review: “I totally enjoyed learning this course. It teaches more than the basics of interior design in the most explainable way. Now, I query every space arrangement and want to just make it look more appealing. Well done to the Alison.com team!” – Titilope A.

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Kelly Wearstler Teaches Interior Design (Masterclass)

These are the interior design classes offered by Kelly Wearstler, one of the most popular interior designers.

She is an American interior designer she curates a wealth of experiences into every space through an exploration of materiality, color, forms and an intuitive juxtaposition of contemporary and vintage, architectural and organic, graphic and instinctual.

You can learn her tricks and techniques through interactive video classes. There will also be field trips for you to understand space and turn it around with your creativity and imagination to give it a stunning feel.

Key USPs:

• Classes from the award-winning interior designer Kelly Wearstler will help you to develop your creative skills.
• You can learn about different types of spaces and how to decorate and design their interiors to give it the best look and feel
• The design elements like colors, materials, textures and the likes that influence a space are dealt in a comprehensive and lucid manner.
• You will learn how to furnish different types of spaces to give it a desirable outlook and to select art pieces and objects to decorate your subject field.

Review: “Kelly Wearstler’s New Online Interior Design Course is a must for all Maximalists at heart. Expect lots and lots of color!” -Kelly Corbett

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Free Interior Design Classes Online (Skillshare)

Skillshare has more than 50 courses in Interior design held by many experts in this profession.

These courses help you to acquire skills in 3D Modelling, 3D Rendering Architecture, CAD, Crafts, DIY, Graphic Design, Home Décor, Lifestyle and much more.

Each course has individual time duration which ranges from half an hour to 15 hours.

You can explore a range of tutorials including decorating interiors, arranging a stunning center piece, creating a color palette and accessorizing.

The lectures are followed by class projects and have discussion forums for interacting with peers and exchanging ideas.

Key USPs:

• Many options to improve your interior designing skills irrespective of your expertise level.
• The lessons are concise and hence can be applied in projects quickly.
• Each topic is covered in an elaborate manner with proper demonstrations to give you concrete knowledge andto clarify doubts.
• The lessons are divided into appropriate parts and the lectures can be attended as per your convenience.
• The projects let you bring your ideas to life with the use of various tools.

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Certificate Program in Interior Design and Interior Architecture (UC Berkeley Extension)

The Certificate Program in Interior Design and Interior Architecture offers a comprehensive education that combines studio courses with the study of design theory and history.

This course teaches you manual and digital drawing skills that allow you to communicate your ideas effectively.

You learn from industry professionals who help you build a strong portfolio to start your career.

Key USPs:

• The entire curriculum is well organised and is divided into units for better understanding.
• If you possess a degree in interior design, architecture or industrial design, you may be granted advanced standing admission and exempt from some preliminary coursework.
• The certificate also provides educational credits needed to qualify for the California Council for Interior Design Certification exam (the IDEX® California exam) and the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certification exam.

Review: “I just tried a class and really loved it, so I kept moving forward.”- Juyun Yim

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Interior Design Course (Interior Design Institute)

This interior design diploma course has contributions from leading interior designs.

The Interior Design Course is delivered online and consists of 12 modules and 12 interactive assignments.

You can study in your own time and at your own pace. Each student will be given the same residential renovation tasks that will require them to upload new floor and lighting plans, suggest furnishings, fabrics, window treatments, lighting, upholstery and accessories, explore decoration and various design styles, provide color schemes, upload mood boards, write quotations, prepare newspaper ads, write a scope of works for your contractors, provide a preliminary costing for your clients, etc.

Key USPs:

• The program is broken down into 12 comprehensive modules.
• It is a well-structured curriculum and perfectly paced material.
• Each module has corresponding interactive assignments to brush up the knowledge covered in the videos.
• You will learn how to do spatial planning and experiment with different styles.
• The study materials help to supplement your learning process.

Review: “I am very happy that I signed up for this course! It has been educational, interactive, challenging, and super fun!”- Julie Gohring

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Frequent Asked Questions about Interior Design Courses

What qualifications do you need to be an interior designer?

Ideally a bachelor’s degree. Some interior design collages require you to have a bachelor’s degree but you can do most online courses without a degree as well. If you have an interest in interior designing, you can consider these online courses as a starting point.

Which is the Best Course for Interior Design?

It depends. I have listed some free and best courses in interior design, you can choose some of these courses as per your skill level, budget and availability of time.

How long is interior design course?

An interior design course can last anwhere between a few hours to even few years. It depends on the type of course you choose. If you choose an interior design course from a regular college, it will take few years to complete.

Is Interior design a good career?

Absolutely. People’s preference for good interior design is constantly improving and you have many different avenues you can focus on after completing your interior design course.

Can you be an interior designer without a degree?

Yes you can. Choose any of these free interior design courses, then try to get an entry level job as an interior design executive and focus on your career from then on.

So these were 8 free and best interior design courses you can consider to start your career as an interior designer.