ObjectivesInterior Decorating is a two-year Ontario College Diploma program designed to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in one of the many segments of the interior decorating field. Students will study the fundamentals of interior decorating, including space planning, colour theory, material selection and visual merchandising, as well as build interpersonal, communication, sales, business and marketing skills. Drawing, presentation and drafting techniques (both manual and computer-aided) will be developed. Upon successful completion of the program, the student will be equipped with the essential skills necessary to pursue employment and carry on their development as a professional in the decorating field.
Practical experienceThis two year program has two co-op work terms.
Academic titleInterior Decorating Ontario College Diploma
Course descriptionLevel 1 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
WRIT-1036 Reason & Writing 1-Art & Design 3.00
DESG-1054 Decorating Studio 1 5.00
DRAF-1054 Working Drawings 2.50
GRAF-1033 Graphic Presentation Techniques 1 2.00
DESG-1022 Design Fundamentals 1.50
MATS-1013 Materials 1 2.00
DESG-1010 Selling 1 2.00
DEVL-1031 Strategies for Professional Practice 2.00
Level 2 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
COMM-3023 Comm. for Designers, Planners, Techs 3.00
METH-1030 Colour 1 2.00
DESG-1011 Decorating Studio 2 4.00
DESG-1060 Professional Practice 1 2.00
DRAF-1055 Computer Aided Drafting 1 1.50
ARTS-1027 Drawing 2 1.50
MATS-3012 Materials 2 1.50
DRAF-3023 Working Drawings 2 2.50
Level 3 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
DESG-1055 Decorating Studio 3 5.00
BUSI-3021 Selling 2 3.00
DRAF-3003 Computer Aided Drafting 2 2.00
BUSI-3017 Business for Interior Decorating 2.00
MATS-3013 Materials 3 1.50
MRCH-1014 Visual Merchandising 1 2.00
METH-1007 Colour 2 1.50
HIST-1028 History of Period Styles 1 3.00
Level 4 Credits
Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
DESG-3030 Decorating Studio 4 5.00
ARTS-1067 Presentation & Illustration 1 1.50
MATS-5002 Materials 4 1.50
MRCH-3010 Visual Merchandising 2 2.00
BUSI-1072 Intro to Business Planning 2.00
HIST-3015 History of Period Styles 2 3.00
Gen Ed - Electives
Take 3 General Education Credits -
Normally taken in Level 4
ARTS-1027 - Drawing 2
This one semester core course is designed to develop the student's skills of observation and drawing through a series of multi-media exercises and projects. Marker rendering and pencil crayon rendering will be introduced thru a series of rendering exercises. 2 point perspective drawing will be introduced and practiced. Rendering techniques will be applied to 1 and 2 point perspectives drawn by the students. Drawing of room elements will be continued and serve as one of the vehicles by which the student will express acquired skills. This course is considered to be a core subject and credit in this course must be achieved to proceed to the second year of the Interior Decorating program.
ARTS-1067 - Presentation & Illustration 1
This course builds on Drawing II and emphasizes more advanced illustration techniques. Students will prepare presentation drawings to help sell their decorating proposals. Material renditions and shade and shadow techniques will be taught. A variety of drawing media and presentation formats will be explored.
BUSI-1072 - Intro to Business Planning
This course is designed to serve as an introduction to Entrepreneurship. It will introduce the concepts of self-employment, small business ownership and the business plan. Students will aquire a basic understanding of the steps involved in starting a business venture.
BUSI-3017 - Business for Interior Decorating
This course provides students with a basic understanding of project management for interior decorating projects. Topics will include the stages of a residential project, roles and responsibilities of project trades, business and project documentation, timesheets and consulting service fees and fee proposals.
BUSI-3021 - Selling 2
This one semester course will focus on developing the student's abilities to market themselves as Decorating Professionals. The fundamentals of promotional items such as business cards and brochures will be studied, and students will produce a personal package that will also include a digital portfolio of their work samples. Targeting particular clients or employers through refinement of a portfolio template will be covered, along with verbal presentation skills as related to personal promotion.
COMM-3023 - Comm. for Designers, Planners, Techs
Professional communication is designed to improve students’ writing, reading, and speaking skills for work-related purposes. Emphasis is placed on process writing, composing, researching, documenting, evaluating, and editing program-related materials. Students also prepare a résumé/cover letter package and deliver an oral presentation based on research.
DESG-1010 - Selling 1
This course focuses on the fundamentals of selling oneself and interior decorating service and a product. The selling process will be examined and practiced. Students will learn about client relationships and selling techniques including probing, features and benefits, negotiating, closing and follow-up. Students will participate in oral presentations.
DESG-1011 - Decorating Studio 2
This is a project orientated course that builds on Basic Design Studio. Students plan and decorate residential interiors as well as a small commercial space. Emphasis is placed on the design process as it relates to interior decoration, material selection, lighting and a variety of project presentation formats.
DESG-1022 - Design Fundamentals
This course covers basic design theory. Students are introduced to a variety of design fundamentals through lectures and "hands-on" 2D and 3D assignments. Students will expand their visual perception by analyzing the fundamental principles and elements of design and their relationship to interior design and interior decorating.
DESG-1054 - Decorating Studio 1
This is a one semester, residential project oriented core course where the student is first introduced to interior space, materials and finishes. Emphasis is placed on basic design elements and principles as they relate to interior decorating. This course will draw upon skills learned in concurrent courses and apply them to real-life projects. Basic planning and presentation techniques will be introduced and reinforced.
DESG-1055 - Decorating Studio 3
This project-oriented course builds on Interior Decorating Studio 2. Students prepare decorating solutions for a residence and are introduced to conventional office planning in a small office suite. Client interviewing, sourcing of interior decorating products, identifying/using decorating styles, product and finish specifying, advanced space planning, residential lighting, and introduction to environmentally friendly design will be taught and practiced.
DESG-1060 - Professional Practice 1
Professional Practice 1 introduces students to the many aspects of the Interior Decorating industry. The wide variety of career employment directions and related professional organizations will be discussed and related to the students' first co-op work term. Students will also prepare for the employment process by identifying their skills, determining the industry segments they will investigate, and working in concert with their Co-op officer on issues such as interview preparation and skills, resume refinement, and approaching a potential employer.
DESG-3030 - Decorating Studio 4
This is a project orientated course that builds on Decorating Studio 3. Students plan and decorate more complex residential interiors and small commercial spaces that address environmental and universal design needs. Period styles and interior decorating themes will be incorporated. Decorative finishes for exteriors will also be examined.
DEVL-1031 - Strategies for Professional Practice
This one semester course introduces students to the skills and standards necessary to succeed as an Interior Decorating Student and Professional. Classroom and industry topics such as time management, principles of professional conduct, written and verbal communication standards, expectations of preparation, deadlines, and personal responsibility will be discussed and practiced in project assignments. Students will also work with Internet resources and computer software common to their program and the industry, and will complete assignments and case studies in the lab demonstrating the correct use of the designated programs and websites.
DRAF-1054 - Working Drawings
This one semester course is designed to develop the basic drafting and drawing interpretation skills needed by the Interior Decorator. It will introduce all drawing views and techniques required to present a decorating concept, with emphasis placed on precision and accuracy. Students will learn to read and extract information from working drawing packages produced by other professionals.
DRAF-1055 - Computer Aided Drafting 1
This course introduces computer-aided drafting for interior decorating applications. Students will prepare two and three dimensional drawings to communicate decorating ideas to clients. Plans, elevations, and bill of materials will be created. Building construction terminology will be examined and applied. Students will submit projects in printed and electronic formats.
DRAF-3003 - Computer Aided Drafting 2
This course builds on Computer Aided Drafting I (CAD) and prepares the student to produce more advanced 2 and 3 dimensional drawings. Student will explore a variety of rendering techniques and create bill of materials list. Residential Building construction terminology will be examined and applied. Students will submit projects in printed and electronic from.
DRAF-3023 - Working Drawings 2
This one semester course builds on Working Drawings 1. Students will continue to refine their drafting and drawing interpretation skills through project assignments typical of the Decorating industry. Drawing views, line quality, dimensioning and drawing comprehension will be reinforced. Emphasis will be placed on drafting related to kitchen and bath design.
GRAF-1033 - Graphic Presentation Techniques 1
This one semester course is designed to develop the basic drawing communication skills needed by the Interior Decorator. A variety of projects will focus on basic sketch and drawing techniques with emphasis on promoting client understanding of the decorator's concept. Students' aesthetic appreciation will be fostered through exercises in observing and understanding composition, scale, line, form, proportion and texture
HIST-1028 - History of Period Styles 1
This one semester course is designed to develop an understanding and interest in the furniture and architectural styles of the past. This course serves as a General Education credit within the program and discusses how history, politics, religion, climate, geography, social conditions and physical resources have shaped and influenced the architecture and interior furnishings of each country and time period studied. It fosters an aesthetic appreciation in the student by helping them understand beauty, form, taste and the role of the arts in society. It will allow the student to discuss, research, and replicate a design based in a past era or style. Areas of study include Egypt, the Renaissance, and the French periods.
HIST-3015 - History of Period Styles 2
This one semester course is designed to develop an understanding and interest in the furniture and architectural styles of the past. This course serves as a General Education credit within the program and discusses how history, politics, religion, climate, geography, social conditions and physical resources have shaped and influenced the architecture and interior furnishings of each country and time period studied. It fosters an aesthetic appreciation in the student by helping them understand beauty, form, taste and the role of the arts in society. It will allow the student to discuss, research, and replicate a design based in a past era or style. Areas of study include: English Georgian, American design, Victorian through Bauhaus to Contemporary.
MATS-1013 - Materials 1
This one semester lecture based course begins by reviewing the basic math and dimension principles required to measure, estimate and cost interior decorating materials. Accurate site dimensioning, and measurement estimation skills are learned and practiced. The fundamentals of material specification, and selection factors for specifying materials are covered. Introductory processes for estimating materials are practiced throughout the course.
MATS-3012 - Materials 2
This one semester lecture based course builds on Materials 1. The properties, manufacture and selection of various interior decorating materials are covered. Floor coverings will be discusssed in-depth, along with the processes for measuring, analyzing and estimating material amounts for floors.
MATS-3013 - Materials 3
This is a one semester lecture based course builds on Materials 1 and 2. The properties, manufacture and selection of various interior decorating materials are covered. Emphasis is placed on fibre and textile properties for interior uses. The features of hard and soft window coverings will be discussed in-depth, along with processes for measuring, analyzing and estimating material amounts for window treatments.
MATS-5002 - Materials 4
Continuing from Materials 3, this course will complete the study of interior finish materials with discussion of paint and wallcovering products and estimation of quantities. Students will then be introduced to exterior materials used in residential construction. Properties of siding and roofing will be discussed, along with design and colour basics for exterior concepts and vocabulary for residential house types. Estimating concepts from all levels of the Materials courses will be tied into a review of basic project budgeting for residential spaces and creation of a budget outline.
METH-1007 - Colour 2
This course builds on Colour I. Students apply colour theory to practice by preparing colour schemes for interior spaces. Students will present critiques of finished colour schemes and assess how they relate to human perception, decorating trends and styles. Interior decorating trends, styles and themes will be discussed and presented through a cumulating project. Oral presentations will be an integral part of this course
METH-1030 - Colour 1
This is a one semester lecture and project oriented core course. The student will explore the history and psychology of colour and the various colour theory systems. Authentic decorating material samples will be used extensively in a variety of projects that reinforce colour theory. Project presentation methods will include illustrative sample concepts, gouache painting, and verbal rationales. Credit in this course must be achieved to proceed to the second level of the Interior Decorating Program.
MRCH-1014 - Visual Merchandising 1
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of visual merchandising. The course will focus on the application of merchandising and display concepts in a residential setting – accessorizing, placement and balance for displays, art installations etc. Students will discuss and practice staging a space (for residential home sales) versus decorating or personalizing the same space. Event planning and holiday decorating will be explored through hands-on activities. Visits to area retail showrooms will be a part of the course of study.
MRCH-3010 - Visual Merchandising 2
This course builds on visual merchandising I. Students will critique existing field related displays, plan and illustrate a retail merchandising concept and produce real life settings as well as actively participate in an exhibition. Emphasis will be placed on lighting, display tools and techniques for retail merchandising, with emphasis on window display, table display and lifestyle settings.
WRIT-1036 - Reason & Writing 1-Art & Design
This course will introduce art and design students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking. This course will also introduce students to selected topics and concepts in art and design.