Short Course · Interior Design

Turn Your Passion for Interiors Into a Career in Design

Thinking about the rooms you keep rearranging in your head? This course works through space, light, colour, materials and styling. Mentor feedback on your work makes it the right fit for beginners.

From $29a week on a plan
~80 hoursof study, self paced
6 monthsof course access
Sixtopics in the course
No examsever
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Study AreaEducation & Teaching
Course TypeShort Course
Study Time~80 hours
Access6 months
Study ModeFully online, study whenever suits you
AssessmentNo exams, ever
PaymentsFrom $29 a week
Comes with
  • 10-Day Money Back Guarantee
  • Industry mentor reviews your work
  • Live sessions and discussion boards
  • No entry requirements
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

Learn Why a Room Works

Spatial planning, lighting and colour theory. The reasons behind choices you already make by instinct.

Get Your Work Critiqued

A working commercial designer reviews key tasks. Written feedback comes back within a few weeks.

Test It Before You Commit

Six months of access and about eighty hours. A short way to find out if design suits you.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

People pay for a room that works. They pay for someone with an eye. The work is easy to picture. A floor plan, a moodboard, a client who cannot decide.

Interior Decorator

Colour, furniture and styling for a room.

Property Stylist

Dressing a home so it sells or lets.

Colour Consultant

Palettes that hold up in the light of the room.

Retail Design and Colour Consultant

Advising shoppers in a showroom or store.

Pre-Purchase Design Consultant

Helping buyers see what a space could become.

Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role is different, and some need more study or experience. Registered and degree qualified design work sits behind separate study.

The Course

What You'll Learn

01
Interior Design
Six topics, from first principles to the styling.
Design Fundamentals
Spatial Planning
Lighting
Colour
Materiality
Furniture & Styling
Included

What You’ll Get

In the Course

  • Fundamentals, the principles behind a good room
  • Space and light, spatial planning and lighting
  • Colour, palettes and how they behave
  • Materials, materiality, furniture, styling

As a Student

  • Mentor critique, written feedback on key tasks
  • 6 months of access, study whenever suits you
  • Live sessions, hosted through the year
  • Help on hand, tutors, help centre, support team
Why This One

What Makes It Different

What sets this one apart from a video series.

01
A Mentor Who Still Practises

Jenna Cottis works across retail, hospitality, workspaces and mixed-use spaces.

02
Live Sessions, Not Just Lessons

Moodboard demonstrations, space planning walkthroughs and Q&A with the mentor.

03
A Studio Style Discussion Board

Students post sketches and concepts. The mentor replies, and you learn from the other threads.

The Credentials

What You'll Earn

SHORT COURSE

Interior Design

Certificate of Achievement · The Career Academy

A Certificate of Achievement

From the college, once the six topics are done.

A Body of Work

Concepts and boards a mentor has critiqued.

Career Support

CV reviews and interview preparation.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Ask About It

Enquire and an advisor sends the guide and the six topics.

Step two

Enrol and Start

Start any day. Pay weekly, or upfront in one go.

Step three

Submit Your Work

Key tasks go to the mentor for written critique.

Step four

Build a Portfolio

Keep the concepts and boards you make along the way.

The Investment

How to Get Started

$29 / week
Pay upfront, or spread it weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
No deposit and no credit check
10-Day Money Back Guarantee
6 months of course access
Mentor feedback included
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need design experience?

No. It starts at design fundamentals. It suits beginners and people building on what they know.

What does it cost each week?

From $29 a week on a flexible plan, or pay upfront. Enquire to confirm current pricing.

How long does it take?

About 80 hours across six topics, with 6 months of access.

Who marks my work?

Jenna Cottis, a commercial interior designer. She gives written critique, and feedback usually lands within a few weeks.

Are the live sessions compulsory?

No. They run through the year and are listed in your dashboard. Watch them when you can.

Are there exams?

None. Assignments and key activities go to your mentor instead.

Is this course accredited?

It comes from an ICOES accredited centre. The centre holds Official Accreditation with the CPD Standards Office. That is accreditation for professional development. It is not NZQA accredited, so it is not a national qualification. Those are different things. Clients tend to judge the rooms you have done.

What if I change my mind?

There is a 10-Day Money Back Guarantee from the day you enrol.

Delivered By

About the College

You enrol through The Career Academy, an online college in Christchurch.

The design course itself is delivered by Ulleo, the college's education partner. The college has run over 15 years. It helps more than 25,000 students a year. Abby, Ulleo's digital assistant, is there day and night.

Over 15 years runningDelivered with UlleoNamed industry mentorHelp centre and support team
One Step Left

Enquire Today

Picture the day someone hands you their empty room, trusts you with it, and later stands in the doorway not quite believing it is the same place.

Enquire Now