9 Best Interior Design Courses for 2024: Transform Spaces, Bring Your Style
Transform your spaces like a pro and bring out the mood with the best interior design online courses.
Interiors are an essential part of our daily lives. They affect our work, wellbeing, and even our mood. So it’s important that our interiors suit us and make us feel comfortable. Good interior design is not just about being aesthetic, it’s about being functional and comfortable as well.
Whether you’re an architect, an aspiring decorator, a homeowner, or just an enthusiast looking for future ideas, we’ve got a course for you. In this Best Courses Guide (BCG), we’ve selected the 10 best Interior Design online courses for you from over 500 Interior Design courses. Led by experts, these courses cover a range of topics, from the basics of interior design to real-world demonstrations and advanced styling techniques.
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Top Picks
BCG Stats
- Combined, these courses have accrued over 262K enrollments
- 3 courses are free or free-to-audit and 6 courses are paid
- 8 courses are in English and 1 course is in Spanish
- The Interior Design subject is followed by over 8.5K learners on Class Central.
Best Interior Design Styles Course for Beginners (Erikka Fogleman)
How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro is a comprehensive course, covering 18 main interior design styles, and does not have any prerequisites. By taking this course, you’ll gain the knowledge to discover your personal style and learn how to blend various styles seamlessly. The instructor, a graduate from the New York Institute of Art and Design, explores the characteristics of each style, including furniture, materials, color schemes, and more, ensuring you’re well-equipped to create beautiful, cohesive spaces.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Understand 18 main interior design styles used today
- Ability to articulate and select defining furniture characteristics for each style
- Knowledge of common materials, color schemes, and patterns for each style
- Selection of appropriate window coverings and flooring
- Discovering your interior design style personality
- Techniques for confidently mixing different styles
- Case studies and practice exercises to enhance your style identification skills.
Provider | Udemy |
Instructor | Erikka Fogleman |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 6 hours |
Enrollments | 55K |
Rating | 4.5/5.0 (10K) |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Interior Design Mood Boards Course (Corey Damen Jenkins)
Learn interior design from renowned interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins who believes everyone should have access to great design in Corey Damen Jenkins Teaches Interior Design. He’s here to teach you how to build bold, functional interiors on any budget. With his help, you can design with confidence and transform your home like a pro.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this course:
- How to create mood boards that capture your vision and help guide your design decisions
- Techniques for space planning that maximize both functionality and style
- Strategies for designing bold and beautiful interiors within any budget
- Tips for embracing the design process and making choices with confidence.
Provider | MasterClass |
Instructor | Corey Damen Jenkins |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 2-3 hours |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Course to Create Spaces That Tell a Story (Kelly Wearstler)
Award-winning interior designer Kelly Wearstler is here to teach you techniques to make any space more beautiful, creative and inspiring in Kelly Wearstler Teaches Interior Design. Her eclectic and experiential style has shaped American design, and now, you can get a taste of that too. By taking this course, you’ll gain insights into how to make spaces feel larger, confidently choose colors and materials, and curate art and objects to create a narrative within any room.
Here’s what you’ll learn from this course:
- How to draw inspiration and start a design project
- Techniques for working with space to enhance any room
- The importance of materiality, color, and texture in design
- The role of pattern, lighting, and furnishings in creating balance and comfort
- Ways to use art and objects to craft a unique experience
- Insights into Kelly Wearstler’s creative journey and design heroes.
Provider | MasterClass |
Instructor | Kelly Wearstler |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 2-3 hours |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Free Interior Design Course for Beginners (Zahira Cury)
Interior Design Basics will teach you the basics of interior design. With all the techniques and tips, you’ll be able to transform your interiors, no matter large or small, into your perfect home. From colors and lighting to hanging curtains and mixing styles, by the end of this free course, you’ll find yourself with the home of your dreams.
By taking this course, you will learn:
- The top interior design ideas for living spaces
- How to effectively use lighting and color in your home
- Strategies to avoid and fix common interior design mistakes
- Techniques for creating mood boards and selecting paint, flooring, and wallpaper
- Tips for hanging curtains and mixing design styles cohesively
- Insights into the differences between interior designers, decorators, and architects.
Channel | D.Signers |
Provider | YouTube |
Instructor | Zahira Cury |
Level | Beginner |
Views | 104K |
Workload | 4-5 hours |
Certificate | Not available |
Best Course to Kickstart your Interior Design Career (British Academy of Interior Design)
Designed for those considering a career in interior design as well as those who simply want to improve their own home, A Beginner’s Guide to Interior Design Principles and Elements will give a solid understanding of the basic design theories and principles of interior design. With expert guidance, you’ll be able to kickstart your interior design career.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- The basic elements of design, including line, form, color, texture, pattern, size, space, and light
- How to apply design principles such as contrast, dominance, rhythm, focal point, scale, proportion, and balance
- Techniques to effectively use design elements and principles to meet individual briefs and enhance interior spaces
- Practical knowledge to kickstart your career in interior design or to improve your personal home decor.
Established in 2004, the British Academy of Interior Design is a leading provider of accredited, industry-recognised interior design qualifications.
Institution | British Academy of Interior Design |
Provider | FutureLearn |
Instructor | Leonor Cício |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 8 hours |
Enrollments | 6.2K |
Rating | 4.8/5.0 (52) |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Restaurant Decor Course (Ana Milena Hernández)
Ana Hernández, creative director of the Valencian interior design studio Masquespacio, is here to teach you her process of designing a restaurant that includes everything from market research to the distribution of tables and chairs. After taking Diseño de interiores para restaurantes, you’ll be able to apply the design elements to your own restaurant. Note that this course is in Spanish with English subtitles.
Here’s what you’ll learn from this course:
- The concept of a ‘lovemark’ or cult brand and the factors that define it
- How to understand your client and their consumers to tailor your design
- Techniques for effective space distribution and furniture arrangement
- Ways to distinguish your restaurant from competitors through design
- The process of selecting materials, colors, and textures that align with the brand’s identity
- Steps to design a restaurant space that provides an inspiring customer experience.
Provider | Domestika |
Instructor | Ana Milena Hernández Palacios |
Level | Intermediate |
Workload | 3-4 hours |
Enrollments | 43K |
Rating | 97% (1.2K) |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Home Styling and Decoration with Plants Course (Domestika)
Plants create a healthier and happier place to live in. A space styled with plants breathes fresh and gets a new life. In Home Styling and Decoration with Plants, stylists Igor and Judith will teach you how to decorate your home or office with plants. You’ll learn their professional styling techniques and transform your spaces with plants.
By the end of the course, you will learn:
- The fundamentals of interior styling with plants and how to create a harmonious space
- Techniques for selecting and caring for plants to ensure they thrive in your environment
- Room-by-room guidance to strategically place plants for maximum impact
- How to design your space, create mood boards, and define your personal style
- Tips for photographing your plant-styled spaces and sharing them on platforms such as Instagram
- Ways to connect with other plant enthusiasts and build a community around your passion for greenery.
Provider | Domestika |
Instructor | Igor Josifovic-Kemper, Judith de Graaff |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 3 hours |
Enrollments | 6.4K |
Rating | 96% (129) |
Certificate | Paid |
Best Short Styling Course from Skillshare (Emily Henderson)
Emily Henderson is one of the most popular interior stylists on the internet. In this short course, Style Your Space: Creative Tips and Techniques for Interior Design, you’ll go behind the scenes and watch how she creates rooms and spaces that feel fun, creative and unique, and also learn how you can do the same too. Plus, you’ll also see her style her own living room in California from start to finish.
In this course, you will learn to:
- Identify and develop your personal interior style with an in-class quiz
- Gain confidence in your style choices and learn to stick to a color palette
- Mix and match different styles to create a look that’s uniquely yours
- Use current trends in a way that complements your personal aesthetic
- Source and shop for items, including vintage finds, that you’ll cherish
- Watch and learn from Emily as she styles a living room, providing you with actionable tips to style your own space.
Provider | Skillshare |
Instructor | Emily Henderson |
Level | Beginner |
Workload | 1 hour |
Enrollments | 48K |
Rating | 97% (1.5K) |
Certificate | Not available |
Interior Design – Living Room Design Tips (Karla Dreyer Design)
In this free course Interior Design – Living Room Design Tips, Karla Dreyer shows you how to update the look of your living room including useful tips and tricks. From design trends and colors to styling each element in your living room such as your TV and coffee table, you’ll explore every single detail so that you can create a living room that you can show off. Read the in-depth review here.
Here’s what you’ll learn from this course:
- Current living room design trends and how to incorporate them into your space
- Tips for decorating with neutral colors and choosing the right rug size
- Ideas for styling coffee tables, console tables, bar carts, side tables, and shelves
- How to select and arrange throw pillows for maximum impact
- Strategies for decorating around a TV and adding texture to your home decor
- Guidance on finding your personal design style and avoiding common interior design mistakes
- Practical advice for arranging your living room layout and making the most of small spaces
- Before and after transformations to inspire your own living room design project.
Channel | Karla Dreyer Design |
Provider | YouTube |
Instructor | Karla Dreyer |
Level | Beginner |
Rating | 4.7 (10) |
Workload | 2-3 hours |
Certificate | Not available |
Why You Should Trust Us
Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 80 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 250,000 online courses and 250,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.
I (Archisha) am a civil engineer and a design enthusiast. I like to have an eye for good design and try to apply it in my life. I have actively participated in choosing new furniture and decorations for my house while incorporating old pieces to save costs and retain memories. I like to fuse my knowledge with my passion since interior design encompasses functionality and architectural aspects as well.
I am also a Guided Project Instructor and a Beta Tester at Coursera, having tested many courses before they’re officially launched. I have taken over 50 online courses in various subjects. My experience as an online learner and teacher has given me some perspective on what to look for in an online course. I used my experience to evaluate each course in this list.
How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them
Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how we approached this task.
First, we combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid courses.
Second, when choosing courses, we considered the following factors:
- Instructor experience: we looked for certified instructors with extensive experience in interior design .
- Course content: we looked for courses that covered a wide range of topics, from the basics to more advanced techniques.
- Student reviews: we read student reviews (when available) to get a sense of the quality of each course.
To evaluate each course, we watched some of the course videos and read the course syllabus. We also looked at the course’s rating and reviews on Class Central and course provider sites.
Ultimately, we used a combination of data and our own judgment to make these picks. We’re confident these recommendations will provide you with the knowledge to pursue your interior design projects.
Fabio has revised the research and the latest version of this article.
Sandra
Thanks, this list is so useful. I’ll definitely try most the courses you’ve recommended!