Design courses - Want to learn more? Here's how...
If you are interested in learning more about interior design through formalised study, there are a number of design courses available around New Zealand.

If you are a design or colour course provider in New Zealand or Australia and would like your course added to this page, please email us. We will contact you and arrange for your site to be added. Please email us if you have not had a response within 10 working days.

The Open Polytechnic Diploma in Design & Decorating (Level 5)
Open Polytechnic’s Diploma in Design and Decorating (Level 5) has been developed in conjunction with Resene Paints Limited and well-known interior designer Sylvia Sandford.

This qualification will give you the knowledge and skills necessary to provide interior and exterior design advice in a residential environment in relation to colour schemes, fabric use, room plans, layout and design. A must if you are wanting to redecorate your own home, interested in gaining employment in the interior design industry or are already working in the industry.

The Diploma is open for enrolment anytime and learning is by distance, so you can study when you want, where you want.

Qualification structure
This Diploma is made up of 12 courses, covering a range of subjects including:

DD1 Principles and Elements of Design
DD2 Planning
DD3 Colour
DD4 Influences in Design & Decorating
DD5 Lighting
DD6 Flooring
DD7 Windows and Walls
DD8 Fabrics & Furnishings
DD9 Furniture
DD10 Living Spaces
DD11 Kitchens and Laundries
DD12 Bedrooms and Bathrooms

For more information or to enrol contact Open Polytechnic:
Visit our website
Call freephone: 0508 650 200
Email: customerservices@openpolytechnic.ac.nz

Australian College of Interior Decor - Distance Education
If your job is just not as exciting as it used to be then you might need a change. Something creative in your life! With that our design, colour, renovation and decorating courses can help. Help colour your life!

With 17 years experience in decoration, colour and design we know how to teach our subject. ACID is a registered, accredited, award winning college who offer the best of customer service to our students. Our college is ever changing and offering new courses constantly, new programs for our students, new resources, notes, websites, procedures and products.

With daily enrolments you can start the day you receive your package. As soon as tomorrow, you could begin studying how to be an Interior Decorating Consultant, Designer, Colour Consultant or studying one of our shorter 10-15 week courses that help you to complete those long overdue renovations.

Distance courses include:
Stage 1 in Interior Decoration (1 yr), Certificate 4 in Interior Decoration (2.5 yrs), Certificate 2 in 3D Drawing (20 wks), Diploma of Interior Decoration (3 Yrs) and Advanced Diploma of Interior Design (5 yrs).
Colour Your Home, Decorating Like Professionals, Designing Your Kitchen, Design Your Own Home, Period Decorating and Visual Merchandising.

Look for yourself at www.corcollege.com.au and see how we can make your new career happen! Or call for a free package +61-2 96540085 or email info@corcollege.com.au or registrar@corcollege.com.au

Bramly Art & Creative School
Bramly Art & Creative School offers fabulous art and design classes for children, teenagers and adults. Adult classes include drawing, painting and our excellent colour design and interior design term courses run by experienced interior designer and tutor Debbie Abercrombie.

Children's after-school and weekend classes include wonderful general art, drawing, cartoon, craft and fashion design programmes. Stimulating art & creative holiday programmes and parties are also run. A highly regarded senior high school student art tuition (and tertiary art portfolio preparation) class is also run.

305 Remuera Rd, Auckland
View details at www.bramly.co.nz.
Email: shine@bramly.co.nz
Phone: (09) 624 6366

Charnwood Interior Design Course
If you're in the process of building a home, refurbishing or considering Interior Design as a career this 6 week evening course is definitely for you! Compiled and presented by Pauline Lattey, the Charnwood Interior Design Course has proved very popular since its introduction in 1996.

The course contains all the basic guidelines of Interior Design from the house plan stage, floor treatments, walls and window treatments, fabric design, through to the psychology of colour, kitchens, lighting, style and accessories.

Working as a designer for over 25 years, backed up by a diploma in Professional Interior Design, a certificate in Kitchen design recognised by the NZBKA and two years on the council of the Designers Institute of NZ, Pauline is able to bring the latest trends and ideas to her course.

This Design Course is held from Taupo to Wellington. On completion of the Charnwood Interior Design Course a Certificate is presented.

For more information phone Pauline 06 354 6444, visit latteydesign.co.nz or email pauline@latteydesign.co.nz.

CPIT (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology)
Design It, Colour It, Change It...

Picture yourself as an Interior Décor Advisor or an Interior Design Consultant? Now is the time to pursue it with the CPIT School of Art & Design. We offer fantastic industry relevant courses that will equip you with the knowledge and skills to tastefully transform a variety of buildings and spaces.

Programmes include:

• Certificate in Interior Décor (CPIT, Christchurch)
• Diploma in Interior Design - Residential (CPIT, Christchurch)
• Part Time short courses in Interior Décor (CPIT, Christchurch)
• Full time and part time options are available. Whether you want a qualification, require a stepping stone to move into architectural design or are simply looking to expand your creativity, these programmes will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need.

Find out more by calling us today 0800 24 24 76 or visit our website.

Debbie Abercrombie design courses
Working in the Field of Colour!
Do you want to enhance your skills with Colour and have a greater understanding of how you can help others with their colour choices? Do you want to feel more confident when advising others on their colour schemes?

Debbie Abercrombie runs a full year course, one morning a week divided into four terms, each term focussing on a different aspect of Colour. Or an intensive workshop which covers each term over a 2 day period.

Colour Manipulation: Term 1/ Workshop 1

• Colour Theory
  
• Interaction with Colour
  
• Psychology of Colour
  
• Colour Combination Techniques

• Colour Culture
  
• Developing Colour Palettes
  
• History of Colour Trends
  
• Forecasting

• Colour practitioners
  
• Colour in Marketing
  
• Pattern and Texture

• Developing Colour Schemes
  
• Colour Rendering and Perspectives
  
• Resolving a Scheme

Debbie’s first term begins February and 11th, 2009.
The first weekend workshop in Auckland is March 21st, 2009.
There will be workshops offered in Wellington and Christchurch, dates to be confirmed.....please register your interest by email.

Email: debbie@abercrombieltd.co.nz
Ph: (09) 478 4440

Design & Arts College
The Design & Arts College aim to provide the highest quality tertiary education in the creative fields that provide the platform for career success. See the Design & Arts College website for more information on their courses.

Designarmy
Designarmy courses are designed to put you in charge. Interior Design and Architecture can be an elite industry, and a mysterious one at that, to many homeowners who feel Architects and Interior Designers are unaffordable to their budget. So Suzanne has created a series of ‘designarmy’ courses, with many more to follow, that teach home owners, investors, design students, even small businesses exactly how to take a good idea from sketch design to material selection and onsite job management, empowering her students with all the information on exactly how Interior Designers run a job from start to finish. This course gets straight to the practicalities of how to really design and manage renovations.

Set in the award winning offices of an architectural studio in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, this location allows students to instantly access a plethora of industry materials and literature, as well as be inspired by the realness of the environment. Not only that, the courses in the studio will regularly be visited by guest speakers such as builders or consultants as well as industry suppliers talking about their latest and greatest products, just as it happens in a real office.

For more information
Website: www.designarmy.com.au
Phone: 04 0301 7209
Email: suzanne@designarmy.com.au

Designworx
Learn Design Elements to create a home you love... IN ONE DAY!
The Designworx One Day Interior Design Workshop will help you translate your vision into reality, by learning functional Design Solutions to create spaces you will love. In the workshop you will

• Learn the elements of design that make a colour scheme work
  
• Create, and take home your own Colour Scheme (Value $325.00 + GST)
  
• Learn about drapery and upholstery fabrics
  
• Purchase fabrics at below retail prices
  
• Order free paint swatches through Designworx
  
• Take home gift pack - includes Resene fandeck and colour wheel
  
• Receive Referral Vouchers for excellent tradespeople

Designworx run workshops regularly. Please call 09 445 1098 or visit our website www.designworxnz.co.nz

EIT Hawkes Bay - Bachelor of Visual Art & Design
The Bachelor programme stresses an inter-media and multidisciplinary approach to learning. This allows a unique opportunity for you to explore your creative talents in a broad range of traditional and contemporary media and technologies whilst focusing on your specialist direction. These facilities are supplemented by other workshops in the Arts section, particularly Video Production and Fashion.

After three years of successful study graduates will be awarded the EIT Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design. Career opportunities in the Visual Arts and Design industry include: interior design, furniture design, freelance graphics, designing web pages for the Internet, interactive CD-ROM, computer graphics, illustration, video, 3-D rendering, as well as the traditional visual creative arts such as painting, sculpture, printmaking and crafts; for example small object design.

See www.eit.ac.nz for more information.

Janet Scard Design and Paint Finishes
Paint Finish Techniques one day classes are held on Saturdays from 9-5pm.

Want to inject new life into your tired surroundings? This fun, hands on class will give you the product knowledge and skills to refurbish and refinish furniture, surfaces and accessories in your home in a variety of ways.

Contact Selwyn Community Education, 203-245 Kohimarama Rd, Kohimarama. Ph 09 521 9623, Fax 09 521 9624
Email: info@selwyncomed.school.nz
Web: www.selwyncomed.school.nz

Nanette Cameron School of Interior Design
With thirty-five years of history, the Nanette Cameron School of Interior Design is well recognised throughout the design industry and has instilled an understanding and appreciation of design in more than three thousand students. The philosophy of the two year course (with optional third year) is to broaden the cultural background of students and provide knowledge and confidence to create a beautiful, personal and satisfying home environment. Individuality is encouraged in the course. See the Te Tuhi website for more information.

NKBA (National Kitchen & Bathroom Association (NZ) Inc) Training Courses
It is the goal of the NKBA to lead and maintain an educated workforce resulting in a higher level of professionalism in the kitchen and bathroom industry of New Zealand.

Courses are available in modular form enabling progressive skills development. Modules focus on everything from evolution of kitchen and bathroom design through to design and colour - preparing colour boards and the use of electronic software in design. Each course is supported with a comprehensive NKBA training manual.

For more information contact Marykate Coles, Education NKBA, PO Box 2825, Haitaitai, Wellington. Ph: 04 3861855.
email: education@nkba.org.nz.

Peta Tearle Colour Design
Since 1989 Peta Tearle has been working with paint as the fastest way to change the feel of a room, her site-specific specialist painting narrows the gap between wall special effects and art. Peta's Colour Design course (available as 4 modules) examines theories of colour, colour forecasting, colour practitioners, the development of interior and exterior colour schemes and much more. It provides students with the knowledge, tools and inspiration to develop successful colour schemes with confidence. Students have an opportunity to identify and translate personal needs into colour design solutions. See the Te Tuhi website for more information.

Ruby Colour School
Certificate in Applied Colour Psychology. Based on a holistic and multi-dimensional approach to colour, this course will increase your level of colour awareness and confidence - providing valuable insight to support your personal, professional or commercial interest in colour.

One day workshops on various aspects of colour also available on request.

Find out more at: www.arubymood.com.au

Serena’s Image – Interior Decorating
Learn about décor, colour and style, advanced interior decorating and design covering everything from colour psychology and harmony to textiles, floor plans and much more, all taught by Serena Keenan who has been teaching on the subject since 1992.

For more information and to enroll visit www.serenasimage.com.

SIT – Certificate in Interior Décor
If you enjoy working with colours and textures in your home – or even rearranging the furniture for a new look – then the Certificate in Interior Design may be the programme for you.  The Certificate in Interior Décor is a Level 4, 120 credit, programme that provides students with the skills and knowledge required for employment or further training in the interior décor or interior design sectors.

The theoretical and practical skills taught in this qualification reflect the diverse range of skills required to work in the sector, particularly in the areas of:

• Design fundamentals and process
  
• Textile knowledge and selection of furnishings
  
• Presentation, space planning and model techniques
  
• Design project and product design
  
• Business skills and professional practice

South Institute of Technology’s Flexible Delivery programme enables you to study at home either part time or full time.  You will also have access to your own online facilitators and access to supplemental learning materials.

For more information, or an enrolment pack, contact Southern Institute of Technology on 0800 SIT2LRN (0800 748 257) or free fax on 0800 SITFAX (0800 748 329). Email sit2lrn@sit.ac.nz.

Terry Lobb Colour and Design
Terry Lobb teaches a six week course in Interior Design in Wanganui, touching on all aspects of design with an emphasis on colour and putting the complete colour scheme together. The course is designed for homeowners who want to learn a little more about their homes and making them more comfortable.

Telephone: (Office) 06 343 1044; (Mobile): 025 602 3298
Fax: 06 343 1043
Email: lobb@xtra.co.nz

The History of Design course - Tutor: Gaye Adsett, Dip. ID - Equilibrium Interiors
Growing your knowledge of design history can greatly enhance your appreciation of architecture and interiors. Whether you work in a design-related industry, are planning to travel, or just have an interest in architecture and design, this exclusive course may be for you. Course content covers the major contributors; their buildings and interiors from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome through to the 20th Century; Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernist and more.

For dates and more information please contact Gaye for more information.
Phone (09) 5288 558 Mobile 021 529 133.

The Interior Design Institute
Already proven in the UK, USA and Australia, this online Diploma course in Interior Design has now been launched in New Zealand.

Learn about architectural history, the use of colour and other design elements, planning a design project, setting up a business and dealing with clients as you complete 12 in-depth modules and interactive assignments.

Study in your own time and at your own pace, as you gain the knowledge and skills required to develop and implement a design brief. Suitable for anyone who works in the design-related industry, is passionate about design or wants to build the foundation for a new business.

For further information, visit our website at www.theinteriordesigninstitute.co.nz and request a Prospectus.

Ucol Diploma in Interior Design
Back up your talent for interior design with industry-ready skills from UCOL’s new one-year, full-time Diploma in Interior Design.

You’ll gain a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of residential interior design, studying colour, furnishings, architecture, design theory, ergonomics, kitchen and bathroom design, building technology, materials and finishes, and lighting. You’ll also learn about what’s involved in a professional design practice, great preparation for an exciting new career!

The Diploma in Interior Design is a Level 5 one year full time programme consisting of 34 weeks of study.

• The diploma is broken into 2 semesters each consisting of 17 weeks (15 study weeks and 2 assessment weeks).
  
• Class time is approximately 24 hours per week, with an expected additional 16 hours per week spent on assignment work.
  
• MODES: The course can be undertaken on either a full time or part time basis (i.e. papers may be completed one at a time, but each paper must be completed within a single semester, i.e. 15 week period).
  
• Full time study involves 4 papers per semester of 15 credits each, covering a wide range of design related subjects that provide a cohesive set of industry related skills and knowledge.

To learn more about this programme visit our Interior Design web page.

General enquiries:
Call 0800 GO UCOL (0800 46 8265) or
Email: enquiry@ucol.ac.nz
Website: www.ucol.ac.nz

Unitec Institute of Technology
Unitec New Zealand offers a range of programmes in the areas of painting and interior design – National Certificate in Painting and the Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts (Interior Design).If you have an apprenticeship with the Painting and Decorating Industry Training Organisation and want to further your knowledge and skills the National Certificate in Painting is designed for you. It will help you improve your understanding of how to carry out painting and decorating work in a safe and professional manner. You’ll become more knowledgeable about spray techniques, wall coverings, industrial coatings and specialised coatings, and increase your knowledge of current practices in the painting and decorating industry.

The Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts (Interior Design) is a three-year programme that provides you with the skills to work on a range of projects within the interior design industry, from the interior of buildings to performance spaces, museum displays and retail and restaurant spaces. You could end up working in the following role: designer for film, TV, theatre, designer for museum exhibits, exhibition and event designer, interior designer (retail, commercial, domestic).

For more information visit www.unitec.ac.nz or phone 0800 10 95 10.

Waiariki Institute
Waiariki Institute of Technology offers the Certificate in Interior Design Level 4 (one year) and the Diploma in Interior Design Level 5 (2 years). On completion of the Diploma, graduates will have the ability to work in a consulting or retailing role with materials such as paint, wallpaper, fabric, furnishings or as a supervisor or self employed within the interior design industry.

Further information on the Waiariki Institute website.