What you'll learn
Transform your space with confidence with our comprehensive interior design short courses in Sydney!
If you’ve ever looked at your home and wondered how to bring it all together, this Interior Design & Styling Course for Beginners will give you the knowledge and confidence to make thoughtful, well-balanced design decisions.
This comprehensive course introduces the core principles of interior design through the Eight Golden Rules of Decorating: colour, contrast, warmth, balance, scale, detail, surprise and personality. These guiding principles will help you understand how to create spaces that feel cohesive, functional, and reflective of your personal style.
Across the course, you’ll explore how colour, texture, lighting, furniture and layout work together to shape a space. Through a combination of guided exercises and hands-on workshops, you’ll apply what you learn to your own decorating ideas—developing a personalised scheme you can use in your home.
Each class includes visual references such as mood boards, sample materials, magazines and design resources to support your learning. You’ll also create your own mood board and visual file, allowing you to translate your ideas into a clear and practical decorating plan.
Whether you’re looking to refresh your home, build your confidence in styling, or explore a potential pathway into interior decoration, this course provides a structured and engaging introduction.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this Interior Design & Styling course, participants will have developed practical skills and knowledge in areas such as:
- Applying the Eight Golden Rules of Decorating to interior spaces
- Using colour theory and the colour wheel to develop schemes
- Planning layouts with consideration of scale, furniture placement and flow
- Selecting and combining textures, patterns and materials
- Understanding the role of lighting in shaping a space
- Creating a mood board and visual file to communicate a design concept
Course content
What will be covered in this Interior Design & Styling course?
During the course, participants will be guided through key concepts, techniques and approaches that typically include:
Colour and the concept of home
- Defining the concept of home and identifying your personal style
- Understanding colour theory and colour psychology
- Using the colour wheel in decorating
- Exercises including style identification, colour selection, and creating a colour scheme
Contrast – texture and pattern
- Exploring texture and pattern as key design elements
- Understanding soft and hard surfaces
- Exercises including creating a texture file and selecting complementary fabrics
Balance – window dressing
- Understanding the role of window treatments
- Exploring curtains, blinds, shutters and screens
- Exercises including selecting treatments for a decorating scheme
Scale – choosing furniture
- Understanding furniture scale and spatial planning
- Incorporating new and existing pieces
- Exercises including floor plan development and furniture selection
Warmth – lighting
- Understanding lighting types and their impact
- Exploring task, ambient and accent lighting
- Exercises including developing a lighting plan
Detail – finishing touches
- Exploring hardware, accessories and decorative elements
- Exercises including creating a visual file of accessories and selecting complementary fabrics
Surprise – creating interest
- Introducing standout elements and focal points
- Exploring materials and design contrast
- Exercises including selecting feature elements and adding sensory impact
Personality – expressing your style
- Bringing together all design elements into a cohesive scheme
- Creating a mood board and visual file
- Optional presentation of your decorating concept
Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant interests, and instructor approach.
Intended audience
Who is this Interior Design & Styling course for?
This course is suitable for anyone interested in interior design, from complete beginners to those with some prior knowledge.
It is ideal for individuals looking to style their own home with more confidence, as well as those considering further study or a pathway into interior decoration and styling.
Course venue
2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd in the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)
Course materials
What to bring to class
- At least ten magazine tear-outs of rooms or decorating ideas you like
- Biro and black fine-tipped felt marker
- Small colour wheel
- One piece of A3 boxboard
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Closed-in shoes
Additional information
Discounts for SCC students are available with the following retailers:
- Art On King (Newtown) – 10% off
- Eckersley’s Art & Craft (York Street) – 10% off
Course testimonials
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Julie said: Rose Maree was an excellent teacher, lessons were well prepared and fabulous assortment of product samples and literature always in the classroom
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Olivia said: The course was very informative and we were presented with lots of information by the tutor who is obviously very good and passionate about her craft. There were lots of useful tools, templates and resources provided.
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Therese said: Rose - Marie was a great tutor with a wealth of experience and knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and am already applying the knowledge gained and am more confident in my interior styling choices at home.
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Irene said: 5 stars
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Amanda said: Rose Marie was very inspiring. She brings a career's worth of knowledge about Interior Design. I particularly liked the Colour subject.
Course tutors
Rose-Marie Hillier
Great reasons to enrol in a short course with us
Small classes
A personal approach means quality learning, so you can enjoy plenty of interaction with your instructor and the chance to ask questions.
Short & sweet
Our short courses & workshops get straight to the point, providing the skills you need with minimal commitment of your precious time.
Facilities & equipment
Our range of venues suit every type of course, are easy to get to, and have the equipment and tech needed to support your learning.
Easy, secure enrolment
Enrol online 24/7 with a safe, convenient 3-step process.
Quality instructors
Our educators bring first-hand experience and knowledge, with up-to-the-minute practices from diverse industries.
Business or pleasure
Our courses help you rapidly increase your skills and knowledge, for professional development or personal interest.
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Classes Online Courses
<p>Transform your space with confidence with our comprehensive <a href="https://www.sydneycommunitycollege.edu.au/courses/home-garden-cooking/interior-design">interior design short courses</a> in
...If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Interior Design & Styling Course: Beginners
If there isn't a class to suit you, please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Interior Design & Styling Course: Beginners
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