Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Interior Design

A semester course on designing rooms that work and look right: the elements and principles of design, color schemes, measuring and drawing floor plans to scale, lighting and materials, styles across history and cultures, and accessible design on a budget. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 23 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Foundations of design

    Analyze a room using the elements and principles of design, starting from the people who use it.

    • What interior designers do
    • The elements of design
    • The principles of design
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Color

    Apply the color wheel, color schemes, the 60-30-10 guideline and light reflectance to choose a palette for a real room.

    • The color wheel
    • Color schemes
    • Color, light and mood
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Planning a space

    Measure a room, draw it to scale, compute square footage and plan furniture with traffic flow and clearances.

    • Measuring and drawing to scale
    • Traffic flow and clearances
    • Arranging furniture
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Light and materials

    Plan layered lighting and choose materials and textiles by use, durability, comfort and sustainability.

    • Layers of light
    • Materials and finishes
    • Textiles and pattern
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Styles, history and culture

    Compare historical, contemporary and cultural design traditions and borrow from them with understanding.

    • Styles through history
    • Contemporary styles
    • Design across cultures
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Design for everyone, budgets and the room project

    Design an accessible, budgeted room using universal design, paint and cost estimates and a full design process.

    • Universal and accessible design
    • Budgeting a room
    • The design process and your room project
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Traffic flow and clearances

Worked example: checking a dining space

  1. Room width: 11 feet, which is 132 inches. Table width: 42 inches, centered.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished semester of interior design: you can read a room through the elements and principles of design, build a color scheme with the 60-30-10 guideline and light reflectance, measure and draw a floor plan to scale, check walkways and clearances, plan layered lighting, choose durable and sustainable materials, recognize major styles, apply universal design, estimate paint and a budget, and present a full room design. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 who rearrange their rooms for fun, love home and design media, or are curious about careers in interior design, architecture or set design, and students previewing a school interior design or family and consumer sciences course; homeschool families who want a complete semester unit. Projects use paper, a tape measure and free drawing tools.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. U.S. Access Board and U.S. Department of Justice, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design: ada.gov
  2. Center for Universal Design, NC State University, The Principles of Universal Design (1997): design.ncsu.edu
  3. U.S. Department of Energy, Lighting Choices to Save You Money, lumens and LED efficiency: energy.gov/energysaver
  4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality: epa.gov
  5. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, collection and design history resources: cooperhewitt.org

Interior Design is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical one-semester interior design elective but does not replace a school course, award credit or prepare anyone for professional practice. Clearance figures are common residential guidelines, and prices in worked examples are labeled as examples. Painting or moving furniture should be done with an adult's permission and help. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.