Learn how to decorate residential and commercial spaces and create stunning displays. Gain skills in space planning, lighting, and colour theory. Graduate in only 18 months, internship included.
What Do People in Interior Decoration and Visual Presentation Do?
Interior decorators create a stylish and cohesive look for a space. While an interior designer crafts the bones of a room, an interior decorator brings in the furniture and décor to finish the look.
Decorators offer advice on colour combinations, furniture and accessory arrangement, and finishing materials. They may create freehand sketches and simple technical plans as a guide for material, furniture, and colour arrangement.
Visual merchandisers focus on presenting products for sale. In retail stores, they apply and adapt marketing service concepts, perform tasks related to dressing mannequins and busts, prepare window displays, and handle promotional displays. Visual merchandisers may also work on manufacturing decorative elements and exhibition stands in specialized companies.
Herzing College Interior Decoration and Visual Display Program
The Interior Decoration and Visual Display program helps you master the practical skills to bring your vision to life. You’ll get hands-on practice with layouts, sketches, and project proposals, and graduate ready to be an asset to a design team.
- 18-month program
- 6-week internship
- Multiple start dates; enrol at any time
- Financial assistance may be available for students who qualify
- Get help with your job search after graduation
What Skills Will You Learn in the Interior Decoration and Visual Display Program?
You will learn how to:
- Create and propose projects in residential interior decoration, professional office layout, and small boutique design
- Undertake interior display projects, window displays, visual presentations for media, and exhibition booth projects
- Arrange colours and decorative elements such as furniture and accessories, as well as door and window dressing
- Read plans and technical drawings, create graphic representations of a project, and perform basic lettering and graphic reproduction tasks
- Select lighting, use manual and electric tools, employ painting techniques, and create decorative elements
- Utilize sales techniques, information research, and file management
Career Outlook
Successful graduates can find work with:
- Furniture stores
- Interior decoration centres
- Décor stores
- Interior design offices
- Department stores
- Visual merchandising agencies
- Museums
- Art galleries
- Film, theatre, or television studios
Graduates can pursue positions like:
- Technical interior design assistant
- Interior decoration advisor
- Interior decoration product salesperson
- Decorator
- Visual merchandiser
Study Topics
Our Interior Decoration and Visual Display program covers topics such as colour theory, sketches and drawings, element arrangement, space layout, and project proposals.
Click to see detailed course descriptions:
In this course, students will learn to understand the reality of the occupation; understand the effects of evolving trends on the practice of the occupation; comprehend the training project; and confirm their professional orientation.
In this course, students learn about the potential uses of colour. They will compose colour harmonies; balance volumes, masses, and surfaces of a space through colour; develop a colour scheme; and choose colours for a specific space and lighting.
Students learn to use sources of work-related information. They will gather information from plans; perform technical research in sheets and catalogues; research themes, styles, and trends; use information from a merchandising company manual; use the internet; and create directories of professional references.
This course teaches students how to propose materials for a project. They will gather the necessary information for determining materials for a given project; calculate material requirements; and prepare a proposal for desirable materials for project execution.
In this course, students learn to produce rough sketches, freehand drawings, and perspective drawings. They will process information regarding sketch creation; draw sketches; outline the sketch of an object, space, or constituent element of a space; create sketches illustrating space arrangements; produce perspectives; and finalize sketches and perspectives.
Students learn to define the parameters of the drawings to be made; draw the plan of a space to be arranged; reproduce elevation views of the space to be arranged; represent an object through conventional views, cross-sections, and isometrics; and include dimension notations in the drawings.
This course teaches students how to propose combinations of furniture and décor or display elements. They will gather the necessary information to determine needs; determine interior decoration or visual presentation elements that can fulfill the needs; define the style of furniture and decorative elements; and prepare a proposal for arranging furniture and decorative elements.
This course covers window and bed treatments and light upholstering. Students will gather the necessary information for determining dressings and upholstery; determine materials or products for dressings; define the sewing style; determine fabric quantities and product dimensions for dressings and upholstery; prepare sewing specifications; determine necessary hardware; and prepare a dressing proposal for a space to be decorated.
Students learn how to gather the necessary information for lighting project development; determine lighting solutions; propose a lighting project; install lighting elements; and adjust lighting.
In this course, students will understand communication principles, experience communication situations specific to the fields of interior decoration and visual presentation; establish collaborative relationships within a work team; and become aware of their strengths and limitations regarding communication capacity.
This course is designed to teach students how to sell. They will learn to identify customer needs and expectations; offer services or products; present a project; and close a sale.
In this course, students learn how to draft administrative documents; process payments; receive merchandise; and provide after-sales service.
Students will gather the necessary information for residential project development; conduct general preliminary research; perform a preliminary study for space layout; arrange selected decorative elements and their complements; compile a presentation file for the project; present the project; and follow up on the project.
This course focuses on proposing an interior decorating project based on modular, built-in elements. Students will gather the necessary information for project development; conduct general preliminary research; perform a preliminary study for space layout; arrange modular elements with their complements; and compile the project file.
Students will gather the necessary information for a public space project; conduct general preliminary research; perform a preliminary study for space layout; arrange selected decorative elements and their complements; compile a presentation file for the project; present the project; and follow up on the project.
This course covers the building of décor elements. Students will plan workshop work; prepare and shape materials; assemble materials and components; recycle decorative elements; finish decorative elements; and maintain the workstation.
In this course, students learn to layout a space for promotional purposes. They will gather the appropriate information; plan the work; display mannequins; exhibit merchandise; and complete the promotional space layout.
This course focuses on designing window displays. Students will gather the necessary information for the layout; conduct general preliminary research; perform a preliminary study for space layout; present a layout file; perform preliminary operations for window display assembly; realize the visual presentation of the window display; finish the window display; and disassemble the window display.
In this course, students learn how to design a space for a special event. They will gather the necessary information for the layout; conduct general preliminary research; perform a preliminary study for space layout; arrange selected decorative elements and their complements; compile a file for the layout project; present the project; manufacture decorative elements; assemble the décor on the event premises; and disassemble the décor.
Students will become familiar with the reality of the occupation; observe and participate in workplace activities; consolidate the knowledge acquired during training; and become aware of workplace challenges.
Admission Requirements
What you need to get started.
- A high school diploma or recognized equivalent
OR
- Be at least 16 years old by September 30th of the school year in which you begin training and have obtained the 4th-grade secondary units in the language of instruction, second language, and mathematics in programs established by the Minister or equivalent recognized learning
OR
- Be at least 18 years old at the time of entry into training and possess the functional prerequisites, including passing the general development test and the following specific prerequisites or the equivalent recognized course code:
-
- FRA 2102-2 (Adult Sector Code) OR French 308 (Youth Sector Code) AND MAT 3016-2 (Adult Sector Code) OR Math 306 (Youth Sector Code)
Note: Admission to some programs may include additional requirements.
Not all programs and learning formats available at all campus locations.
This program leads to a Diploma in Vocational Studies (DVS) recognized by the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Quebec.
Herzing College Montreal is a post-secondary institution recognized by the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning (permit number 749758) and a secondary vocational studies institution (permit number 534501).
