Certificate Programs
Decorative Arts
Decorative Arts encompasses a wide variety of skills and interest areas in interior decoration. From courses that focus on the history of interiors to studios that focus on lighting and residential design, a range of courses at the Boston Architectural College provide the opportunity to develop your skills in the art of decoration. Courses may be taken individually, or applied to the Decorative Arts Certificate Program.
Decorative Arts Certificate
Decorative arts professionals are increasingly being called upon to understand the complex functions of the residential environment and to translate that understanding into a design aesthetic. The Decorative Arts Certificate prepares you for career opportunities in the design field from working in a retail setting to starting your own business.
Nine Required classes
- Drawing for Interior Decorators
- Interior Decoration Introductory Studio
- Two Decorative Arts Studio electives
- Two Design Media electives
- Two History and Theory electives
- Business Practices for Decorators
Required:
Drawing for Interior Decorators
Course Number: VSC154
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This drawing course introduces students to the basic skills of graphic representation for interior decorators. Students will learn how to use basic drafting tools, take field dimensions, and draw to scale. They will develop the ability to understand and draw plans and elevations, and will be introduced to rendering, model building, perspective and orthogonal drawing. This class will include a field trip to sketch furniture and interiors.
Interior Decoration Introductory Studio
Course Number: SAC112
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: Drawing for Interior Decorators.
This studio explores the elements and principles of design, and provides the opportunity to begin designing and planning an interior space. Further develop your drafting skills acquired in Drawing for Interior Decorators within this introductory studio environment. Through lectures and hands-on studio projects, you will be introduced to an overview of the design process including needs assessment, concept development and programming, schematic drawing, and space planning, as well as furniture, finishes and material selection. With the opportunity to develop these skills and improve your presentation techniques, this course will prepare you for more advanced studios in the Decorative Arts and Kitchen & Bath Certificate Programs.
Business Practices for Decorators
Course Number: TMC125
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Decoration) for Decorative Arts Certificate students. Recommended as final course in the Decorative Arts Certificate Program.
Through this class, the students will develop their own business plans for private practice and retail options as decorators. Business fundamentals and state and federal requirements will be covered, along with general accounting, marketing, leasing and personnel requirements. Guest lecturers, field visits, and class projects will focus on preparing students for ownership and management of decorating businesses.
Examples of Decorative Arts Studio Electives:
Residential Decorative Arts Studio
Course Number: SAC444
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Decoration).
This studio expands upon concepts introduced in the Interior Decoration Introduction Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Decoration). Challenge your residential design skills within the dynamics of the studio environment, and sharpen your expertise in residential interior planning, furniture selection and procurement, window treatments and fabric selection. As the scope of your decorative project deepens in this studio, you will build on your graphic and oral presentation skills, and gain a better understanding of the business of residential interior decoration.
Kitchen & Bath Design Studio I
Course Number: SAC222
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: Decorative Arts students need to have completed Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Decoration). Kitchen &
This studio focuses on the fundamental concepts of residential kitchen and bath design, and cover projects from programming through completion. Through a series of class projects, students will learn how to design kitchens and bathrooms according to NKBA Guidelines that function as well as they look. Industry standards for safety and function will be stressed. Presentation standards for project drawings will be introduced. Field trips will complement classroom projects and lectures.
The Traditional House Studio: Architectural Interiors
Course Number: SAC550
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (Formerly Basics of Interior Design) for DA certificate students or Orthogonal Drawing.
This studio will explore the fundamentals of designing new traditional residential interiors via a semester-long studio project. The time-tested principles of traditional classical interior design will be reviewed, along with the methodology of exploring design alternatives and various traditional residential styles. The selection of finishes and the development and production of intermediate and final design schemes will also be addressed.
Restoration of Period Interiors Studio
Course Number: SAC555
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: Orthogonal Drawing or familiarity with drafting techniques recommended.
This studio will examine real-life case studies of preservation, renovation, and restoration of historic residences in the Greater Boston Area. Each student will learn how to conduct historical research and explore historically appropriate design alternatives. Development of floor plans, interior detailing, and finish palettes will also be addressed. A field visit to a local historical mansion is planned within class time.
Lighting for the Home Studio
Course Number: SAC367
3.0 credits
Prerequisites: Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Decoration)
This nontechnical introductory studio focuses on residential design. Topics include light sources, fixture selection, color rendering, and analysis of lighting installations and controls. The course will explore various areas of the home and their particular requirements for light. Field trips may be included.
Examples of Design Media Electives:
Residential Textiles
Course Number: VSC250
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: None
An expert use of textiles in interior decoration requires both an aesthetic sense and technical knowledge of how fibers and yarns perform. This course gives students an in-depth look at the components of textiles, in a hands-on classroom experience. Students explore a vast array of fabrics, using them to convey color, texture, and ambience, as well as mastering their applications in residential settings. Class components include examining the textile manufacturing process, fabric performance testing, and a field trip to a fabric showroom, time permitting.
Materials, Finishes, and Resources
Course Number: VSC323
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Through lectures, demonstrations, and field trips, students will be introduced to materials, finishes, and resources for residential interiors. They will learn about various materials, as well as the availability and suitability of different materials for specific uses. Please note: Students must coordinate their own transportation for various field trips.
Color and Color Theory
Course Number: VS220/7220AC
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: The course is designed for practicing design professionals (architects, interior designers, landscape architects or other professionals working with color). Decorative Arts Certificate students need to have completed Drawing for Interior Decorators, Interior Decoration Introductory Studio (formerly Basics of Interior Design), and one studio elective to take this course.
This course is centered on understanding color and its implications for the built environment. It includes an exploration of the physical and perceptual nature of color theory and the physiological, psychological, and emotional impact of color. Color, as an essential element of the design process, will be considered in its relationship to form, space, and light.
Freehand Drawing
Course Number: VS151
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Students will learn to draw forms and objects in space and explore positive and negative space, edges, contours, and the effects of light and shadow. Varying approaches to freehand drawing will be offered according to the instructor's interests, including exposure to figure drawing, still life, and perspective sketching. Media used will include pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, and watercolor. Students should bring to the first class an 18" x 24" newsprint pad, a soft charcoal pencil, and a kneaded eraser.
Watercolor Rendering
Course Number: VS158
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course explores drawing in color. Students will understand the versatility of watercolor through various exercises and will be able to formulate their own creative approach to the medium. Elements of composition and design will be discussed and different techniques will be presented to build presentation skills one step at a time. Special emphasis will be given to the selection and mixture of color.
Perspective Drawing
Course Number: VS115
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: Orthogonal Drawing or familiarity with drafting techniques.
This course introduces students to both freehand and mechanically generated perspectives. The initial sessions will discuss historical concepts before engaging in plan, elevation and section one-point perspectives. The course will end with the study of two-point perspectives, alternate vanishing points, and rendered shades and shadows. Students will develop interior and exterior views and entourage. The course integrates analog and digital media through Sketchup exercises and an introduction to CAD 3D.
SketchUp I / 3D Modeling & Illustration
Course Number: VS650
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: Basic computer skills.
SketchUp is an easy-to-learn yet extraordinary tool for developing 3D models and illustrations, from the conceptual stages of simple designs to complex and sophisticated projects. The course will introduce the application and follow a project-based learning approach, focusing on 3D form creation, modification and communication.
Examples of History and Theory Electives:
Psychology of Space
Course Number: HT285
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: None
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”(Winston Churchill) This course explores the psychological effects of interior space, beginning with basic spatial, lighting, and color concepts and then applying them to better understand how human perception is influenced by design elements. Using experiential analysis of real and planned physical interiors, you will gain useful insights and learn practical design techniques to better respond to your client’s needs. Develop an expanded way of looking at and appreciating architectural surroundings through related exercises, readings, and field trips with emphasis on discussion and individual interpretation. All site visits will occur during regularly scheduled class time.
History of Interior Design and Furniture
Course Number: HT325/HT7325
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
The history of interior design and furniture encompasses numerous styles, movements, and individual artistic contributions. It also reflects the influence of cultural, political, and social developments. A basic understanding of this history is important for the professional interior designer who may often look to the past seeking inspiration. This class will entail the study of a progression of historical interiors, styles, movements and furniture. Each will be examined for their inherent qualities and contributions in order to more fully understand the role of history in contemporary
Restoration of Period Interiors History Lecture
Course Number: HT219
1.5 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course examines the preservation, renovation, and restoration of historic American residential interiors and the evolution of the various styles, from Early Colonial up to the beginning of the Modern Movement (1600-1940). Emphasis will be given to understanding way to sensitively integrate historic home interiors with contemporary lifestyles via design decisions.
Historic American Design
Course Number: HTC125
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
This course traces the development of American Interior Design as it progressed from the noble republicanism of Thomas Jefferson to the Colonial Revival aesthetic proposed by nineteenth century design theorists such as Clarence Cook. Discussion ends with the most recent American revivalist decorating maven, Martha Stewart. Charting the "refinement of
Perceiving the Patterns of the Past through New England’s Historic Interiors
Course Number: HT282/HT7282
3.0 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Each period of
Courses from the Decorative Arts Certificate may transfer into the Interior Design, or other degree programs at the BAC. Please contact an advisor in Continuing Education at 617.585.0101 or ce@the-bac.edu regarding the specifics of transferring courses from a certificate into a degree program.
For more information, contact us at ce@the-bac.edu or use the Request Information link. For course availability for the current semester, use the CE course schedule link.
