Interior Design and Decoration (Top-up) - BA (Hons)

More about this course

Historically, decorative designers have expressed through their work the latest technological and fashion advances, in line with trends that colour our material culture and vernacular history. Important archives are kept with institutions such as the V&A, Geffrye Museum and RIBA which allow us to research sources, methods and approaches for contemporary practice.

You will have the opportunity to explore and develop ideas for historic and modern contexts, acquiring knowledge of graphic skills and composition, fabrication techniques, manufacturing processes, mark-making, material exploration and practice for the intimate and private, or public scales of interior decoration. As a developing designer you will use this knowledge to develop sensory and aesthetically sophisticated decorative environments that communicate emotionally, culturally, socially and physically with you audience.

Throughout the course, you will be asked to consider and position your skills and interests in relation to the industry to develop a portfolio that expresses your individual practice. The course operates within a programme of related interior design undergraduate awards, bringing together best practice from related fields. 

Follow @ldnmet_interiors on Instagram for the latest student work and news from the course!

Assessment

A number of assessment methods will be used throughout the course. These range from formative, summative, diagnostic, peer and self-assessment methods to studio based work, workshops, computer-aided design (CAD) and digital projects and exercises.

Entry requirements

In addition to the University’s standard entry requirements, you should have one of the following:

• 240 credits from a Higher National Diploma (HND), Foundation Degree (FdA/ FdSc) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant subject
• 240 credits from years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate degree (BA/BSc) in a relevant subject at a different institution
• a portfolio interview

If you live in the UK you will be invited to a portfolio interview. If you live outside of the UK you will be asked to submit a portfolio via email.

Portfolios and interviews

Your portfolio should be selective, but have enough work to show a range of your interests and talents. We are interested in seeing how you develop a project from beginning to end, not only finished work.

If you cannot bring certain pieces of your work to your portfolio interview, please take photographs and include them.

Physical portfolio

If you are coming in person to your interview we strongly suggest bringing a physical portfolio of work.

Things to bring:

• Sketchbooks– we love to see your sketchbooks with ideas and notes, even if they are messy.
• Examples of the development of a project from start to finish and the final outcome.
• Some work that you are really proud of and want to talk about.
• Some work that shows you experimenting with different processes.

Digital portfolio

If you are submitting an online application, please follow these guidelines.

Things to include:

• Scans or photographs demonstrating items from the list above.
• Storyboarding for motion-based work.
• Also include scans of sketchbook pages showing development.
• Be sure to check the resolution and overall quality of your image to ensure submissions are not pixelated.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa (previously Tier 4) you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 3 modules include:

Critical & Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (Interiors) (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start) - Wednesday afternoon
• all year (September start) - Wednesday morning

Critical and Contextual Studies (CCS) in Level 6 offers you an opportunity to understand and explore the historical, social, cultural and economic factors which influence, and provide a context for, the development of architecture, art and design practice. Building on critical and academic skills gained during two years of previous study, the module encourages you to develop an awareness of issues around which there is some debate, uncertainty or contest. Based on this awareness, you will develop a set of research questions which constitute the topic of your study. This topic can be theoretical, historical, or technical and you may, with guidance, decide to engage with an area of scholarly interest outside the territory of your degree course.

You will develop your topic and respond to your research questions in the form of an extended critical study or Dissertation (6,000–7,000 words). Through this study you demonstrate that you can thoroughly research a topic, use appropriate methods of investigation, and work in a methodical and organised way to develop a coherent argument or line of thought. Teaching and Learning on the module is designed to support you in this process through a combination of tutorials and one to one supervision; as well as a series of formative and summative assessments which prepare you for the final submission.

The final form and presentation of your Dissertation can reflect a broad range of approaches to research and writing. It may include visual materials or other non-written forms of presentation as long they support your enquiry and comprise an integral part of the whole. By prior approval at the start of the module, your research can be part practice-based, and include primary research and fieldwork.

The dissertation may, by prior approval at the start of the module from the Head of Subject, be part practice-based and can include fieldwork and primary research in its methods. Its form and approach can reflect a broad range of design-specific approaches based on discussion and agreement with your supervisor.

By virtue of the sustained, independent nature of the learning and substantial final output, the dissertation is also intended to prepare you for possible postgraduate study.

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Integrated Design Practice (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start) - Friday morning

This module provides a link between the completion of your undergraduate studies, and professional interior design practice. It establishes your ability to integrate and document the key areas of design knowledge within the context of your major design project and through this, a readiness for employment within interior design professional practice.

The coursework records and responds to key stages of professional practice delivered through a range of lectures including from specialist contributors. The module aims to enable you to demonstrate a knowledge, understanding of and ability to evaluate the following five areas of study in relation to your major project and that this is effectively and appropriately communicated:

1. cultural context;
2. professional and regulatory requirements;
3. environment and sustainability;
4. construction, materials and specification;
5. communication.

The module aims to provide you with the means to demonstrate, through and in relation to your own design work, the extent of your understanding and evaluation of these key areas of professional interior design knowledge that inform a design project. The employability and professional practice lectures offered will enable you to better understand the industry, allowing you to make informed choices and prepare a career strategy.

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Major Project Realisation: Interior Design and Decoration (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start) - Friday afternoon

This Major Project module enables you to prepare for independent practice in the workplace or to progress onto higher studies. It is the opportunity to synthesise your specialist knowledge and skills and effectively communicate these. In this module, you will carry out the project conceived and developed in the parallel Project Design and Development for Interiors module, fully realising it in appropriate form by its conclusion.

You will exercise and display your abilities in selecting, analysing and applying knowledge, skills and understanding to a negotiated and fully researched project in order to properly understand your strengths, interests and position in the field, and the potential for your future professional development.

You will show that you understand the complex and changing nature of problems in the professional sector of interior design and can devise and apply realistic strategies for constructing, applying and managing a process designed to provide solutions for complex situations with competing demands.

A professional standard of realisation, contextualisation and presentation will be expected, providing the elements for a portfolio of practice with which you may enter the fields of employment, self-employment or further studies.

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Project Design and Development for Interiors (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start) - Tuesday afternoon
• all year (September start) - Tuesday morning

Together with your Major Project Realisation module, this module is intended to prepare interiors students for independent practice, entry into the professional workplace, or for higher study.

Through synthesis of knowledge of processes and principles, using an appropriate range of intellectual, creative and practical skills, you will research, analyse, design and develop a self-directed project. This will require in-depth investigation of a site, its cultural context, human inhabitation, activity and enterprise through a well-constructed design process involving practical and digital 2D and 3D methods of exploration and communication as a significant body of creative work for public exhibition.

A negotiated and approved proposal will confirm the individual project. Using creative exploration and experimentation, you will undertake research, selection, concept development, material investigation, modelling, prototyping and visualisation. The final outcome will be produced in the Major Project Realisation modules, and will be distinctive to the course in approach, scale, communication and visualisation or making and modelling.

This module will ensure that you review and reflect upon your own work and understand your prospective position in the creative sector. The module emphasises self-direction and personal focus whilst acknowledging external and professional expectations and constraints.

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What our students say

"I have the most wonderful memories and I feel emotionally attached to the School. I look up to people like my former lecturers Kaye Newman and Janette Harris; they are strong women who taught me to analyse and think not only about design, but about myself and my surroundings. Awareness is probably the best word to express what I learnt during my studies. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to give back what I’ve learnt and become a lecturer myself. Passion and humility are key words for any designer."

Alessia Bucci, co-lead for the design team behind Starbucks's first ever café on Italian soil

Where this course can take you

As an interior decoration specialist, you’ll have the skills and expertise to work in all sectors of the interiors industry from private clients to high-end residential, hotel and retail work. Following graduation, many of our students have gone on to work for some of the best interior design, furniture and architecture practices in London.

Recent graduates have been employed by design companies including Design International, Swarovski, Seen Displays, Turner Bates, Areen, Ayllot van Tromp, Green Room Design and Lumsden Design. Many graduates have gone on to work in TV and film set design, animation, lighting design, art gallery curation and journalism.

Important information about this course

We're committed to continuously improving our degree courses to ensure our students receive the best possible learning experience. Many of the courses in our School of Art, Architecture and Design are currently under review for 2023-24 entry. We encourage you to apply as outlined in the how to apply section of this page and if there are any changes to your course we will contact you. All universities review their courses regularly and this year we are strengthening our art, architecture and design courses to better reflect the needs of employers and ensure you're well-equipped for your future career.

Important information about the teaching location of this course

We currently have three locations in Holloway, Aldgate and Shoreditch. As we evolve as a University, we'll be reviewing the use of these spaces to ensure all our students have access to the facilities and study areas they need to succeed. This means the campus where this course is taught may change over time.

The experience of our students will always be our top priority and we'll notify applicants and students of any changes to their teaching location at the earliest opportunity.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Stay up to date

Follow our School of Art, Architecture and Design on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with everything that's happening in our creative community.

When to apply

The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.

If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.