ICA Institute Frum Interior Design Program: From Beginner to Professional in 14 Months

ICA Training Institute gives students the skills and education they need to succeed in the career they choose. Interior design is one of ICA’s most popular training programs. It is an excellent career choice for students who want something creative with good potential for parnassa.

Graduates learn about interior design for residential, commercial and retail spaces. The program doesn’t have set criteria for admission. Each student who applies is interviewed to determine if they have the drive to be successful. One recent graduate had been working in a wine store with no knowledge of the field but had the drive and interest to learn. He is now a well-known interior designer. ICA interior design graduates work in established design firms and many have started their own firms.

With separate tracks for men and women, and a cap of 10 students per class, the 14-month ICA Interior Design course has three tracks: creative, technical and business development. During the first semester, students learn about residential design, with a focus on the creative aspect, like color theory, and master industry standard software, including AutoCAD and Revit alongside Photoshop, Sketchup and Enscape. In the second semester, students learn about interior design for commercial projects, including offices and retail space. They learn how to build a client profile so they understand what a client wants, and how to render a drawing of the space complete with furniture and lighting. In each of the first two tracks, students complete a project that applies all the skills they have been learning that semester, so they have a portfolio to show potential employers and clients. During the last semester, students learn how to price a project and make it align with a budget—the essential skills needed to manage a project or an entire firm.

Each subject is taught by a different instructor. All the faculty members are professional interior designers with industry experience. Bailee Klein, founder of BK Interior Designs in Toms River, New Jersey, teaches classes for women in process and presentation in the first semester residential design track, commercial design in second semester and professional practices toward the end of the program. “I specialize in client-focused residential design and that’s what I like to teach students,” she said. “I teach approaching design from the client’s perspectives, how to really listen to what their clients want while also staying true to their signature style.” Klein said she gives students feedback about improving their skills, not just telling them her own preferences, so they learn how to optimize their own style. “Students come to the program because they are already creative and they want to take their creativity and apply it in a more practical way with skills they’re going to need for the interior design industry,” she explained. “So that’s where I come in. By educating them on the technical skills and providing very detailed feedback, we see great growth from the first class to their final presentation.”

In the first class students get an introduction to the industry and the different areas in which they can specialize. “You can be a kitchen and bath designer, an interior architect, a space planner, or specialize in interior design aesthetics,” said Klein. “There are several different avenues students can take and it’s important for them to know what they are, and then tap into their strengths. We want them to realize what they like to do and what they want to focus on, and then try and improve those skills throughout the course.” When Klein knows a student comes in with a definite interest, like space planning, she devotes her feedback to that skill. “The feedback is always tailored to the student and what their goals are,” she said. While Klein teaches virtually, she gives students access to free passes for trade shows in New York. Not only can they see what’s really out there in the industry, they can also meet her in person.

Students get a grasp of the skills they need quickly. Klein said she stays in touch with Ettil Cyperstein of ECID, a top-tier luxury design firm where she interned in high school, and told her about one of her first-semester students whom she thought was extremely talented. She later learned the student was hired at ECID, while still in her first semester, and is now a designer at the firm.

For more information about the ICA Institute Interior Design program and all ICA courses, visit icainstitute.com or call 718-506-0912.