How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps

Name: How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps
Rating: 4.7 (8754 reviews)

Interior Design Made Simple

Created byErikka Fogleman

Last updated 10/2025

English

What you'll learn

Design/decorate nearly any room well using a systematic 10-step method.
Identify the best places to buy furnishings for a room.
Identify different interior design styles and select your own style for decorating.
Create different room layout options for family rooms, living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms.
Create a personalized color scheme that will look great.
Create a layered lighting scheme that is both functional and dramatic.

Course content

8 sections • 40 lectures • 2h 10m total length

Introduction: Let's Get Started on 10 Easy Steps to Great Interior Design3:30
Welcome to this course! The introduction will provide you with an overview of what will be covered in this course.
Overview of the Course Content / 10 Steps to Great Interior Design1:06
This lecture will outline the specific 10 Steps that are discussed in this training.
Frequently Asked Questions1:55
3 Easy Changes to Make any Room Look Better NOW!3:44
In this short lecture, you will learn how adding 3 simple elements to your room will take it from good to great!

Step 1 - Measure your Room2:37
In this lecture, you will learn how to measure a room correctly in 1/2 inch scale (or 1:20 scale using the metric system) and why it's so important to do so. Please note that there are 2 additional resources available in this lecture - one for those measuring rooms using the imperial system and one for those measuring rooms using the metric system.
Activity #1 - Measure your own Room1:48
You will have the opportunity to practice what you've learned in the previous section by measuring one of your own rooms and recording it in 1/2 inch (or 1:20) scale.
Step 2 - Decide on Key Activities for Your Room1:16
You will learn how to think about the functionality of a room you are decorating and why it's so important to do so.
Activity #2 - Decide on your own Key Activities0:38
You will have the opportunity to practice what you've learned in the previous lecture by recording the specific key activities for your room.

Step 3 - Choose your Interior Design Style5:39
You will learn about all of the major interior design styles and how to easily choose a style for your own room.
Activity #3 - Choose your Own Interior Design Style0:55
You will get to use what you learned in the previous lecture and will be asked to choose a style for your room.
Step 4 - Choose an Interior Design Color Scheme8:19
In this lecture, you will learn how to create a great color scheme for your room with a simple to use formula. I will also be reviewing what analogous and complementary color schemes entail.
Activity #4 - Choose your Own Interior Design Color Scheme0:31
In this lecture you will be asked to choose a color scheme for your room based on what you learned in the previous lecture.

Step 5 - Choose your Rug6:11
In this lecture, you will learn how to choose the right rug for your room based on size, color, and material. You will also receive recommendations on where you can purchase great rugs.
Activity #5 - Choose your own Rug0:50
In this lecture, you will determine the ideal size rug for your room, as well as the ideal colors and material for your space.
Step 6 - Choose your Furniture9:26
In this lecture, you will choose how to choose the right furniture based on size, function and style. You will also be provided with a variety of different floor layouts for family/living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms that you can use in your own home, and you will receive guidelines on appropriate measurements throughout a room. You will also receive great recommendations on where to find furniture at all price points.
Activity #6 - Choose your own Furniture1:01
In this lecture, first you will determine what furniture pieces you need for your room, and then you will draw in those pieces on your floor plan.
Step 7 - Choose your Wall Art / Wall Decor2:48
In this lecture, you will learn about the different types of wall art / wall décor, and how you should choose the right art/décor for your room. You will also receive recommendations on where you can find great wall art and wall décor.
Activity #7 - Choose your own Wall Art / Wall Decor0:41
In this activity, you will select your wall art / wall decor for your room.
Step 8 - Choose your Lighting5:57
In this lecture, you will learn about the different types of lighting and how to create a beautiful and dramatic layered lighting scheme. You will also learn about key measurements for lighting, and will receive some recommendations on where to purchase lighting at all price points.
Activity #8 - Choose your own Lighting0:37
In this activity, you will determine what type of lighting you need for your room.
Step 9 - Choose your Window Coverings6:06
In this lecture, you will learn about the different types of window coverings, and learn how to make your windows appear larger using a common interior design technique. You will also receive recommendations on where to purchase great window coverings.
Activity #9 - Choose your own Window Coverings0:57
In this activity, you will determine what type of window coverings you need for your room.
Step 10 - Choose your Accessories and Greenery6:45
In this lecture, you will learn about the different types of accessories you can use in a room and why including greenery in a room is so important.
Activity #10 - Choose your own Accessories and Greenery0:41
In this final activity, you will determine what type of accessories and greenery you need for your space!
Watch Me Create a Room Design Using the 10-Step Method7:48
Watch me pull together a beautiful room design using the 10-Step Method!

Requirements

Measuring tape to measure room
Ruler
Pen/pencil (pencil is preferred)

Description

Do you find yourself struggling to pull together a room in a way that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing?

Do you think that interior design is all art and no science?

If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, then this is the class for you! In this course, you will learn that you can actually use an easy, systematic approach for creating beautiful and functional designs for the primary rooms in your home, primarily focusing on family and living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. (Please note that this class does not cover kitchen or bath design). This course is primarily lecture based, but does contain activities along the way to help you immediately apply what you've learned, as well as a quiz at the end.

By the end of this beginner course, you will be able to completely design a room end-to-end using a simple 10-step approach. Specifically, you will learn how to:

Measure a room to maximize the use of your space and select appropriately sized furniture
Create your ideal floor plan (various sample floor plans are provided)
Identify your preferred interior design style(s)
Create a cohesive interior design color scheme
Select the appropriate sized rug and furniture for a room
Efficiently shop for furniture online
Create a layered lighting scheme
Learn the secret for making off-the-shelf drapes look custom

This course also covers:

Using focal points to take your design to the next level
Considerations and challenges for open floor plans
How/when to use wallpaper in your design
Common design challenges, including but not limited to, how to brighten rooms with little light, child and/or pet friendly design choices, and design techniques for irregular shaped rooms
My favorite AI and technology tools to accelerate and enhance the skills you learned in this course

The ideal student for this course is a person who is interested in creating functional and aesthetically pleasing rooms in their home, but does not already have a lot of knowledge in interior design.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If you are interested in taking most or all of my courses, I have a recommended order in which to watch them (although it's certainly not required). I would start with "How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps" because most of my other courses are in-depth classes of the concepts touched on in this 10 step class. Following the 10 Step Course, I suggest moving on to "How to Use Color Like a Pro", followed by "How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro", then "How to Use Lighting Design to Transform your Home", and finally "Design is in the Details".
My other five courses, "How to Use Minimalist Interior Design to Live your Best Life", "Use Eco-friendly, Sustainable Design to Improve Your Life", "How to Design Your Dream Kitchen", "How to Design Your Dream Bathroom", and "Everything Small Home Design" are all stand alone classes on specialty topics within interior design, and therefore, can be taken in any order.
Please be aware that this course, or any of my courses, is not intended to provide all of the knowledge needed to become a professional interior designer. As with any professional field, there is a significant amount of education and/or experience that is needed to achieve competency in this field. My intention with these courses is to provide some solid foundational knowledge to assist either those individuals interested in "DIY" interior design to work on their own projects more effectively, or to provide supplemental education to both interior design students and professionals.

Who this course is for:

This is best suited for individuals with limited knowledge of interior design.
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to create/design a well-pulled together looking room (e.g., family room, living room, dining room, and bedroom). This course does not cover interior design for kitchens or bathrooms

How to Design a Room in 10 Easy Steps

What you'll learn

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Course content

Section 1 - Welcome and Introduction4 lectures • 10min

Section2 - Pre-Planning for your Fabulous Room4 lectures • 6min

Section 3 - Creating the Perfect Mood for Your Room4 lectures • 15min

Section 4 - Selecting all the Right Furnishings for your Room13 lectures • 50min

Advanced Topics/Additional Techniques3 lectures • 14min

Common Design Challenges6 lectures • 14min

AI and Technology Tools for Interior Design4 lectures • 18min

Conclusion2 lectures • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: