Ft. Washington Campus, Temple University

September 14, 2009

If interior design were fashion, then green is the new black.

Following the current, and necessary, trend toward environmental awareness, interior designers are joining the cause!

On Thursday, October 29, Temple University Fort Washington will offer a course in "Decorating Green" for the first time. The non-credit course, part of the Interior Design Certificate Program, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Fort Washington Campus.

During the program, participants will learn about green decorating options that everyone can use in their home on any budget. Green options for lighting, paints, fabrics, window treatments and more will be discussed.

"There is a real need for products and education in this field — people really want to help the environment and do the right thing, but they just don't know what's available. It's frustrating for the consumer, because there is also a lot of 'green washing' out there, a term that refers to dishonest sales techniques revolving around green products," said Kristine Robinson of Robinson Interiors at Sycamore Cottage, who has been the instructor for a wide variety of Interior Design classes at Temple University Fort Washington for the past six years. "People don't know what to think — 'Is this really going to help the environment, or are they just trying to sell me something?' Designers need to understand what's really available, so their clients can make responsible decorating decisions."

According to Robinson, using products that are environmentally friendly, like low-VOC paints, is just one aspect of "decorating green."

"Using antiques and vintage items is one method of 'Green Design' that many people don't even think about — at its most basic, using antiques is a method of recycling. By using a vintage piece in lieu of buying new furniture, we are salvaging the materials that might have been used to manufacture new products, which fill up landfills and deplete natural resources," she said. "There are also many new products that are manufactured from elements that are renewable and don't deplete our natural resources, bamboo and cork for example."

Simple, cost-effective design solutions include use Low-VOC paints, Robinson said.

"Low-VOC paints are latex paints that have limited 'emissions.' They don't give off negative gasses that harm the environment and that many people are allergic to,” she said. "Almost every paint manufacturer now has a Low-VOC version of their products."

"Asking yourself questions like 'How big a house do I really need?' People are opting out of the whole McMansion idea and living in simpler homes that are just the right size to meet their family's needs. This way, you don't need as much 'stuff' to fill up the house; you don't use as much energy to heat and cool the house, and you're leaving a smaller footprint on the environment," she said. "There's a lot more to decorating green than just replacing a light bulb here and there. So many fresh ideas and new products are available now that weren't out there just a couple of years ago. We're in a time of tremendous growth in this area — there are loads of new products and ideas, you just have to know what's out there."

Temple University offers the Interior Design Certificate Program certificate for individuals who want to make the best design decisions for their interiors and for those individuals who are contemplating entry into the interior design industry. The Interior Design Certificate Program is a 30-hour program, which includes five courses on each of the most crucial areas in the design field, including design and layout, effective use of color, fabrics and materials, furniture, and lighting and accessories.

Fundamentals of Design and Layout, an important first step in the program taught by Robinson, is being offered on Tuesdays from now through September 29, from 6:30 to 9:10 p.m.

Robinson’s enthusiasm and desire to mentor future designers is clearly evident in the courses that she teaches at Temple University Fort Washington. Starting out teaching just a few classes in the Interior Design Certificate Program five years ago, she now teaches all of the necessary courses and several of the electives.

"In addition to Green Decorating, we have another new class, Inspiring Interiors, which discusses how to create mood, ambiance and personality in a space. In this class, Marion Lotka will discuss how professional designers, like her and I, come up with so many great ideas," said Robinson. We also have a Fabric Coordination class taught by Jeanelle Dech who is just an excellent and energetic teacher in the field of Drapery and Window Treatments. She'll give easy tips on how to put different patterns and colors together when decorating a room, or an entire home."

According to Robinson, Interior Design classes at Fort Washington "are a mixture of homeowners interested in doing some things around their houses and people interested in interior design as a career.”

"About half of the people entering the program are exploring second careers," she said. "For some, the courses are a starting point to continue their education while for others it's the beginning of opening their own business — a course on starting your own business is an elective course in the program."

Courses in The Effective Use of Color and Fabrics and Materials will be offered in October and November, followed by Furniture and Lighting and Accessories in November and December.

Interior Design electives for the Fall 2009 semester include Redesign: One-day Decorating on Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The intensive course, which focuses on the redesign process, how to market and build a successful redesign business, and the “tools and tricks of the trade,” will be taught be Holly Reimel, founder and principal redesigner for Bucks County Redesigns (www.buckscountyredesigns.com). Reimel is a graduate of the Temple Fort Washington Interior Design program.

Inspiring Interiors will be held on October 8 while Fabric Coordination will be held on October 15.

Like with any industry, the recession has had its impact, Robinson said, but "there's a lot of work out there for industrious designers who are willing to do the type of work clients are looking for."

"I am seeing clients take on smaller projects. Clients are more likely to re-decorate or re-design their own homes, rather than move up to the more expensive new real estate," she said. "People are still painting and sprucing up their interiors, maybe even moreso than before the recession since they're spending more time at home."

For employers and clients, the certificate program, "definitely gives you credibility," Robinson said.

"Employers and clients especially like to see that you've taken the initiative to get some type of education and Temple University has such a great reputation in so many fields of study. Our certificate is a great way to earn that credibility, if you're looking to secure work in this field - it's also a great way for homeowners to learn the nuts-and-bolts of decorating," she said. "Many people who are doing a renovation project or are just moving to a new home will take our program to help them with the myriad decorating decisions they face. When people take this program they learn there is more to interior design than shopping.... there's a whole science and art to the process. It's more complicated than many people think and our program helps students learn about the many different areas of this widely varied field."

For questions about non-credit programs or to suggest new courses, call 267-468-8500.