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Interior Decorating
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From the Leisure Study Group, South Africa
Sheffield School of Interior Design
An interesting creative field where you can turn your talents into profit
M
Meet our Director of Studies … Phillippa (Pippa) Miller
Pippa has been our Director of Studies for two years now. She holds a Diploma in
Interior Design, and graduated in 1983. After having worked as an Interior Designer
for eight years, she started her own company in 1992.
Today, she is still actively involved in running her Interior Design company, and is
thus well qualified to help students learn to do the same. She feels that a designer's
job is to interpret the wishes of clients and guide them through the decorating
process, and so has found it very satisfying producing beautiful environments that
meet the needs of clients.
Pippa gains great pleasure and satisfaction from helping students explore and
express their creativity while showing them new and exciting skills.
Meet one of our graduated students … Charles Spence
Charles enrolled for the Sheffield course in late 1992 and graduated in early
1995. He was guided through the course with the assistance of one of the
school’s senior tutors, Mr Paul Simons.
Charles has now started his own successful interior design business. He claims
he owes his success to the school and his tutor. He lists as one of his recent
accomplishments a project that he undertook, the refurbishment of the foyer of a
prominent hotel.
When we recently contacted him to ask for a few comments regarding the course
he said: “The course and my tutor were terrific.”
The School has graduated many students around the world, who
are now running their own businesses as interior designers
Sheffield School of Interior Design offices:
South Africa
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Tuition House
44 Main St
Howick, 3290
KwaZulu-Natal
2/1 Vuko Place
Warriewood
NSW 2102
3rd Floor
Hope Gibbons Building
Courtenay Place
Wellington
100 Jalan Sultan
#09-14 Sultan Plaza
Singapore
Tel: 27 (0)33 330-4880
Fax: 27 (0)33 330-5195
Web: www.Lsgi.co.za
Email: sales@Lsgi.co.za
Tel: (61-2) 9970-6578
Fax: (61-2) 9970-6579
Tel: (64-4) 385-0623
Fax: (64-4) 385-0622
Tel: (65) 294-1320
Fax: (65) 294-1349
Email: sheffield@leisurestudy.com.au
Today homeowners, officers, stores and boutiques are
calling for the services of trained interior decorators
Do you enjoy doing your own decorating?
Have you ever helped a friend solve a
decorating problem? Then you probably have
the makings for a rewarding career.
Perhaps you want to learn decorating so that
you can beautify your own home and proudly
live in an environment that expresses the
creative talents within you.
Perhaps you are seeking a well-paid career
as a part-time or full-time interior designer.
Trained interior decorators can earn higher
incomes.
Either way, even if you’ve done no decorating
and have no business experience, you may
be one of many people with latent talent
waiting to be discovered.
Sheffield School of Interior Design training
can help you bring out your hidden talent for
decorating. And you can train for this
satisfying and profitable career at home, in
your spare time. No previous skill or
experience is required to start.
Opportunities for interior decorators and
designers are increasing each year. Interior
decorating is one of today’s growth fields.
Today, large numbers of average
homeowners and apartment dwellers rely on
the services of decorators. They know that an
interior decorator can provide beauty and
individuality to their homes, can make their
homes more comfortable and functional and
can save them money too.
Interior decorators are busy in many areas
outside the home too. Their talents are
employed in decorating offices, boutiques,
hotel and motel rooms, public lobbies and
many other interesting spaces.
All these possibilities are open to you once
you have been trained in interior decoration
the unique Sheffield School of Interior Design
way. In this booklet, you will read about some
of the opportunities offered today by a career
in decorating, and how Sheffield training can
make it “happen” for you.
"As a trained interior decorator, dozens of fascinating fields are open to you”
by Bill Turner
Dean of the Sheffield School (USA)
I love being a decorator!
What can you earn?
In fact, it’s difficult for me to think of a career that
could give me deeper personal satisfaction. When I
first entered this field, I pursued it as an interesting
way to earn a living. But after a while, I found that it
did much more for me – it broadened my horizons
and enriched my whole life.
I’ve said that interior decoration has been an
extremely high paying field for me. Of course, you
can’t start at the top. So, the real question is, What
can you expect to earn after a couple of years in your
own community?
I believe this field can do the same for you.
Everything you look at – a sunset, a flower, a
painting, or a fabric – will take on a new meaning as
you learn about design and colour.
What does it take to succeed?
I think your success in the decorating field depends
on your interest in the art of living. If you enjoy
working with interesting people, then this may be the
field for you.
How can you get started?
I started in Birmingham, Alabama and went on to
success in New York and Palm Beach. Now you may
ask yourself: “Do such glamorous opportunities exist
in my town?” The answer is yes. Wherever people
live and work – from coast to coast, in big city and
small town – there are people who want to make their
homes and offices more beautiful, more exciting,
more colourful. All of these people represent
opportunity for you as an interior decorator. Begin
with your own home – even a single room. That’s
how most successful decorators started, and that’s
how I started. To this day, l use my own home as a
showcase for my talents. You can do the same. And
you will probably also use your home as your first
“office” too.
While I can’t tell you exactly how much you will earn,
I can tell you that even a small decorating project can
net you thousands of rands. Whether you work only
in your spare time or start a full-time career in interior
decoration, your income can be considerable if you
bring to your job sincerity, enthusiasm, and sound
training.
The ultimate satisfaction
Aside from profit, as a trained decorator you will
move constantly into new worlds of experience. That
is the ultimate satisfaction I have derived from this
wonderful profession. You will develop a fresh and
discerning eye whenever you travel at home or
abroad – at showrooms and trade exhibits … at
exhibitions of art, sculpture and handicrafts … at
antique shows and auctions. And you will become
knowledgeable on all aspects of gracious living.
Most important, you will become intimately involved
with people in one of the most personal aspects of
their lives – the homes where they live and the
places where they work.
Being an interior decorator has enriched my life in all
these ways. It has provided me with a fine livelihood.
It has bought me creative satisfaction.
Here’s how the Sheffield School
trains you step by step:
Within a few days after you mail back your Enrolment Form for your no-risk Trial Enrolment, you will receive a
package. It’s your first Sheffield School Training Portfolio, and it contains five complete lessons, magnificently
printed on giant-size vellum paper; a convenient and attractive slipcase in which to store all your lessons; a
one-hour video tape and an audio cassette tape lasting over one-and-a-half hours.
With all this material you may be wondering where to start. The covering letter tells you: “Find a comfortable
corner in your home. Sit back. Turn on the cassette tape. And relax. On the tape, Dean Bill Turner will tell you
exactly where to start and what to do – step by step, page by page.”
What could be easier?
1.
You receive your first big portfolio
The excitement begins. The postman brings you
everything you need to get started – your first five
lessons with their Teacher-on-Tape cassettes, the
painting kit, steel tape, graph paper, and two pads of
vital forms. Plus … your real-life Practice Project to
mail to the school when you complete this portfolio.
2.
You press a button and your course
begins
A video tape in each unit builds into a complete library
which shows an actual client and designer going
through the design process from first interview to
completed rooms. On audio cassette tape you listen as
the Dean explains the basics to you, page by page
guiding you through each of the lessons, telling you
what to read, reviewing important points, and clarifying
illustrations in the texts. In this way he will guide you
step by step through the entire course … easily, clearly,
confidently.
3.
You are assigned a personal tutor
4.
You practise with colour
You receive the name of a specific advisor who is your
personal tutor. This tutor will remain with you
throughout your course. You will receive expert tuition
and necessary critique from your tutor. If you have any
difficulties you will be able to speak with us or our
Director of Studies over the telephone and we will help
you with your problem.
You are supplied with a complete painting
kit with which you will learn how to select
colour schemes for any room. Best of all
you don’t need any artistic talent or skill
because you will learn a “trick of the trade”
that will enable you to select surefire
schemes every time.
5.
You practise decoration in
your own home
6.
You prepare your first design project and
mail it to the school
You learn by practising with your
own rooms – colour schemes,
draperies, flooring, fabrics, lighting.
Best of all, you do all your practising
on paper. You don’t have to spend
an extra penny.
This is the real fun. You express your taste and ideas in a
series of exciting Design Projects – real-life projects relating
to rooms in your own home. You don’t need any artistic
ability since you are supplied with everything you need –
even furniture cutouts that make room-planning a delight.
Step by step, as you progress, you mail your projects to the
school for review by your personal tutor.
7.
Your Practice Project is
discussed at a staff meeting
.
If your project displays points of particular
interest, it is discussed by members of the
staff. Outstanding projects are granted a
Sheffield Merit Award.
8.
Your tutor talks to you
personally on cassette
He or she talks directly to you, analysing your
Practice Project – telling you what’s good and
why … and suggesting ideas to improve it.
Your project is discussed in detail, with
specific suggestions based upon your tutor’s
years of professional experience. This tape is
immediately mailed to you.
9.
You listen to your tutor as though she or he were at your side
In the comfort of your home, you listen as your instructor talks to you personally about your Practice
Project, bringing to your attention details you may never have considered, and suggesting ways you can
improve your very next project. It’s truly like having your own personal tutor in interior decorating.
10.
Your next big portfolio arrives in the mail
As soon as you finish one series of lessons, you receive another containing your next lessons plus
exciting professional tools such as the complete Drafting Kit. Step by step, you move swiftly and enjoyably
through the entire course, from simple basics through mastery of advanced decorating techniques.
Course Outline – 30 Complete Lessons
EYE OF THE DESIGNER
Your course starts you at the very beginning. You learn
how to “see” a room … what to look for, how to plan
ahead, how to visualise the finished result.
PLANNING FOR PEOPLE
Successful rooms are rooms that “work” for people. Our
exclusive lifestyle questionnaire helps you determine the
personal needs of your clients – and their budgets and
taste.
tile, linoleum. How to recognise and choose a fine rug –
Chinese, Persian, Kelim, Aubusson, Rya, Berber,
Floktaki; and fine carpeting – Wilton, Axminster, velvet,
saxony, shag.
COLOUR SCHEMES
Four lessons train your eye to see subtle differences in
colour. The Sheffield Painting Kit (supplied) trains you
to use hues, shades, tints, tones, intensities to plan surefire colour schemes every time.
SKETCHING A ROOM
You are shown a simple way to measure a room and
make a rough sketch of all its details – including closets,
windows, doors, fireplaces, radiators, electrical fixtures,
unusual shapes.
HARMONY AND ACCESSORIES
You learn how to put a room together – how to combine
fabrics, window treatments, flooring and accessories.
“Camouflage” to make a room seem larger or smaller,
wider or narrower. How to design a perfect room, down
to the smallest vase or ashtray.
DRAWING A FLOORPLAN
You don’t need any artistic ability to convert your rough
sketch into a professional floorplan using our unique,
simple, step-by-step method. You’re provided with all
the tools you need – a professional drawing board, graph
paper, even pencils!
ROOMS OF THE HOUSE
Detailed requirements for living rooms, bedrooms, dens,
children’s rooms, guest rooms, stairways, halls,
playrooms. How to expand closet space. How to handle
unusual situations and solve unusual problems.
PLANNING A FURNITURE LAYOUT
You learn how to create a focus, establish an axis,
provide traffic patterns. Exclusive Sheffield Furniture
Cutouts that you move around the room make it easy and
fun. Then, using your Sheffield Furniture Templates, you
quickly draw your furniture layout onto the floorplan by
just tracing the outlines.
LIGHTING A ROOM
The most beautiful room can be destroyed by bad
lighting. You learn a simple way to plan interesting,
dramatic lighting in any room of the house. How to use
different lighting fixtures – modern and traditional. How
to draw your lighting plan onto your furniture layout.
FABRICS
You learn how to select fabrics for upholstery and
draperies. The advantages and disadvantages of different
fibres – wool, silk, cotton, synthetics, etc. Where to find
the best buys. How to order.
You are even trained to feel the “hand” of the most
important fabrics by practising with samples in your
Sheffield Fabric Swatch Kit.
WINDOW TREATMENTS
Windows will be among the most decorative aspects of
your rooms. You are trained to select and use all types of
treatments – curtains and draperies, Roman and Austrian
shades, venetian and vertical blinds, shutters, valances
and cornices. Which treatment is best for which situation.
How to order materials.
WALL TREATMENTS
How to select and use wallpaper. How to get the best
prices. What you should know to ensure a perfect paint
job. How to work with your painter. How to use wood
panelling.
FLOORING TREATMENTS
How to select the right flooring – rugs or carpeting,
wood planking, marble, quarry tile, mosaic tile, vinyl
KITCHENS AND BATHS
You learn to outfit “dream” kitchens and baths. How to
plan exciting, unusual effects. How to use space and
lighting for dramatic impact.
PERIOD FURNITURE
Our exclusive Spotters Guide System in four complete
lessons will enable you to recognise all the major types
of period: American Colonial, Italian, Spanish, and
Mediterranean, Baroque, Louis XIV, XV and XVI,
Directoire, Empire, Queen Anne, Georgian, Chippendale,
Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Adam, Federal,
Duncan Phyfe, Victorian, M Deco, ContemporaryBauhaus, Scandinavian, Italian, High-Tech and PostModern. You’ll learn to recognise these styles once and
for all and how to use them!
FINISHED PRESENTATION
How to prepare and present your completed plans to your
clients in the most appealing and professional manner.
How to prepare your final drawings using your Sheffield
Drawing Kit (supplied). How to present a budget. How
to handle questions, suggestions and objections. How to
sell your ideas to your clients.
BUSINESS METHODS
In a series of six “insider” lessons you learn step-by-step
how to get started in your own interior design business –
and succeed! How to charge. How much to charge. How
much profit to expect. How to be welcomed into “tradeonly” showrooms and get the largest possible designers’
discount. How to set up your first office in a corner of
your home. How to promote and advertise. How to
handle the initial interview with clients. Follow-up
meetings. How to shop with clients. How NOT to shop!
How to work with vendors and contractors.
You receive the Sheffield Business Kit, containing all the
forms you need to get going – letterhead, envelopes,
business cards, billing forms, etc. Everything you need to
get started in your own business. You are prepared for
success!
What kind of life do you seek
as an interior decorator?
A new career as a
professional
interior designer
Extra money
from freelancing
The joy of creating
for yourself
Want to earn extra money in
your spare time? Interior
decoration offers wonderful
opportunities, and Sheffield
shows you how to find them
in your community and
trains you to handle them
successfully.
If you dislike routine and
love travel, this can be a
career for you. Set your own
hours as a freelance. Take
time off when you feel like it.
Travel on tax-deduct-ible
trips to furniture market
centres, showrooms,
antique fairs and trade
shows throughout the world.
Your home can serve as
your office. And you don't
need to invest large sums of
money.
To help you get started,
we show you how to contact
prospective clients and how
to sell them. Most important,
Sheffield training gives you
the confidence to handle
jobs professionally and to
create exquisitely beautiful
rooms in any style –
traditional or contemporary.
Many of our students
pursue interior decoration
strictly for their own
personal satisfaction – the
satisfaction that comes with
redecorating the rooms in
their own homes in a
manner that expresses their
personal taste and style.
They know that with
proper training and Sheffield
credentials, they can save
large sums of money two
ways. They save by not
having to pay for the
services of a professional
decorator. They save by
gaining access to trade-only
showrooms where they can
buy all their furniture and
furnishings at decoratordiscounted prices of up to
50% below list.
“Sheffield training has opened a
whole new exciting world for me.
Out of my home, I work my own
hours, have expanded my circle of
friends, raise two beautiful
children, and have a wonderful
supportive husband who proudly
introduces me as “Interior
Designer!” All this, and I earn
money too! What more could I ask
for?
Bravo to all the advisors and
teachers who made my Sheffield
Course so exciting, and who
helped me develop my creative
talents. Sheffield, you’ve been a
wonderful and profitable
experience. Thanks for a
wonderful course!”
Jessica Harkins
Few accomplishments are
more satisfying than
building your own business.
In small towns and large
cities there are many
opportunities.
To get started you may
decide to work at a local
furniture showroom or
department store as their inhouse decorator. You may
decide to open your own
retail studio. You may
decide to freelance out of
your home. Or you may
decide to open your own
office and go out on your
own as a full-time interior
designer. Sheffield trains
you to handle all of these
opportunities.
Which life do
YOU seek?
The choice is yours – the
personal satisfaction of
creating a showcase
environment in your own
home; extra money from
interesting and varied work
as a part-time freelance
decorator; or a new,
profitable career as a fulltime professional interior
designer. You can choose
your own future, once
you’ve had Sheffield School
of Interior Design training!
“It was the most
valuable course ever in
my life. I’ve enjoyed
every step of every
lesson.”
Carol Maphakela
South Africa
“I love the personal touch
not usually found in a
correspondence course”.
LAC Armer, USA
“Thank you for giving me the encouragement to pursue my
great interest. This course certainly made it fun and
interesting to say the least!”
Sue Olivier, Zimbabwe
“l am just writing a quick note of congratulations to Sheffield School of
Interior Design to say how much enjoyment I am getting from the course. It is
a pleasure to work with such an efficient program. The notes, tapes and
materials are first-rate. The tutor is so clear, personal & helpful. I am
learning so quickly & being really inspired. I will recommend this course.
Thank you.”
J. Graetz, Australia
“I love art and design. Training to become a professional interior designer
has opened up new horizons for me.
This career satisfies my creative instincts for both art and design, and gives
me enormous personal satisfaction every day on the job – plus the pleasure
of being my own boss, setting my own schedule, meeting interesting people
and earning a good income too.”
Andrew Johnson
Answers to questions frequently asked
about the Sheffield Interior Design Course
Q
A.
I've been away from school for some time.
Will I have difficulty adjusting to study?
No. You might if you were returning to
classroom routine. The Sheffield School
method is entirely different. You are literally in
a class by yourself – comfortable and relaxed
in your own home. There’s no pressure of
classroom competition. The Listen-and-Learn
tapes and Design Projects are so fascinating
that you will look forward to each home study
session.
Q. How much time must I devote to study?
A. Only as much as you can spare, perhaps just a
part of the free time you now have. You set
your own pace. You are neither hurried nor
held back by other students. You don’t lose a
single day from your present job or your home.
Q. Do I get personal supervision and help?
A. Yes. Your Sheffield School instructors are as
near as your phone. If you ever have a
question, just call the school. And, of course,
after you study each series of lessons mail
your Design Project to the school. You’ll
receive it back along with your tutor’s helpful
guidance and suggestions on cassette tape –
personally recorded for you.
Q. Must I quit my job or school?
A. No. You take your Sheffield training in your
spare time, at your own pace, on your own
schedule. It shouldn’t interfere with any aspect
of your regular life.
Q. Does the tuition fee cover the entire cost?
A. Yes. The low tuition fee at the Sheffield School
covers everything you need. All lessons,
books, cassette tapes, Drafting Kit, Painting
Kit, Room References File, Design Projects,
personal analysis of your projects, consultation
privilege, and all the other materials and
services described in this catalogue. You pay
only the cost of postage on the assignments.
The entire cost of the complete course is only
a fraction of what you would pay for tuition and
expenses at a classroom school. An instalment
payment on terms is available.
Q. Is Sheffield training for the homemaker as
well as the pro?
A. Absolutely. About half our students pursue
interior design as their "hobby". They want to
express their instinctive sense of taste, and
save money when they buy furniture and
furnishings. About half our students are
interested in decoration as a new career, either
part-time or full-time. The choice is yours.
Q. Do I need any special education or
previous experience?
A. No. The course assumes no prior knowledge
or training. It starts with fundamentals and
moves up to complete mastery of professional
techniques in easy, carefully planned steps. If
you have a desire to put your natural love of
beauty to practical use, you’re all set to go.
Q. How long is the course?
A. This depends on you, since you set your own
pace. Because there is much to cover and
many decorating projects, you cannot just race
through the course. So figure on at least six to
eight months if you are willing to study
regularly a few hours a week. If like most
students you don’t have much free time to
devote to the course, you may choose to
stretch out your lessons at a more leisurely
pace. You may take 12 months, or even
longer. You set your own pace from beginning
to end, and can take up to three years at no
extra tuition charge.
Q. Do I need any special artistic talent?
A. If you think you’ve got talent hidden within you,
then that’s all you need. You don't need to
know how to draw. You don't need any training
in art or design. What you need is a love of
beautiful objects and a desire to succeed. The
Sheffield School will give you all the training
you need.
Q. How soon can I get started as an interior
decorator?
A. Many students start earning money from
freelance work before they complete the
course. To help you get started, your lessons
on Business Methods instruct you in how to
contact prospective clients, how to promote
your services, how to charge, how to gain
access to trade-only showrooms, how to
successfully handle any job from start to finish.
Result: Many students pay for their entire
tuition – and more – out of profit from their
very first job.
Save R150 and Receive an Exquisite
Bonus Book FREE
This certificate entitles you to save R150 off the Full Payment Plan
In addition, when you enrol under the Full Payment Plan, you also receive by return mail one of these
magnificent books:
 The Creative Guide to Flower Arranging
Creative ideas for decorating any home. Through the pages
of this lavishly illustrated book, packed with full colour and
clear line drawings, you will discover a goldmine of
inspiration. This book is the perfect compendium, with dozens
of ideas for displaying flower arrangements with style – from
traditional wedding flowers to more modern, interpretative
designs.
Our
Special
Offer!
 The Art of Preserved Flower Arrangement
This beautiful book shows how to make the most of
preserved or artificial flowers and foliage to create superb
arrangements which can be as colourful and attractive as
fresh flower arrangements, but will last much longer.
Techniques for preserving your own flowers are fully
explained in the comprehensive reference section, and for
readers with a fascination for miniature work there is a
section on petite and miniature arrangements.
Both these books are published by Selecta Book Ltd, England and are well worth their R100 value, as
they are quite simply two of the most exciting, lively, and informative texts on this very visual subject.
Same Money-Back Guarantee
When you enrol under the full payment plan, you do so with this clear understanding: Your entire fees
will be returned to you promptly – in full – if you return the materials undamaged within 14 days and tell
us you do not wish to continue. No questions asked.
You may pay by cheque, money order, direct bank deposit, internet transfer, international money order,
or credit card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted).
But to qualify for the R150 saving, you must mail, email, or fax your enrolment form, together with full
payment. You can also enrol on our website, and pay by credit card via our secure on-line facility.
Tick ONE of the boxes below with your choice of book.

Please supply me with “The Creative Guide to Flower Arranging”.
OR

Please supply me with “The Art of Preserved Flower Arrangement”.
Please print this certificate and include it with your enrolment form.