Semester course in Interior Design – Focus on Retail and Commercial Spaces – Fall Semester - Florence - IED

Language

English

Start date

September 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

4 Months

Price

8.300 €

The space planning, together with a good knowledge of computer aided design (CAD) skills are essential elements in such a competitive and growing market.

Nowadays commercial interior design, that may include hotels and lounges, restaurants and retail spaces, offices, banks, theaters, and everything in between, plays a pivotal role in the success of any business. Whether it’s a luxury hotel or a small business owner, it is up to the commercial interior designer to translate the client’s vision in ways that are practical, profitable, and of course, chic, prioritizing functionality and safety without sacrificing style or aesthetics.

Through this program IED guides you across the whole design process, from the first sketches to computer renderings, providing you with the basic theoretical and technical training, as well as cultural background, which are the necessary elements in the creation of interior designs.

Lessons run from Monday to Friday morning and/or afternoon.

Information to decide

The education path deals with different topics that allows you the acquirement of the cultural, methodological, technical and technological skills necessary for the design of commercial spaces. You will learn the project methodologies, prototyping techniques and acquire a comprehensive introduction to the history of architecture, as well as learn about sustainable materials and approach by using clean technology within the interior design.

You will then refine your technical skills of formal and functional representation of commercial spaces, starting from the free-hand drawing to technical design, up to the production of 3D spaces.

Finally you will be encouraged in the development and the completion of a specific retail project, with a focus on restaurant design.
By the end of the course you will take a final exam for each single subject and will present the project/s you realized so to demonstrate the knowledge and skills achived.
This program is integrated in the 3 year Interior and Furniture Design course. By enrolling to this course you will join the regular classes and will study alongside with IED undergraduate students.

This is an intermediate program designed for students with at least one year of academic background or professional experience in Interior Design, Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Architecture. Applicants have to master representation techniques such as drawing, sketching and rendering, and visual communication skills such as computer graphics and rendering, as well as model making and verbal communication.

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Javier Deferrari

Architect

Course Coordinator

Lavinia Modesti

Architect

Alberto Morselli

Architect

Francesca Sorgato

Professor

Francesco Scanu

Architect     

Filippo Garofalo

Authorized Rhinoceros Trainer

Cosimo Balestri

Architect

Michela Tonelli

Projects

Interior and Spatial design

Florence

Didactic projects
Mind the taste

News

13 July 2026

IED Torino presents Mise en Place: space as an ingredient of the dining experience

Eleven projects, eleven visions of tomorrow's restaurant: at Gallerie d'Italia – Turin, the Interior Design Bachelor's Programme explored the dialogue between design, food culture and place.

10 July 2026

Degree Show 2026 opens IED Kunsthal Bilbao to talent, design and the city

Once again, the Papelera Building opened its doors to the public, showcasing the work developed by students over four years of study and turning the school into a meeting point for design, culture, industry and institutions.

03 July 2026

July: Exhibitions, Installations and New Horizons for IED.60 Public Program

With the arrival of July, IED Graduation Days enter their busiest phase across IED’s Italian campuses, bringing with them a series of public events designed to showcase the ideas, projects and research developed by students.

02 July 2026

The 4th IED Enric Miralles Award honours a library reimagined as a living landscape of the mind

“Mind Garden”, a project by IED Barcelona student Anastassia Westenra, has been recognised for its outstanding ability to transform space organically.

02 July 2026

Product Design IED Madrid alumni Jorge Penadés designs the Museo Reina Sofía's new public space

The designer created Alhacena, an installation conceived to encourage visitors to pause, read and connect within the museum's permanent collection.

23 June 2026

Best Thesis Awards 2026 – IED Barcelona

Fashion that evokes nostalgia through layered fabrics; a reinterpretation of retail as a living biological interface; an exploration of how Korean Wave (Hallyu) cultural products generate value within the luxury fashion sector; and an interactive digital experience that makes a previously hidden financial language visible.

22 June 2026

Jaime Hayón, Product Design IED Madrid alumni, honoured at the Escala Interior Design Awards

The designer received the National Excellence Award, recognising the work of leading interior design professionals in Spain.

19 June 2026

Sense of Dubai, a Project by Two IED Madrid Students, Wins at the Accor Design Awards 2026

Ana Cristina Lara Sanabria and Camilla Lari Prado received the Second Prize and the Public Choice Award for a proposal that transforms Dubai’s evolution into an immersive experience.

15 June 2026

Three IED alumni among the winners of the iF Design Student Award 2026

Three alumni from IED Kunsthal Bilbao and IED Madrid have been recognised in the iF Design Student Award 2026, one of the world's leading international competitions for emerging design talent.