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

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.

12 June 2026

Issue 3: Future Memories - Plural Intelligences

What will we choose to remember from the present we are living through? This is the starting point of the third issue of Notes on Plural Intelligences – Future Memories.

09 June 2026

Creativity in motion: the IED.60 Public Programme gets underway

June marks a special moment for IED: the Public Program IED.60 is in full swing, with a rich calendar of events spanning fashion, design, illustration and visual arts, bringing talks, exhibitions and open events to Milan, Rome, Florence and New York for the IED community and the wider public.

08 June 2026

IED among the Top Design Schools 2026 according to Calibre Careers: european Network, industry connections and educational excellence

The international careers observatory analyses the Institute’s educational model, combining global recognition with the historic pillars of hands-on, laboratory-based teaching.

28 May 2026

IED Barcelona Undergraduate Graduation Ceremony 2026

It will take place on Thursday, 18 June at 4:45 pm at Paral·lel 62 theatre.

21 May 2026

IED AHEAD - Design your tomorrow, today.

Enrol by 31 July 2026 and get an exclusive 20% discount on tuition fees for Undergraduate and Foundation Courses starting in September, October and November 2027.

13 May 2026

Diego Bicet, IED Barcelona alumnus, nominated for the Work Forward Awards ’26

A graduate in Interior Design, he was selected with “Hope, un camino a la esperanza”, a project envisioning a workshop-school for refugees in the heart of Barcelona.

11 May 2026

Design tells its story at the Turin International Book Fair with EDICOLA IED

From 14 to 18 May, a newsstand of creativity presented the first two issues of Notes on Plural Intelligences alongside a selection of the best Italian and international magazines, accompanied by a programme of talks and workshops that explored themes of design, publishing and contemporary communication.

11 May 2026

Silvia Brandi brings the second season of IED MUSES Talks to a close

The Italian architect and cultural manager shared her vision on sustainability, design and rural revitalisation in the episode that concludes the second edition of the IED’s inspirational talks series.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

25 June 2026 - 25 June 2026

Madrid

TIMES NEW REALITIES – PRODUCT DESIGN – GRADUATION SHOW

Product Design students present their final projects under the concept Times New Realities, exploring new ways of designing the objects, systems and experiences that will respond to the challenges of the future.

Exhibitions and Festival

26 June 2026 - 26 June 2026

Madrid

TIMES NEW REALITIES – INTERIOR DESIGN – GRADUATION SHOW

Interior Design students present their final projects under the concept Times New Realities, exploring new ways of inhabiting, living together and engaging with the spaces of the future.

Projects Presentation

02 July 2026 - 02 July 2026

Bilbao

Degree Show 2026 at IED Kunsthal Bilbao

On 2 July, IED Kunsthal Bilbao will celebrate the third edition of its Degree Show, showcasing the final projects of its Design students. Exhibitions, a Fashion Show and opportunities to connect with professionals in a day open to the wider community.

Exhibitions and Festival

13 July 2026 - 13 July 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid Graduation Day 2026

The IED Madrid community comes together to celebrate the end of the 2025–2026 academic year and the achievements of its graduating students.