This is an essay summing up one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, an Interior design course in Italy. It all started during the 7th semester in college when one of my closest friends suggested going abroad and doing an interior design course together. Hence my friend, Sohana, started looking for short courses on the internet in Italy, because what other place could be better than the place where design was born? We started looking for courses in Florence and came across a few that suited us. Finally, we settled upon Star- Florence Design School, as the curriculum was really intriguing as it was combined with real working experience. We approached the studio and received all the information quite promptly. Then we applied and received a positive response from the Studio, and hence all the big plans began. 

As soon as the interior design course was finalized, we thought of combining a trip with the course and asked our other friends to join us in Italy. Hence all the plans began and after millions of bookings and documents, things finally started to fall into place. We had been waiting and anticipating the whole experience since March as it was the first time that we were going to travel abroad without our families!

So, we finally flew from Mumbai to Florence on the 1st of June. I was spellbound from we landed in Florence. It was the prettiest place I ever saw. I kept looking out the window the entire time. The dream was true. We reached the AirBnb, settled down, unpacked, and got out on the streets the very same day. We were way too excited to stay in and rest. I started taking pictures from the minute I landed. Every street had its own charm and the people were so friendly and helpful.

And then, on the 4th of June, we had a small orientation meeting where we met our professors Mr. Giovanni Voto and Ms. Milena. They explained in brief about the interior design course and answered all our doubts ever so sweetly. Milena gave a short tour of the beautiful and cozy studio. We were really excited about the course as we were going to have a completely new experience combined with working. The next day our classes began and it was a completely different approach to design and life. We met our coursemates Zheng Zheng and Julia who are extremely smart and independent young ladies. The classes have always been a lot of fun and informative thanks to the professors and the other students.

We also got a wonderful opportunity to work in a co-working space which was completely a new experience. I have never worked on a live project like this one before. The site was really interesting with the vaulted ceiling and courtyards. It has been a lot of fun to work with Prof. Giovanni on this project. He has been very supportive of our ideas and has given us a lot of insight and guidance at every step.

Our learning was not only limited to the interior design course classroom. The school organized a lot of fun workshops for us. We also had a lot of meals together and enjoyed long discussions on varied topics. It was a completely different experience for me because I have never learned in such an open-minded environment and had never been so comfortable around my professors. Apart from the lectures, we also met for dinner and drinks one day which was a lot of fun. We met people from different backgrounds and had an amazing evening with them.

Besides Florence, we also visited Pisa and Milan over the weekends. The train journey to Pisa was absolutely beautiful and the people that we met on the way were extremely helpful. The way-finding system was excellent, and even though we were traveling alone for the first time, we figured everything out quite conveniently. Pisa was a beautiful little place and we of course visited the Leaning Tower and spent the entire day on the lawn admiring the beautiful architecture. The experience was amazing.

All in all, it was an overwhelming experience. I learned so much about Design and Life. This interior design course broadened my perspective in so many different ways. I am so eager to learn more about design and I am so keen on doing my Master’s in Interior Design abroad after this wonderful experience. This course gave me a different kind of exposure and a small glimpse into the Italian approach to architecture and design. The entire experience helped me build confidence and faith in myself and my work. Teachers helped me realize that there are endless things to see and learn and that so many people in this world can inspire us.