Non-degree furniture/ interior architecture courses in EU?

My background is in mechanical engineering, but in my spare time I build furniture & sculpture out of concrete, metal, & wood. My methods to design so far have been to make up dimensions & hope for the best. Some pieces I’m been proud of… others are a mess of disproportionate components. So I’m looking to learn some design principles (ideally applied to furniture & interior architecture) while living in a European city for a few weeks / months. I searched the forum but couldn’t find what I was looking for. Anyone have any tips?

Hi welcome to Core.
I’ve was a furniture maker in a previous life, wood and metal work requires so much investment into the craftsmanship that it’s easy to produce poor designs. I felt like 10% design 90% make/build about summed it up. - why I shifted to ID.

It’s unfourtunatly not as simple as picking up a few tips and tricks to become a better designer, but there’s a number of books to get you started, IDSA also has a list. Check into Arts and Crafts schools who offer non-matriculating courses (not many on Core use or know about them) I know of several excellent ones here in the States but not EU, sorry.

Thanks no_spec. I’ll look into the non-matriculating courses & the books. What are the excellent ones you know in the US? I’m hoping to spend time in a European city, but if that doesn’t work out I’ll start looking here.

depending on where you live there are lots of choices, the top name I can personally recommend is the Haystack Mountain school in Maine. It’s more artsy than craftsy but may be just what your looking for. Check them out, and if that’s in the direction you think will help you that might start the ball rolling.

There’s also the Acadamy of Art University, a chain of schools across the country that wont require you to enroll full time and can give you an intro to design skills.

you may want to post this question to the furniture forum as well

Thanks. I got some advice from Scott on the furniture board. If others are looking for the same thing I am, he suggested

This is exactly what I was looking for. Let me know if anyone knows of similar programs.