Design School is Looking Better and Better!

Lauren and I both got our interior design degrees at OU, in Norman, OK...(keep the snickering to a minimum, you Texas fans!)

OU has a truly charming campus (at least in my opinion!), especially its "North Oval". I was very surprised when I took a trip up to Norman for the first time, that OU is actually really pretty! Cute red telephone booths, gorgeous landscaping, and old buildings cover its campus.

Unfortunately, the biggest eyesore (and where we ended up spending ALL of our time) was Gould Hall. It's a 1950's building that housed all of the construction/interior design/architecture classes.

Yep- the beauty below was where we spent many a nights. Depressing, I know! But future interior design students, have no fear, because a $27 million, 108,00 square foot, new building is actually in the works.

{The future Gould Hall}

The forthcoming building looks like it will be a pretty site, that is for sure.

Too bad I only got to experience Gould Hall pre-renovation. During my stay at OU, I always wondered what it would have been like to study in another building...at another campus. What would the similarities be? How would it differ? My one regret was never going abroad for a semester or for the summer.

How I always wanted to get out of run down Gould Hall (even just for six weeks!) and study abroad in Italy! Wouldn't that have been nice?

What if your classroom looked like this?


And you got to work on interesting projects with classmates from Italy and around the world?

with this view....

And go on fieldtrips to these places...

Where do I sign up???

Nope, this is not a dream- just The Florence Institute of Design International.

This gorgeous campus is located in the historic center of Florence and is Italy's newest boutique school of design. The first full session starts in January (there's still time to register!) Not keen on interiors? They also offer programs in graphic design and architecture. Art, culture, and design is all wrapped up in one school! Imagine the historical sites you could visit on weekends- museums, museums, museums! (maybe even meet a cute Italian too?)

Perhaps I should go back and get my Masters in ID? Apparently it only takes a year! I could be the Material Girl reporting from Italy and be back in just thirty weeks...very tempting!