Jan 6, 2010 0 comments
Dancing with Design
It never ceases to amaze me - just when I think I have it all figured out, another lesson shows up waiting to be learned. I've been in the interior design field for over 20 years. There's little I haven't seen, especially when it comes to reconfirming core concepts. After all, the importance of scale, color, light, and texture will never diminish, nor will the connection between aesthetics and wellbeing.
Like all designers, I keep up with current trends, but also spend a great deal of time and energy considering the truths at the heart of the 'perfect' interior. After all, even though science can explain to us why we react to certain shades of the color wheel, it will never be able to adequately describe what it is about a good interior that creates the kind of experience precious memories are made of.
Last month, I had the opportunity to take part in creating one of these treasured moments for my eldest daughter's 8th grade Winter Dance. As a member of the dance committee, it was a great honor (and source of much frustration) to help set the scene for Katie and her friends. Going into the project, I was confident that my experience would make the job of making a grade school gym into a winter wonderland a complete snap. Let me tell you - it was harder than you'd think.
We had a tiny budget, a frighteningly small timeslot to decorate, and the space offered all the constraints you would imagine of a gymnasium. With the help of a group of great parents who wanted to make this night something special for their kids, I was able to institute a design scheme we could 1) afford on a dime and 2) pull off in an afternoon. The kids arrived to find a dancehall set with simple white string lights reflected in hundreds of yards of silver Mylar. Red and white poinsettias bloomed magically atop the stacked bleachers and in the foyer. On center stage, several tastefully lit pine trees were flanked by the half open full height stage curtain. A glistening life-sized Santa's sleigh and reindeer sparkled and were reflected in the silver Mylar-lined walls of the lobby. The boldly patterned terrazzo floor was covered completely in plain white butcher paper to complete the wintery scene.
After a stressful afternoon of both decorating for a dance and helping my daughter get dolled up to attend it, I didn't expect joy to be an integral part of my evening. I was wrong. As I watched my (not so) little girl and her friends enter the gym with looks of disbelief and excitement at the transformation, I was as close to being overwhelmed as you'll ever find me admitting.
With a few hundred bucks and a lot of love, we had created a space for the kids to be a little fancier and more grown up for the night. I've said all along - great spaces create energy and activity. If we're lucky, they create wonder and fascination. It just never occurred to me that one day I'd be proving that on such a small scale, while having it touch my life in such a big way.
Leave a Comment