Project KIPP Illuminar Part One

Hey Zen Tribe! I am so excited to share this project on the blog finally. When I first walked into this teachers team room, the first thing I noticed, were the very loud yellow floor and bright walls. In my mind I said “Self…how in the world are these teachers suppose to focus when the floor itself is screaming runnnnn lol” I also noticed that there were no windows in the space. My rating: This was giving everything but relaxation. Check out the before pic:

I always ask the Principal of the school how they want the space to feel. She specifically said that she wanted the space to feel like the culture of the school. That prompted me to ask a series of questions so I can learn where I should be focusing on who/what to give homage too. One artist that was quickly said it was the artist Frida. So I created the design concept around her.

I also learned that the educators at the school loveee color, patterns, flowers, nature, etc. They just wanted a space to feel functional, with a fun vibe that still translated as a grown productive space to work in. A.k.a. The kids aren’t allowed in this room. lol Once I was given the green light to have creative freedom in the space, I knew that I wanted to have this teachers team room feel like an outdoor space simply because there were no windows to begin with soooo I opted for double Wallpaper with one layer arched to depict windows. Let’s take a moment and admire the gorgeous wallpaper that I got from Etsy! They were the perfect addition to this room. Why? When I heard the teachers speaking amongst themselves after the reveal I heard them saying that the colors and leaves automatically made them feel like they were at a fancy outdoor cafe. Whoop!

Let me remind you that this room was so small y’all so I had to find creative ways to utilize as much storage as possible. I designed a pull out bookshelf for the school, and a custom banquette where they could store their paperwork while still having an aesthetically pleasing space!!!

Make sure you turn on your notifications on social media to see when I post the second install part of Project KIPP Illuminar!! Sending love and light always in all Zen design ways.