Setting the Standard with Interior Design

By Andrea Dill, Project Development Assistant

Mismatched carpet patterns.  The Sunday school room that was the painting “experiment”.  The clear line between the “old space” with 70’s color scheme and the “new space” with neutral colors and clean lines.  The work space personalized with someone’s favorite colors and trinkets.  We’ve all seen it – buildings where the inside doesn’t match the outside of the building.  Interior design that leaves people confused with out-dated themes and unwelcoming décor.

The College Park Church Ministry Expansion project is in full swing.  During the design phase, Dona Schnelle-Loftus, Aspen Group Interior Designer, worked with College Park Church on creating the look and feel of the interior design in the new and renovated space.  As Dona partnered with the church during that process, a need arose for some sort of “guide book” or set of standards that would lay out the colors and finishes for each area of the building, to brand the space. The church realized there would be great value in creating a décor standard, a “best practices” of sorts.

After pouring through seemingly endless possibilities for carpet, paint, cabinets, etc., a beautiful collection of materials was selected.  In addition to all the project specifications, another deliverable was created: a binder titled “College Park Church, Interior Standards Guide”, which contains finish selections for all areas of the building, including: Administration, Adult Education, Children’s ministry, Counseling, Fellowship/Commons, Jr. High and Sr. High, Multipurpose spaces, Sanctuary, even restrooms and utility spaces are included in the guide!

The Interior Standards Binder defines specifications for finishes including floor finishes (carpet, vinyl, sports floor, and porcelain selections), wall finishes such as paint (base colors and accent colors), tile, case work, counters, and more.  

This guide will help to streamline interior design in the facility and in essence “brand” the space.  It will also help eliminate confusion or questions that may arise down the road, and alleviate pressure on the leadership team when questions arise about decorating a new space or “personalizing” an office. 

“The décor notebook is very nice,” shared Joe Rice, Executive Pastor at College Park Church.  “It is important to understand the branding, feel, etc. for the interior design.”