So Many Holiday Projects: a house log
Heads up: this post might be a bit of a smorgasbord. I think it is because life has been feeling kinda smorgasbordy lately (in a good way) and sometimes it is hard to organize life into tidy, tightly-themed journal posts when it is truly all over the place behind the scenes…
I say it is “in a good way” because we feel like we are truly starting to gain momentum around a goal that we mentioned in this post of taking on more “off-campus” projects. In other words, projects that are not centered solely around improving our own spaces and, in more than one case, are for a good cause. The Homearama Showhouse that we are doing for Habitat For Humanity, being the most obvious example of this so far (you can read more about that here and here).
But that is not the only exciting thing on our plates. We have also been invited to assist with a quite special project: decorating a family waiting room at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU!
They contacted us in the hopes that we could volunteer our time to warm up the room so it is more cozy and homey year-round, as well as to add some festive touches for the holiday season. Not only did it sound like a lively project, it had such a deserving purpose that we could not wait to get began. For many of the children in the hospital’s care, this is the space where their family will spend the holiday season. So as part of a “Spread Cheer” campaign, they’ve handed this whole room over to us. It is already turning out to be a truly lively challenge (some things have to stay, some things can change, and of course there are safety/sanitary/maintenance concerns to take into account since it is a children’s hospital).
*One thing to note is that the kids have a playroom and an arts & crafts room along with other colorful spaces where they get to hang out, so this room truly is for the whole family. The hospital staff asked for some playful touches that include children, but their overall vision is a soothing and homey room that makes everyone feel comfortable and calm.
Getting it done before the holidays is also part of the challenge, considering that we simply had our first meeting last week – but we are getting a fast and furious education in the sensitivities of decorating in a space where not only function, but cleanliness, is paramount. Cozy touches like plush pillows or a basket full of toys are big no-nos because they are too tough to keep sanitized (things we do not think twice about in our own house are critical details in a medical environment).
So here is a mood board that Sherry tossed together to share a few of our initial ideas with you folks (all of which will evolve as we go, most likely in hyper-speed since we have such a tight turnaround).
1. We somehow convinced our friends at U-fab to assist us cozy up the room by donating an armchair from their showroom so we can create a little story time corner – or perhaps even a place for Santa to sit, should he choose to visit. The extra heavy upholstery weight fabric is especially durable for high use, so it is strong for a public space (although it looks white in this photo, it is truly wheat & blue, and has held up well in their showroom for a while).
2. After going through a bunch of swatches for the walls, we landed on Gargoyle, which works well with the existing wood paneling (for maintenance purposes that has to stay & cannot be painted). The room’s so well lit that we do not worry about going a little darker with the walls, in fact we are excited about the cozy-factor that a slightly deeper and warmer color will bring.
3. To represent all of the families who might be using this room, we have been asked to include a menorah as well as a Christmas tree. This candle one is excellent but for fire code reasons we cannot go that route, so we are on the lookout for something electric or battery operated. Update: although Hanukkah is earlier this year, the hospital is planning to bring this decor out annually, so it is pleasant to have everything they’ll need for future years from this initiative.
4. We’d enjoy a flurry of snowflakes hung en masse in a strategic will not-be-in-the-way spot. They will not necessarily be gold, we simply saw this and thought it was a good representation of that general idea.
5. We will certainly be making some garlands. This one from paper source is strong inspiration, but we are thinking of involving the kids so they can color things that we can then string together to make something truly meaningful for them.
6. Three words: twinkle lights. Everywhere.
7. U-Fab has also kindly offered to donate some fabric and their time to make two custom valances for the windows in the room – again simply to warm things up and make it feel more homey. Our usual floor-length curtain idea is not allowed for a slew of safety/fire reasons, but after finding some cool roman-shade-looking-valance designs, we are truly excited. And this fabric was the big winner (here is a link to the gray version).
8. This cute campfire is simply here to represent the idea of a faux fire. There is a recessed rectangle under the built-in around the TV, and we thought temporarily inserting a piece of wood with a cozy little fire painted on it would be lively for the kids and families. We will add some stockings on the mantel to complete the fireplace-like effect.
9. We want to adapt our leaning chalkboard project to create a large hanging one that will allow the kids and families to write holiday wishes and greetings. Cannot you simply picture it all filled up with kid doodles and holiday scribble? The hospital staff thinks the children will enjoy something interactive like that, and chalk is preferred because it is easier to remove from upholstery than markers (and it is cheaper & easier to switch out regularly for sanitary reasons).
10. Last but not least, they’ve asked for a tree, and we truly want to have lively with it. These folks are real (and it has to be faux for fire code reasons) but we are leaning towards something full of color that mimics this look. We want this room to feel calming, but we also want to inject a pleasant heaping dose of holiday cheer.
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The mood board represents around 50% of the stuff on our to-do list, so there will also be centerpieces, holiday tablecloths, Hands-on art, and a whole bunch of other things in the mix. Our goal is to have the room ready within the next 2-ish weeks… which, thanks to having Thanksgiving in there, means it is gonna be fast and furious around here. We are truly looking forward to sharing the process with you folks. And most of all, we cannot wait to see the faces of those deserving families who will be spending their holidays there. The hospital has planned to make a little video of the makeover and the kid and family reactions, so Sherry already has her tissues ready…
