It’s a new year, and you’re probably already hard at work on fulfilling your church’s vision for 2015. Whether you want to grow your membership, reach a new neighborhood, or launch an ambitious five-year plan, chances are that the condition of your church building is part of the discussion. Especially if the building is looking outdated or worn out, you can guarantee that visitors are going to notice, even if your church community no longer pays attention.
Even if your church isn’t ready to take on a major church design, building or remodeling projects, there are some relatively inexpensive ways that you can truly transform your church buildings, making them more appealing and functional for visitors and members alike.
Dealing with Dated Decor
Here are three places where you can start to help make your church stand out, indoors and out:
Paint and Signage
You can do a lot to transform key accent areas with paint, which is very inexpensive. Signage is another thing that’s really important, and sometimes gets overlooked because everyone knows how to get to the restrooms, or where the worship center is. The problem is that first-time guests don’t necessarily know, and they’re not comfortable asking about those things because they are not ready to draw attention to themselves.
Furniture and Wall Decor
If your furniture is looking worn and broken, or has outdated fabric, visitors will notice. If there isn’t a comfortable place for people to hang out, they won’t stay around to talk. If you’ve still got the same flowery pictures on the walls from 20 or 30 years ago, that’s not appealing. Furnishings will cost more than paint, but they can still transform a space into something much more updated and inviting.
Carpet and Flooring
Carpet is something else that really shows when it is worn and outdated. If people trip, they’re not coming back. If the carpet in the nursery looks grungy, they aren’t going to feel comfortable leaving their children there. New flooring, especially in children’s areas, will go a long way to making parents feel comfortable, and creating a cheerful, happy place for children’s church.
Meet Jennifer Snider, Interior Design Professional
The McKnight Group has someone on staff that can help update your church’s decor. Jennifer Snider is our Interior Designer, and she’s been with us for more than ten years. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interior Design from Ohio University and over 20 years of experience in the field, working with retail, commercial and educational clients as well as churches.
The Church Design Possibilities are Endless
Jennifer is here to help with your project, no matter what the scope. One inexpensive way is with a one-time consultation to get the creative juices flowing on your team and educate them on trends and material selection. Of course, Jennifer is also available for complete interior design services, working with you on every aspect of every room in your building, so everything weaves together seamlessly and looks fantastic.
We’ll talk more about the specific ways that Jennifer works with churches, big and small, in a future blog post. Meanwhile, you can contact and learn more about Jennifer and The McKnight Group at our Interior Design Services page.
And don’t forget, we’ve got a great series of 2015 i3 webinars for you, with lots of free tips and helpful information on interior design and many other aspects of the church design, building, and renovation processes. So sign up today for our free webinars and leap into the new year with energy and excitement!