First impressions are so important when remodeling a church building or creating a church design for a new structure. Whether people are driving by your church building or walking in the doors for the first time, they will unconsciously make judgments and decisions about your church community based on what they see. While it’s obvious how important the façade of your church building is to make all feel welcome and help them want to return, the interior design is also critical, especially certain areas.
The First Interior Spaces Guests Encounter in Your Church Building
Every inch of your church building will make an impression on worshipers and guests. But there are specific areas that make more of a difference than others. Your lobby is the key area for making a good first impression. Whether you’re going for an impression of old-fashioned comfort or sleek, modern style, you will give guests a sense of your church and where it places value by how clean, attractive, and well-kept your lobby or foyer appears. If you’ve got a café located off of your lobby, that draws in people if it’s inviting—but not if it’s dark and dingy and appears old or unclean.
Focusing on Interior Design Deeper in Your Building
Once guests move beyond the lobby and café, they will continue to assess your church community based on how other parts of your church building appear. Restrooms are one key component to making a good impression. Perhaps there was a time when you went to a restaurant and the restroom surprised you because it looked run-down, it wasn’t kept clean, or some of the light bulbs were dark. The same kind of reaction can happen if you don’t take care with the interior design and upkeep of restrooms in your church building.
Two other areas that tend to focus guests’ attention are the worship center children’s areas. The worship center needs careful attention to its interior design. You want guests to feel comfortable and safe in your worship space, and to feel free to worship. If the floor is sticky or the carpet worn, or if it’s difficult to safely navigate in semi-darkness, guests might decide to worship elsewhere next Sunday. The design of your worship center can also help enhance the worship experience. Children’s areas are also important first impression spaces. Parents will immediately decide whether you value children based on the interior design and upkeep of your children’s areas. Walls that need repainting and dark areas that aren’t well-lit or kept clean can cause parents to decide to take their children elsewhere. A vibrant, kid-oriented space will not only attract kids, but also encourage parents that you care for their children.
Making Smart Interior Design Decisions with Every Step
You might feel that the entryway to your church building is the least exciting part, but it’s as important as anywhere else to invest in smart interior design. For example, rain, or if your church is located in an area of the country that gets a lot of it, snow, can easily ruin a first impression right at the front door. You can make your entryway attractive (and avoid costly lawsuits) by installing walk-off carpet tiles, like the ones seen here, in the entryway. These tiles are designed to absorb as much as 80% of moisture and soil that people bring in on their shoes when placed effectively. When installed to allow for the recommended 6 to 8 footfalls, you won’t have to lay down rugs (which are a tripping hazard anyway) or worry about falls on slippery porcelain tile or vinyl floor surfaces.
As you can see, every square foot of your church building can benefit from intentional application of intelligent interior design. Stay tuned for more on this topic and sign up today for our free i3 webinars to keep up with the latest interior design and church building trends.