By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
There are still three days left to see HE SAID SHE SHED, an exhibition created by Fort Hays State University interior design students, at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art.
This year, the program chose the theme of “she sheds,” a relaxation or recreational area similar to a man cave. In addition, two students designed around the Sherwin-Williams color of the year, which is a deep shade of red.
“The vignettes show them the real 3-D, real-word experience of how you would create a space,” said Colin Schmidtberger, graduate teaching assistant and one of the organizers of the show. “Through classes, they work through drawings and just talking about (design). To create the space is a whole different aspect of design. Having them do the show vignette helps them understand space management and how they are going to create a space and make a space work in their layout of the design.”
Participation in at least one of the annual exhibits is a graduation requirement for the interior design program. This year’s exhibit features sophomores through seniors. The students finance their own projects and receive one graded credit-hour for the exhibit project.
“We figure out what the show will be the previous semester,” Schmidtberger said. “That way they have enough time to work up ideas and really figure out what they need to do to complete the whole process.”
Kendra Inslee and Emily Becker designed the summer-themed she shed and created an outdoor reading area. They used a grouping of crates for display of books and decorative items.
Hannah Henry and Baylee Wells created a bar area for their fall-themed she shed. They built several pieces of original furniture for their vignette. This included an antique bicycle that was transformed into a bar, two bicycle rims that were used to create a glass-top table and a free-form piece of wood that was used to build an industrial-style lamp.
“Every vignette brings in the styles of the students doing it, so it is really interesting to see the whole process through and seeing them working up the idea from the start to actually seeing it completed,” Schmidtberger said.
Khaleb Logan Cason and Mayra Rangel, who took on the color-of-the-year project, pursued an oriental theme. They set a dining room with scroll boxes, a tea set, and oriental-style furniture and wall hangings.
The winter-themed she shed by Brittany Ollenborger and Sarah Stute was designed as a sleeping and reading area.
“It makes you want to jump into bed,” Schmidtberger said. “They did a really good job of making the room feel homey. It is very inviting. The color scheme they used, it represents winter with the blues and whites and soft grays, so they did a really good job of incorporating winter into their space and made sure that it was a very inviting bedroom for someone to be in.”
Courtney Nemechek and Madalynn Schreiber designed a planting shed for their vignette. The shed has a planting station that the students constructed out of pallet boards. They also built a tiered plant stand and birdhouse and equipped their she shed with a metal seating area with table for two.
“This is an outdoor space,” Schmidtberger said of the vignettes. “This is not something that would be in your home. It would be a backyard kind of escape from your house area.”
He said all the designs the students created would be achievable for the home designer even on a small budget.
Schmidtberger said he benefited greatly from his experience with the exhibit when he was a student.
“It showed me that I was capable of doing a design for a client,” he said. “I learned the basics of design and how to create a space. This project made me feel comfortable so I could go out and do it on my own.”
Photos of Schmidtberger’s graduate project are also on display as a part of the exhibit. He designed and remodeled two bathrooms and a utility room for a client, not only completing design work, but doing demolition and laying tile for the project.
The Moss-Thorns Gallery is in Rarick Hall. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. HE SAID SHE SHED will up through Friday. It will be followed by the annual graphic design exhibit.