Gateway Technical College Interior Design students captured the 52nd Annual Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show’s Interior Design Contest through a nature-inspired dining room design.
Michelle Adrian (Kenosha), Angie Hovorka (Racine), Sarah Mason (Kenosha), Megan A. Schultz (Caledonia), Katie Sturino (Union Grove) and Danielle Wales (Lake Geneva) won the contest in what organizers say may be the closest vote to date. Show attendees cast their ballot for their favorite design, and Gateway’s won out over designs created by students from Milwaukee Area Technical College, Mount Mary College and Waukesha County Technical College.
The dining room combined warm, neutral tones with earthy prints and finishes to create a classic and informal space. Gourmet mushroom-painted walls brought warmth to the informal setting, while white birch branches arranged against the orange far wall further incorporated the nature theme.
Students selected a dining table created from a reclaimed section of fence which they painted and distressed. Each chair surrounding the table was distinctive and unified by the same color pallet. The walls were appointed with salvaged window shutters, exterior lanterns and a mirrored window while birdcages function as artistic light fixtures.
The show was held at State Fair Park in West Allis Feb. 13 to Feb. 16.