Our Kelowna Interior Design students are taking part in an exciting practicum right now. Students normally do three practicums during their diploma, individually working under the mentorship of industry professionals or design houses in the community.
With her strong ties in the community, Interior Design Department Head Gisela Scholze was able to partner with Mission Group and Momemtum Interiors to offer this group of students a collaborative practicum. In groups of four, the students will be designing interiors for two display homes in the unique brownstone-inspired Dwell community in Kelowna.
Check out the story published by the Kelowna Capital News today!
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CATO Students Give Creative Input
Kelowna Capital News | January 31, 2012
Some of the students at Momentum Interiors. (Photo by Charlie Hodge.) Some of the students at Momentum Interiors showing the DWELL project in progress. (Photo by Charlie Hodge). If you want to create a housing market desirable for young adults – how do you grab their attention?
The solution is obvious – have young people help design them.
That straightforward, yet somewhat out of the box concept, is exactly what a progressive local development company is doing starting this month in Kelowna. Mission Group, known locally for their attractive, creative, and environmentally friendly communities are joining forces with interior design students from the Centre for Arts and Technology Okanagan (CATO) and Momentum Interiors to display two homes in their Dwell community.
The two homes at Dwell are in phase three currently being constructed on Ambrosi Road in the ‘mid-town’ area of Kelowna.
“We see this as a terrific opportunity to work with the talented interior design students at CATO – and the collaboration makes perfect sense since they share many of the characteristics of the homeowners at Dwell,” explains Mission Group president Randall Shier. “It’s a way of celebrating their creativity and giving them the platform to display it.
CATO students, under the direction of Gisela Scholze, Department Head and practicum advisor for the pilot project, met earlier this week with Shannon Nystrom of Momentum Interiors in Kelowna to look at the myriad of interior design products and packages available for use in creating appealing living spaces that resonate with today’s younger buyers. Momentum Interiors provides mid to top end furniture and offers interior design consultation, and full furnishings to homeowners looking for a unique and savvy home decor.
The participating interior design students from CATO have been divided into two teams of four. Each team has a differently configured home to design and stage, including selecting furniture, wall colours and decorative accessories. When students are finished with their conceptual proposals (in approximately two weeks), they will present them to Mission Group.
The collaboration project between CATO, Momentum, and Mission Group will take approximately five weeks to synthesize the new “integrated design concept” Products will then be ordered and the residences will be fitted out for a public viewing and the grand opening of DWELL – Phase II scheduled for April 14.