Spotting a makeover in the making is my specialty, and for me, is like STRIKING GOLD!! When I was a special education art teacher in New York City public schools, I began noticing the dull environment of the school and was instinctually drawn to enhance the space of both my classroom and the overall school building. Inspired with a vision for vibrancy, I spearheaded a school beautification project to revamp the NYC school I was teaching in that was …screaming for a makeover!! I am a true believer, that where there is a will there is way and began my search to make this makeover happen. After campaigning for funds, donors and (even fabrics from NYC garment district), we successfully transformed the energy of the hallways, classrooms and cafeteria with fresh paint and decor. With the donated funds, I wanted to get the most out my money, so shopped the discount paint at Home Depot and had a painting party with our students in our cafeteria to glam things up. By enlisting the students to take part in the creation, they took ownership of the project as well. The students also created 24 oversized canvases of artwork that represented still life paintings of healthy foods and nutrition (one food for each letter of the alphabet). They were so cute and it was so fun! (If you are interested in helping a teacher fund a passion project, check out , donors choose, and can donate at little or as much as you like)..add link
Another aspect of the campaign involved buying a sewing machine. To my surprise some of my teaching assistants were former seamstress and masters at their craft! With their expertise, they taught me the skill of sewing and will be forever grateful for this experience. Together we involved the students to learn sewing as well. Collectively we created the window treatments for the classrooms and hallways. We even managed to get the principal out of her office for a few hours and sneak in to makeover her office with custom window treatments and decor. The climax was the look on her face when we surprised her with a grand reveal of her upgraded office. The icing on the cake, and my personal favorite part of the project, was the creation of the personalized and curated student art gallery with a collection of beautifully framed student artwork, that was rotated and updated seasonally. (If you’d interested in creating a gallery wall in your home or work, check my other post here)..how to make a gallery wall .. add link
During this project, it was so invigorating to witness the power of influence that one can create through beauty. My students would smile as they came into my classroom. As they walked the halls they would comment on the positivity they felt. This was very special to me because it provided a place of serenity and inspiration for our students. Most of them, experienced so much chaos in their home lives, so it was incredible to give them a space that felt both beautiful and safe .
Since then, I have optimized many opportunities to enhance the moment with style and mindset. The connection between mood and environment is very powerful. This beautification project, was a turning point for me in my life. I always knew that I loved design, decor and appreciation for beauty from an early age. After seeing the impact it had on others, I truly understood that I had a strong desire to beautify spaces to enhance positivity. Bringing together my passions for decor and the arts, with my love of spreading good vibes, soon became the creative force behind my vision to inspire with design. This is a little taste of how I got started. I can’t wait share more with you, on how we can all inspire with design. My hope is to inspire with kindness and celebrate each day with beauty, creativity and positive energy. Let’s keep spotting those makeovers in making and after you’re done, I promise you will be happy you did!
