A month has passed and the redecoration has already begun! Earlier this week, the study room was completely emptied of all tables, chairs, shelves and blinds. Then, the old layers of paint and uneven wallpaper were stripped away and replaced with a fresh coat in a neutral grey hue. As the Q-Vamp team, we chose this shade because we felt it was subtle but sophisticated and could easily be matched to the undecided soft furnishings. Mrs Tunnicliffe announced to us that it “is now a lovely blank canvas ready for you to make your own”.
In addition, the existing carpet has been deep-cleaned to give it a refreshed look after years of constant wear.
The brand new study pods have arrived at school and are yet to be built. Year 12 are all waiting in anticipation to use them after seeing how effectively they’ve been used in the Year 13 study room upstairs. We’re hoping that they improve our focus and concentration during study periods and motivate us to be as productive as possible. Although the study pods were costly and took up a great proportion of our budget, we all agreed that the money would be well spent.
To compliment the grey walls, we chose a lime green for the blinds and upholstery on the chairs, which have also arrived at school and are waiting to be put into the study room once the paint is dry. The green was chosen to create a more inviting and modern space, which will also be considered in our next meeting when we will decide on more soft furnishings and finishing touches. For example, members of Year 12 have requested comfortable reading chairs and beanbags. We’re yet to decide whether we should keep the existing whiteboard, which would save us money, or to invest in a blackboard to use when we’re participating in group study sessions.
The purchase of plants is also being considered. On the one hand, they’d brighten up the communal space, however we’d have to be willing to take responsibility for watering them, which could be organised with a rota.
So far, we haven’t faced any unexpected challenges and are pleased with the progress. In our next edition of the blog, we’ll be able to update you on how the elements of the project are coming together and more decisions that we’ll be consolidating.
Freya, Anna and Niamh
