New shade of green in the Green Room
By Susan MacCulloch
Viewpoint Staff Writer
The green floral wallpaper in Sierra 2's Green Room that to some was
a bit too green and flowery is but a distant memory thanks to a long overdue
facelift of the second largest rental space in the Center. While undergoing
renovations to accommodate ADA accessibility requirements, SCNA took advantage
of the opportunity to give the room a long overdue freshening up, enhancing
its appeal for wedding, party and meeting rentals.
The newly renovated Green Room is now outfitted in gentler shades of green
along with new wall coverings, carpet, lighting fixtures, doors, and wainscoting.
The new softer green color palette mirrors colors throughout the rest
of the building.
"We really worked on using colors and materials that honored the
historic feel of the building," emphasized Executive Director Julie
Adams Gerth.
Following recent ADA improvements, restoring the Green Room was accomplished
with guidance from the City of Sacramento's Department of General Services.
Working closely with Julie, City Interior Designer Laura Blanton suggested
practical materials for long wear, while incorporating respect and attention
to the building's historic features.
In addition to a degree in interior design from U.C. Davis, Laura is a
nationally certified interior designer. Employed by the city since 1990,
Laura provides interior design service, including interior finishes, furniture,
and space planning for numerous city buildings and projects. She's worked
with several city community centers, neighborhood libraries, police and
fire stations.
"I thoroughly enjoy my work and enjoy helping people gain the most
out of their interior spaces in both aesthetics and functionality for
the service they provide," said Laura.
Her interior design skills were used not only on the Green Room, but in
other parts of the Sierra 2 Center as well. Laura assisted with selection
of appropriate finishes and colors for the new ADA restroom and reception
area upgrades, paint schemes and flooring for the hallways, and several
tenant-occupied classrooms. Additional projects included upgrades for
the staff office and new finishes in Curtis Hall and Room 12.
Laura explained why Sierra 2 appeared well worn in certain areas. Existing
finishes-carpet, flooring, tile, wall covering-were not commercial grade
intended for high-use. "There is a massive difference in the construction
of finishes that are used for residential as opposed to commercial use,"
said Laura.
As with other historic buildings, there were both challenges and opportunities
with the interior design, according to Laura. "It was important to
me that the new paint schemes and tile work remain true to the era in
which the building was originally designed and built," said Laura.
"I wanted to be sensitive to that, and not incorporate trendy color
schemes, or finishes that did not make sense with the architecture and
design of the building."
And what a difference help from a interior specialists makes. "It
has been so rewarding to see these old spaces come to life again,"
said Julie. "Without Laura, we would have gotten the job done but
not with the same results. SCNA is grateful the city's willingness to
invest its resources in keeping Sierra 2 the jewel it has become."
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