A Look Behind the Scene(ry)
Playful, clean, colorful, stylish, trendy and functional. The results you get when you pair an experienced fashion designer with an architect whose background is in luxury interiors. The story and inspiration behind the interior design of the latest Balanced Family Academy building, The Playhouse, began with a vision to bring the BFA colors to life without sacrificing a functional layout.
When architect Mauro Segabinazzi began his journey with Keith Benham, a fashion designer, the two were dedicated to creating the most functional layouts to suit the clients wants and needs while remaining in line with the representation of their aesthetic. At the heart of their company SB Home Staging and Design, they achieve this by progressively incorporating colors, finishes, furnishings and decor that send a message without having to speak the words. In other words, the results speak for themselves.
To Listen Is To Envision
Designers are privy to how well spaces function (or not) simply by listening to their clients. Viewing a space and envisioning the message you want it to convey through decor and layout was a seamless task for both SB Home Staging and Design and BFA.
Carefully following the BFA design guidelines to put their colorful brand kit into practice and enhance the BFA brand identity, Keith envisioned that message and brought it to life. Their work can be seen throughout the hallways of the BFA Campus along with some hidden gems. More about the “hidden surprises” to come later.
By intensely listening to the owners, Becca, Katie and Sarah, Maruro was able to analyze the blank canvas of the Playhouse space and create a duplicatable layout and design plan giving BFA the best outcome possible for future buildings and beyond. Through a trained eye that combined the best colors, texture, and finishes, a cohesive design was developed and ultimately implemented throughout all the rooms.
During the site analysis process, these trained professionals took measurements, photos, gathered ideas, and developed ways they could make this space be the clean, fresh and functional look BFA desired. They discussed the aesthetic of that vision while keeping a budget and timeline in mind, ultimately achieving a strong sense of proportioned grace.
Putting the Play into Playhouse
The end result of the Playhouse design and opening was a collaborative success. Despite the many challenges faced during it’s build with COVID and supply chain issues, BFA is delighted to share this space with our community and staff. From vision to development to construction to today…the Playhouse would not be as colorful without the smiling, beautiful little faces that attend it daily. Putting the PLAY into Playhouse.
Branches of Inspiration
From Just One Tree
Mauro had a deep connection to the BFA tree logo that began long before he was tasked with this design. As a young boy during his school days in Brazil, there was a quant seating area surrounded by trees where he spent time sitting with his friends playing and making memories. Deeply inspired by those youthful days, he wanted to create a functional space to capture that childhood spirit he so fondly remembered.
Therefore, Keith and Mauro created the design and it’s color palette by drawing inspiration by combining those youthful days and the BFA logo. From there, the ideas branched out to include the many colorful renderings that turned into functional space including the 3-dimensional BFA logo tree, soft pillow “rocks’, a subtle yet colorful seating area, vibrant green plants and an open space designed for playtime to induce tranquility and peace.
However, both parties went out on a limb by adding a few surprise elements. One of them is the lenticular effect to the desk and seating area where these elements were designed to change color depending on what direction you are walking. And if you happen to look up, you will notice the lights on the ceiling are unique cloud-shaped lights. An idea developed by Sarah Fite, one of the BFA owners.