Thanksgiving decorations play an important role in setting the tone for the holiday and contributing to the atmosphere of gratitude, warmth, and celebration that defines the season. While the holiday is rooted in traditions of feasting and giving thanks, decorations serve as both a visual expression of the season and a means to create a welcoming, festive environment for family and friends. Here’s an exploration of their significance:
Symbolism of Gratitude and Harvest
Thanksgiving is often considered a time to celebrate the harvest and express thanks for the abundance of food and good fortune. Decorations that incorporate symbols of the harvest, such as pumpkins, gourds, cornucopias, and autumn leaves, serve as reminders of the season’s bounty. These elements are directly tied to the historical roots of Thanksgiving, which originated as a harvest festival. The use of these natural elements in decor reinforces the theme of gratitude for the food, family, and blessings we enjoy.
Creating a Warm, Inviting Atmosphere
As one of the most family-oriented holidays, Thanksgiving is centered around gathering together with loved ones. Decorations help to create a cozy, inviting environment, enhancing the sense of warmth and connection. Soft lighting (like candles or string lights), along with earthy tones of gold, orange, red, and brown, contribute to a comforting, homely atmosphere. These elements encourage guests to relax, enjoy each other’s company, and focus on the spirit of togetherness and gratitude.
Seasonal Aesthetic and Connection to Nature
In many parts of the world, Thanksgiving occurs in the fall, a time when the natural world undergoes a dramatic transformation. Thanksgiving decorations often mirror the colors and textures of the outdoors—burnt orange, deep reds, and browns—along with motifs of fallen leaves, pinecones, and acorns. This helps to create a seamless connection between the indoors and the changing world outside, making the holiday feel grounded in nature. In addition, it can be an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the season itself, drawing attention to the fleeting yet vibrant moments of autumn.
Setting the Stage for a Shared Tradition
Many families have traditions tied to Thanksgiving decorating, from setting up elaborate table settings to adorning the mantel with seasonal trinkets. These traditions can be passed down through generations, making Thanksgiving decorations an important part of family heritage. The process of decorating together can be a bonding activity that brings family members closer, as it often marks the beginning of the holiday season. Whether it’s creating a centerpiece for the dining table or hanging up a thankful tree where everyone writes down what they’re grateful for, these activities create shared memories that last beyond the holiday itself.
Reflecting the Spirit of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving decorations often incorporate elements that encourage reflection on the meaning of the holiday. For example, table settings may feature small cards or notes where guests can write down what they are thankful for, or some households may display a gratitude board or jar. These decorative items serve as prompts for mindful reflection and provide a tangible reminder of the reason behind the holiday—a time to pause, give thanks, and appreciate what we have.
Cultural and Regional Expressions
In addition to traditional harvest motifs, Thanksgiving decorations can vary based on culture, region, and personal style. For example, in some households, Native American-inspired decor may be used to honor the origins of the holiday, while others may incorporate regional elements like cranberries, apples, or local foliage. These diverse representations allow individuals and families to infuse the holiday with their own unique interpretations of tradition and significance.
In essence, Thanksgiving decorations serve much more than an aesthetic function; they are a powerful tool for expressing the spirit of the season. They help create a sense of place, foster a warm and inviting environment, and celebrate the abundance of the harvest. They also encourage reflection, instill a sense of gratitude, and strengthen the connections between family members, both in the present and across generations. Whether simple or elaborate, Thanksgiving decorations help turn a home into a place of gratitude, making the holiday a visual and emotional celebration of the joys of life, family, and togetherness.
DESIGN YOUR FUTURE TODAY!
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
At first glance, the 2025 Colors of the Year couldn’t be more different. A ruby red more striking than Taylor Swift’s signature lip color, a spa-like sage green, a deep, lose-yourself-in-it blue—this isn’t the year everyone went gaga for earthy greens or all sought intensely saturated hues. But one thing’s certain: Now is not the time for neutrals.
If these early announcements are any indication, people are craving capital-c Color, perhaps the pendulum swing of many years of white-on-white-with-light-wood minimalism. And influenced by an overall trend toward richer, darker shades.
After the past year’s eclectic grandpa and quiet luxury movements, it seems like we’re heading toward an infusion of the two: a rich auntie, if you will. Many brands cite people’s growing desire for luxe, refined spaces, an interest in Old World design and a sense of warmth and timelessness. And the colors they’ve chosen all seem at home in prominent, successful women’s abodes, mirrored in their very wardrobes. Oprah Winfrey, Duchess Sophie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ina Garten are just a handful of tastemakers known for their classic style—and for rocking these hues. (In fact, Jennifer Garner’s recent home tour features nearly all of these colors.)
So, if you want to create a rich sanctuary that feels a bit more polished than eclectic grandpa and not so boring as camel-on-caramel quiet luxury, why not give one of these Colors of the Year a spin?
(GETTY IMAGES/BEHR/PUREWOW)
1. Rumors by Behr
Consider this the decor equivalent of fall’s dark cherry and burgundy fashion trends. Rumors is a deep shade of ruby-verging-on-maroon that’s meant to add warmth to a home without being jarringly in-your-face. Yes, red is a polarizing color to coat your walls (in 2021, a Zillow study found it made homes sell for $1,500 less on average), but it seems people are opening up to it. In Behr’s research, 76 percent of Americans would consider painting a room or wall red, with 73 percent believing it can add depth and character to the space.
Rumors is a darker, more wine-like color than your typical red. It’s richer and easier to live with than brighter hues, yet if you’re thinking of reselling soon, you may want to play it safer with something a little less moody.
(GETTY IMAGES/VALSPAR/PUREWOW)
2. Encore by Valspar
More arresting than navy, with more depth than a classic blue, Valspar’s Color of the Year evokes a coastal vibe; one that’s more old-money Hamptons than playful Jersey Shore. (To that end, it feels all too fitting that it’s practically Garten’s signature chambray.) The shade was chosen because it emulates “both the elusive luxury of Old World design and the futuristic blending of our physical and digital world,” according to Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Valspar. All that to say, it’s the kind of versatile color that, depending on what you pair it with—say, ornate, gilt-framed paintings and burlwood furniture or light wood and modern pieces—it can skew traditional or modern.
(GETTY IMAGES/HGTV HOME BY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS/PUREWOW)
3. Quietude by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
The clearest outlier of the Colors of the Year (so far), Quietude is the brightest, airiest color of the bunch, but it was still chosen for its upscale-yet-relaxing feel. It’s part of the brand’s “naturally refined” color collection, a set of ten shades designed to complement each other (making it that much easier to decide what accent colors to use as you go about your room refresh). It pairs well with warm browns and oranges, and the sage hue is ideal for anyone who wants to add color but isn’t too crazy about dark, moody spaces. It’s a shortcut to giving your bathroom a resort spa aesthetic, even if it’s barely larger than a broom closet.
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Level up your life with these simple steps that will turn any bath into a sanctuary.
(Courtesy of the Pearl Hotel.)
Transforming your bath into a soothing spa-like retreat can be achieved with a few easy upgrades. These atmospheric additions not only enhance the functionality of your bath but also create a sophisticated, design-forward focal point for a home. Here are the fastest ways to turn an ordinary bath into a peaceful experience that makes an elegant statement.
1. Heated Towel Rack
(Courtesy of Remodelista.)
A heated towel rack keeps your towels and bathrobes warm and fluffy, making stepping out of the shower a pleasurable experience even in the dead of winter. But they also have a functional aspect in reducing mold and mildew. Also known as towel warmers, these electric or hydronic devices are designed as wall-mounted, freestanding, and even portable models. Options range from simple, minimalist designs to more elaborate models with timers and temperature controls.
2. Rainfall Showerhead
(Courtesy of Bath Select.)
A rainfall showerhead provides a gentle, relaxing flow of water that mimics the feel of a natural rain shower. These showerheads are usually larger than standard models, often with diameters ranging from 8 to 16 inches or more. They feature multiple nozzles spread across the head to distribute water evenly in a gentle, rain-like flow. Many models come with adjustable settings to modify water pressure or switch to more focused, traditional spray patterns, as well as integrated changeable LED lighting, which can sync with water temperature, for added ambience.
3. Aromatherapy Diffuser
(Courtesy of Wonderful Scents.)
An aromatherapy diffuser is a device that disperses essential oils into the air, allowing the fragrance to fill a room and promote a variety of therapeutic benefits. Aromatherapy is often used to reduce stress and improve sleep with calming scents like lavender, eucalyptus, and chamomile; purify the air with essential oils that may have antibacterial, antiviral, or antifungal properties; and enhance mood with fragrances like citrus or peppermint, which cab boost energy and improve focus.
Diffusers come in different types and styles, each with its own mechanism for dispersing essential oils:
Ultrasonic Diffusers: These use water and ultrasonic vibrations to create a fine mist of water and essential oils, gently humidifying the air while dispersing the fragrance.
Nebulizing Diffusers: These use an air pump to atomize essential oils into tiny particles without the use of water or heat, providing a pure and concentrated aroma.
Evaporative Diffusers: A fan blows air through a pad or filter that contains essential oils, causing them to evaporate and spread throughout the room.
Heat Diffusers: These use heat (usually a candle or electric element) to evaporate essential oils, though they may alter the chemical composition of oils due to high temperatures.
4. Freestanding Tub
(Courtesy of the New York Times.)
A deep, freestanding tub can serve as the centerpiece of a spa-like bath. Its design allows for a more luxurious soak, providing both immersive comfort and a sense of escape from daily stress. Because they stand alone and are not attached to walls or built into a platform, these tubs can be placed anywhere such as next to a window, or even outdoors, optimizing space. Often paired with floor-mounted or wall-mounted taps and available designs like clawfoot or pedestal, these tubs have material options that range from affordable, lightweight acrylic; durable but heavier cast iron; stone resin, which retains heat like cast iron but can be more expensive; and copper, for a vintage, rustic aesthetic and excellent heat retention.
5. Heated Toilet Seat
(Courtesy of Kohler Co.)
This small upgrade adds to the overall serene environment of a spa-inspired bath. A heated toilet seat is designed to provide warmth and comfort, especially in colder climates or during winter months. Most models use minimal electricity and often have an energy-saving mode or automatic shut-off feature to conserve power. Many high-end heated toilet seats come with built-in LED night lights to make nighttime visits more convenient. And some heated toilet seats are part of a full bidet system, offering additional features like warm water sprays, air drying, deodorizers, and self-cleaning nozzles.
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Firefighters hose down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
The Line, Bridge and Airport fires have burned thousands of acres in Southern California over the last week, forcing evacuations and destroying homes and other structures.
Prompted by the destruction, families, community members and organizations have started fundraisers to help those who have been impacted by the fires.
The Salvation Army’s Southern California Division is operating two emergency shelters at the Jessie Turner Community Center and the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds for those impacted by the Line fire and is also prepared to help community members impacted by the Bridge and Airport fires.
As the fires continued, the organization encouraged anyone who is able to donate so that the Salvation Army can continue and ramp up its response efforts. Donations will ensure the organization can provide food, shelter, emergency services and spiritual care for families and first responders, the organization said.
Georgetown University researchers expect 15 million more good jobs will be created for workers with bachelor’s diplomas in the decade following 2021.
Dive Brief:
The number of good jobs will grow substantially by 2031, and the majority of them will require at least a four-year degree, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce predicted in a new report Tuesday.
Researchers expect the number of good jobs for workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher to increase by over 15 million from 2021 to 2031, according to the report. It defines good jobs as those offering a minimum of $43,000 per year and a median annual salary of $74,000 in 2022 dollars for workers aged 25 to 44.
Meanwhile, the center predicted that the good jobs available to workers with a high school diploma or less will decline by almost 600,000 during that period.
Dive Insight:
The report outlines three pathways to good jobs — one for workers with a high school diploma or less, one for those who completed some college credit, a short-term program or an associate degree, and one for graduates of bachelor’s programs and beyond.
Researchers offer an optimistic outlook for the U.S. workforce, estimating that 62% of positions in 2031 will meet the criteria to be considered good jobs. That would be an increase of 3 percentage points from 2021.
A majority of the future’s good jobs lie at the end of the bachelor’s degree pathway, according to Artem Gulish, senior federal policy advisor at Georgetown CEW and co-author of the report.
“Bachelor’s and graduate degrees will remain dominant and even grow into the future,” he said. In 2031, two-thirds of all good jobs will require a four-year degree or more, compared with 59% in 2021.
About 8 out of 10 jobs requiring at least a bachelor’s degree will qualify as good, according to Georgetown CEW.
Half of the jobs available to workers with more education than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree — described by the report as being on the “middle skills” pathway — will meet CEW’s earning thresholds for good jobs. That will be true for just over a third of positions for those with a high school diploma or less.
The report offers colleges a way to underscore their value at a time when one-third of U.S. adults report having little to no confidence in higher education.
But institutions should still expect to need to increase their financial accessibility.
“Educational institutions need to be thinking about costs — particularly at the four-year level — to make it more viable for more students to attend without fully burdensome debt,” said Catherine Morris, senior editor and writer at Georgetown CEW and co-author of the report.
Workers on the “middle-skills” pathway can expect to see new employment opportunities open up as skills-based hiring gains popularity, the report said.
The tight labor market has pushed employers to prioritize candidates’ skills over certifications and remove four-year degree requirements from some job postings. Slow expected growth in the number of workers could further these trends.
While good jobs will still favor workers with at least a bachelor’s degree, 19% of the good jobs in 2031 — about 16.4 million positions — will be available through the middle-skills pathway.
“Occupation matters in terms of what degree pathway you’re going down,” Morris said. “A generic associate’s degree may not have the same returns as in other fields, but there are certainly opportunities on the middle-skills pathway that are, in some cases, more affordable than a four-year degree.”
Sectors like healthcare will see especially robust growth as the population ages, according to the report. Other in-demand fields for middle-skills workers will include construction, maintenance and protective services.
Technological advances like artificial intelligence are expected to disrupt the labor market in the near future, the report said. But it predicts the effects will be more positive in the long-term.
“History shows that these kinds of new technologies generally tend to create more jobs than they destroy,” Gulish said. “Business will need help implementing things like AI in the long run.”
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
The McBride Company is setting a new standard in the hospitality industry by blending luxury and fun. Their projects, featuring beloved brands like Nickelodeon and Margaritaville, create unique environments where both children and adults can enjoy unforgettable experiences.
Learn how these immersive designs encourage guests to unplug and truly connect. Discover more about their approach to balancing creativity and practicality in hospitality design.
(Above: Nickelodeon Riviera Maya Pineapple Suite “SpongeBob SquarePants”-themed living area. Image courtesy of the McBride Company)
While you may not immediately connect the dots between a cartoon-themed resort for kids and a five-star luxury experience with adult appeal, the McBride Company’s hospitality projects manage to roll both concepts into one.
From sprawling oceanside pools and water parks to upscale restaurants and spas with Margaritaville or Nickelodeon themes, the McBride Company’s immersive designs provide experiences that surprise and delight parents and children alike. Creative Director Ryan McBride says of the Nickelodeon Riviera Maya Resort, “We call this category luxury meets LOL. It really is a luxury experience, but it’s not taking itself too seriously.”
The McBride Company, launched in 1979, is a creative concept and design firm that boasts clients like Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts, Great Wolf Lodge, the Peanuts Cafe, Margaritaville, the Discovery Channel, and the Walt Disney Company. The firm is well versed in incorporating intellectual property (IP), such as characters and recognizable brands, into physical spaces, and integrating their distinct experiential design touch on hotels, resorts, casinos, theme parks, restaurants, and any other stretch of hospitality and leisure.
McBride spoke with us about how designing fully-immersive experiences can encourage visitors to unplug and truly participate in the present moment—and how the use of characters, other IP, and well, just plain fun can add a whole new dimension to design.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
A Margaritaville-themed dining experience in Palm Springs, California merges branding with an elevated dining experience. Images courtesy of the McBride Company.
What can you achieve with an ultra-branded, immersive environment that you can’t anywhere else, and what does that look like?
Ryan McBride: Brands can bring a whole new dimension to hospitality projects, and strong brands have a big fan base with built-in loyalty and emotional connection to the IP. Brands can have a deep cultural significance, whether it’s nostalgia for adults, or a character that has been by a child’s side for as long as they can remember. From a business standpoint, this recognition and connection can help boost visibility in a crowded marketplace. When culture and lifestyle are properly expressed, you have the potential to emotionally connect with guests in ways that otherwise would not be available.
In a theme park setting, guests are looking for total immersion during their relatively short length of stay—a maximalist experience. But in a hospitality setting, guests can quickly tire of theming that is too heavy-handed. We always strive to find the perfect balance between immersion and hospitality, and reflect that in an elevated, intentional usage of branding that feels seamlessly integrated into the architecture, artwork, and FF&E [furniture, fixtures, and equipment]. A hotel or resort is a place for experiences, but it’s also a place for leisure. Part of our process involves analyzing how we balance all these components, from initial planning to opening day.
(Lobby of the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Hollywood Beach, Florida. Image courtesy of the McBride Company)
Who is it important to have on your team when designing something that leans heavily on established worlds and characters?
RM: Working with global brands with these strong identities requires carefully balancing left- and right-brain thinking—we need a strong creative team and a strong project management and business development team to meticulously define the parameters within which our designers operate, fostering a harmonious blend of vision and practicality.
Our team comprises talent with diverse skills, including writing, illustration, interior design, architecture, graphic design, and project management. They come from various backgrounds and include traditional hotel designers, industrial designers, business executives, and ex-Disney Imagineers [creatives who design and build Disney attractions]. This range of skills and backgrounds on our team promotes innovation and allows us to think outside the box when approaching a project challenge.
(Nickelodeon Riviera Maya resort lobby. Image courtesy of the McBride Company)
How do you balance a space defined by a kid-targeted brand, like Nickelodeon’s Riviera Maya resort, with luxury and adult appeal?
RM: Hoteliers and operators often choose to get into this industry for the luxury. It’s the type of travel that traditionally adults or parents—the purchaser—would prefer to do. When we superimpose a brand over that, if we do it the right way, we can cast a wider net and create a product that targets the purchaser and the user—children—equally.
Five-star luxury and SpongeBob SquarePants—these two things don’t seem to go together, right? The incongruence is what makes it fun. When we are using the IP to create luxury, we’re stripping it down and abstracting it, focusing on the shapes, texture, or branded colors—incorporating the cartoon from a more elevated angle, but keeping it recognizable. And you know what? Sometimes it really is just using SpongeBob in all of his glory. Cleverness is really what the Nickelodeon brand is about, and both parents and kids enjoy it. Even against the background of the operational and service standards of a five-star experience, the fun and tongue-in-cheekiness shines through.
The “Good Burger”-themed food truck at the Nickelodeon Riviera Maya resort. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
The “SpongeBob Squarepants”-themed Bikini Bottom bar at the Nickelodeon Riviera Maya resort. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
And while the Nickelodeon brand is aimed primarily at kids, we’ve included facets of the brand that parents will also love. Our Snick (Saturday Night Nickelodeon) Lounge is a more nostalgia-driven venue that will appeal to parents who connect to the legacy ’90s Nickelodeon like “Ren & Stimpy,” the iconic orange couch, and an arcade feel.
What’s the most fun you’ve had designing a space, and what is most challenging about this work?
RM: The Margaritaville brand is particularly close to all of our hearts here because we’ve been working with the brand for decades. We were the designers on their first venue, and to watch this empire expand and grow has been really something! Margaritaville touches everything from hotels to all-inclusive resorts, casinos, cruise ships, restaurants, and active living/retirement residential communities. They have such a timeless lifestyle brand and loyal consumer base. How do we convey the casual sophistication of the brand and its messaging consistently across all of these different categories? Tailoring it across experiences is really fun.
We do a ton of work for traditional media brands looking to get into hospitality or location-based entertainment spaces that, historically, they’re not in. Taking any recognizable brand and establishing it for a new use is always a challenge, but that pushes us to really try to innovate.
Margaritaville Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Image courtesy of the McBride Company
The Nickelodeon-themed play structure at the Riviera Maya resort draws on character and environmental IP. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
The SNICK lounge incorporates ’90s characters from the network to create a nostalgia-driven space. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
Nickelodeon Riviera Maya SpongeBob Squarepants-themed bedroom. the McBride Company.
King room at the Margaritaville Beach Resort Hollywood Beach, Florida. Image courtesy of the McBride Company
Margaritaville Casino in Bossier, Louisiana. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
Margaritaville On Vacation restaurant. Image courtesy of the McBride Company.
Are there any new or emerging technologies or sustainable materials that you’re excited to work with?
RM: Of course we get excited about all of the new audio/visual [AV] integrations, digital self check-in, higher-definition screens, and interactivity in the form of digital monitors and things like projection mapping [a video projection technique used to turn irregularly shaped objects into immersive display surfaces] becoming less cost prohibitive. But I’m going to maybe take a contrarian approach here. Nowadays there’s a strong desire from consumers and brands to bring back a more analog experience. It’s about reconnecting by disconnecting. The more we can convince people that amenities, programs, and experiences in these resorts are worth putting your phone away and unplugging the TV for, the better. It’s the anti-technology answer, but there’s this whole cultural shift to try to disconnect a little bit more—people are getting so sucked into their devices.
In the hospitality setting, we’re seeing more of an appetite for innovations that enhance the experience, but there is also an appetite for thinking about how we can enhance physical connection. If we can take a brand with a multi-generational appeal, and harness it to get families interacting—playing board games, sitting down and talking—we will create more connection and help people build positive memories.
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
IIDA invited all Southern California interior design programs to nominate their students to compete in an all-day design charrette.
The Charrette is the embodiment of brainstorming and teamwork. It is an opportunity to join students from various schools into a collaborative, unified effort. All Southern California schools are invited to participate on a first-come, first-served basis to the all- day event. Teams are comprised of up to five students, each from a different school, challenged to develop a design based on a program assigned at the beginning of the day. Each of those teams then present their design at the end of the work session before a panel of judges and event guests. After deliberation, judges select a first and second place team.
IDI Nominated: Duc Nguyen, Alicia Smith, Allison Maynard and LeAnne Hlavka, (pictured below) the competition took place at Gensler, Newport Beach.
IDI students placed in the top 3 teams with LeAnne’s team 1st, Allison’s team placed 2nd, and Alicia’s team 3rd.
“We were all really supportive of each other and did great with our teams”.
The first place team is awarded $10,000 presented on stage at the Calibre Design Awards.
LeAnne Hlavka from IDI was in the first place team and continued to compete in the regional competition and won again, she will compete in the National completion.
Good luck LeAnne!!!!
Congratulations to all the competitors. IDI is proud that you represented the college and had a wonderful designing and networking opportunity. Thank you for participating.
DESIGN YOUR FUTURE TODAY!
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Working in the early decades of the twentieth century, Italian designer Maria Monaci Gallenga captivated contemporaries with her luminous and richly patterned textiles (L.2018.61.11), which were the basis for striking women’s fashions as well as elements of interior design. Jessica Regan, Independent Curator, February 2024
Evening cape Gallenga Jessica Regan Independent Curator February 2024
Working in the early decades of the twentieth century, Italian designer Maria Monaci Gallenga captivated contemporaries with her luminous and richly patterned textiles (L.2018.61.11), which were the basis for striking women’s fashions as well as elements of interior design. Merging historical and contemporary influences from the world of high fashion and beyond, she created designs rooted in traditional aesthetics and techniques but shaped by modern innovations and sensibilities.influence of design reform efforts that began in the previous century, notably the British Arts and Crafts movement. Like the adherents of that movement, Gallenga made fine craftsmanship a central tenet of her work, building her reputation on stunning hand-printed fabrics that mimicked the appearance of Italian Renaissance velvets. Her chosen motifs, however, were inspired by a wide variety of sources, including Byzantine and Ottoman textiles, Renaissance frescoes, and medieval heraldry. Her success lay in the harmonious combination of these disparate elements in designs that reflected the needs of contemporary dress. Especially acclaimed for her tea gowns (L.2018.61.24), mantles, and capes (1980.96), Gallenga created garments with simple cuts and relaxed structures that highlighted the beauty of her textiles and allowed the wearer to move freely.
Though best known for her fashions, Gallenga also aimed to advance Italian decorative arts more broadly, helping to found Arte Moderna Italiana, an organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Italian artists working in a variety of disciplines. Many of these individuals gained greater visibility in Gallenga’s gallerylike shops, where she featured their work alongside her own. At a time when the nascent Italian fashion industry had not yet distinguished itself from the influence of Paris haute couture, Gallenga gained international success with garments that were perceived as—and appreciated for—being distinctly Italian.
Beginnings in Rome
Gallenga’s upbringing and early experiences in Rome laid the foundation for a career grounded in admiration for Italy’s artistic past and a desire to nurture a broader creative community. Born in 1880 to a well-established family embedded in Rome’s vibrant cultural life, she became interested in the history of art and design at an early age. During her teenage years she experimented with painting on textiles and eventually began creating garments from fabrics she designed.
Coming of age in a period of increased attention to the history of textile design, Gallenga had access to recently published studies on the subject, which not only encouraged her fascination with antique fabrics but also became sources of inspiration for her own designs. She was also shaped by larger concerns that emerged following Italy’s recent political unification, particularly the desire to stimulate international interest in Italian decorative arts and to define an autonomous artistic identity for the country. These efforts, like Gallenga’s own, were often characterized by allusions to Italian art of earlier eras, above all the Renaissance, widely considered an apex of artistic achievement.
When Gallenga launched her career in the early 1910s, she would have been familiar with fashion and textiles by the house of Fortuny, founded in Venice in 1906. Under the direction of Spanish-born Mariano Fortuny (1871–1949) and his French-born wife and design partner Adèle Henriette Nigrin Fortuny (1877–1965), the Fortuny studio became an important site of experimentation in textile design and production. Among the house’s achievements were fabrics printed with metallic pigments that imitated the glinting effects of metal threads woven into Renaissance velvets (2009.300.468). As Gallenga developed her signature printed fabrics, she likewise emulated these arresting historical textiles, which she appreciated not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their links to Italian cultural heritage. By referencing Renaissance art, both Gallenga and the Fortunys linked their modern creations with the ingenuity, refined taste, and superb handcraft associated with that era. Gallenga, however, took this connection a step further, developing a brand logo featuring two figures in flowing robes and tall headdresses (L.2018.61.11) that recalled aristocratic early Italian Renaissance dress. This symbol tied her designs to notions of luxury and artistic virtuosity while conveying a recognizably Italian identity.
The first significant display of Gallenga’s work, which included textiles, shawls, and cushion covers, came in 1915 at Secessione Romana, one of a series of annual exhibitions that took place in Rome between 1913 and 1916. These shows highlighted the work of innovative artists, including many with whom Gallenga collaborated, such as glass and tapestry designer Vittorio Zecchin (1878–1947) and costume designer Gino Sensani (1888–1947). In 1918 she opened her first shop in Rome featuring her own designs as well as glassware, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture, tapestries, and embroidery by emerging and established Italian artists.
International Growth
Gallenga’s engagement with the Roman art world led to her participation in international expositions that brought greater attention to her work. At the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, she exhibited a range of womenswear that included mantles, tea gowns, tunics, and stoles primarily of silk velvet or crepe printed with metallic pigments. For these she was awarded a grand prize and gained acclaim in the American press, which praised her garments for their artisanal quality and lustrous character—and for their divergence from French styles that offered no equivalent to Gallenga’s overtly historicist hand-printed textiles. Interest in Gallenga’s fashions grew in the United States, where they were appreciated for their blend of antique design motifs and coloration with modern fashion silhouettes (L.2018.61.4). By the following decade, her designs were available in cities throughout the country, including Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.
As her career reached its peak during the 1920s, Gallenga continued to expand her international reach. In 1925 she participated in the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, showcasing furnishing textiles, garments, and accessories in her signature prints. She was again lauded for the luminous quality of her silk velvets printed in shades of gold, bronze, and silver. While Gallenga’s printed motifs were inspired by diverse sources, such as Egyptian figured silks from around 800 CE (L.2018.61.62) and the geometric outlines found in European Gothic tracery (L.2018.61.24), her fabrics suggested to most viewers a distinctly Italian sensibility rooted in the Renaissance, as they echoed the burnished finish and jewel-toned colors seen in that era’s velvets. Following the Paris exposition, Gallenga opened a boutique in the heart of the city, creating a salon-like environment highlighting her own work alongside decorative arts by a rotating roster of Italian artists. By this time her designs were sold in several European cities, including Brussels, London, and Montreux, as well as Rome and Florence. Among her clientele were European aristocrats, socially prominent Americans such as Elsie de Wolfe (1865–1950), and internationally known actresses Lynn Fontanne (1887–1983) and Lillian (1893–1993) and Dorothy Gish (1898–1968).
Design and Production
Gallenga’s marriage of printed patterns with garment silhouettes was responsible for the success of her designs. Like her glistening motifs, the cut of Gallenga’s fashions often referenced medieval and Renaissance dress (2009.300.310). The fluid lines of these earlier styles aligned with the designer’s preference for unrestrictive clothing and harmonized with the columnar silhouette that dominated high fashion during the 1910s and 1920s. To prevent her garments from being purely imitative—from becoming costume rather than fashion—Gallenga responded to current trends, shortening hemlines or adapting contemporary silhouettes while retaining the fundamental character of her designs.
Gallenga’s production process likewise blended tradition and innovation, as she embellished modern industrially made fabrics with hand-worked techniques. By developing her own method for metallic printing on textiles—different from that used at Fortuny—she was able to achieve more subtle shading and a greater range of tones within a single motif. These qualities distinguish her work from that of the Venetian house, yet Gallenga’s fashions have often been misattributed owing to the designers’ shared reference points. Within The Costume Institute’s collection, for example, a circa 1925 velvet tea gown (1975.383.3) was mistakenly attributed to Fortuny when it was acquired in the 1970s; recently, however, the gown was properly credited to Gallenga based on a contemporaneous illustration and close examination of the motif, which reveals the gradated colors typical of her prints.
To execute these signature details, Gallenga devised a system of printing wherein designs were cut from thin wooden sheets that were then mounted to sturdier support blocks. These lightweight components could be created quickly and economically within her own workshop, giving her control over the process. To create her brilliant prints, adhesive was applied to the custom-made blocks, which were then pressed to the surface of the textile. Powdered metallic pigments were then brushed by hand onto the treated areas. In this way, shades of gold, bronze, and silver could be subtly blended into one another, creating an ombré effect.
Unlike their Renaissance counterparts, Gallenga’s fabrics retained a supple hand, well suited to modern fashions, thanks to the flexibility and lightness of her adhesive and pigments. These techniques also allowed her designs to be fabricated relatively quickly without sacrificing the artisanal quality of the end product. She did not generally produce preprinted lengths of fabric that could then be made into clothing or accessories. Instead, her printing was executed after the fabric was cut to shape for a specific design, ensuring that the placement of the printed pattern complemented the cut of the finished garment.
Final Years
Like many designers catering to American and European clients, Gallenga’s business suffered in the Great Depression, and this, in addition to her failing health, led her to scale back her activities. Closing her Paris boutique in 1934, she returned to her original shop in Rome, where she shifted her focus to textiles for use in interiors. When she retired in 1938, her son took over the business, which continued to specialize in interior design until its closure in the late 1970s. Although the Italian fashion industry would not come into its own until the mid-twentieth century and Gallenga herself enjoyed a relatively short career, her success demonstrated the potential for recognizably Italian designs to garner international interest and acclaim.
Citations
Regan, Jessica. “Maria Monaci Gallenga (1880–1944).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/glth/hd_glth.htm (February 2024)
Further Reading
Carlano, Marianne. “Maria Monaci Gallenga: A Biography.” Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society 27 (1993): 61–78. De Guttry, Irene, and Maria Paola Maino, eds. Maria Monaci Gallenga: Arte e moda tra le due guerre. Modena: Palombi Editori, 2018. Gnoli, Sofia. The Origins of Italian Fashion, 1900–45. London: V&A Publishing, 2014. Masiola, Rosanna, and Sabrina Cittadini. The Golden Dawn of Italian Fashion: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Maria Monaci Gallenga. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020. Orsi Landini, Roberta. “Alle origini della grande moda Italian: Maria Monaci Gallenga.” In Moda femminile tra le due guerre, edited by Caterina Chiarelli, 30–41. Livorno: Sillabe, 2000. Regan, Jessica, and Mellissa Huber, with a preface by Andrew Bolton. In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019.
DESIGN YOUR FUTURE TODAY!
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Whether you’re staging your home for sale or you’re getting a little bored of your current interior, you might be wondering where to start looking for new ideas.
The good news is that there are plenty of unique ways to find design inspiration other than in magazines or on Pinterest.
So if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of great designs available online and having a hard time narrowing things down, having more specific places to look can be useful, especially if you’re designing or redesigning your home for a particular purpose.
1. Look at successful Airbnbs
Airbnbs are known for having eye-catching and unique designs. To find inspiration from an assortment of listings from different countries and cities, look for the ‘Places to stay around the world’ section on their homepage.
Dreamy Tropical Tree House in Fern Forest | Source: Airbnb.
Dreamy Tropical Tree House in Fern Forest | Source: Airbnb
It makes even more sense to look for design inspiration from successful listings. If you’re keen to rent your place on Airbnb. On top of looking at inspiration from all over the world, it’s also important to look at listings in your local area to get a grasp on which designs are doing well. It will also help you design a unique ‘home away from home’ so that you can stand out from the crowd.
2. Go to furniture and home department stores
Furniture and home department stores rely on visual merchandising to encourage customers to buy their products. This means they often spend a lot of time making sure their displays are designed well. If you’re looking for an adventure, you might even want to spend time looking in your nearby furniture stores. This would make a great weekend activity if you’re redesigning with a partner or with your family.
Source: Temple & Webster
Source: Zanui
Source: Temple & Webster
If you’d rather browse through some design inspiration from the comfort of your own home, many furniture, and home department stores will also have great websites to review for online inspiration..
3. Look at interior design and home staging sites
If you’re looking to take your home design to the next level, looking at interior design websites can help you to narrow down the style you’re going for.
On a similar note, portfolios from home stagers and home staging agencies are another great source of inspiration Home staging intends to appeal to the widest range of people, meaning that even if you aren’t looking to sell your home any time soon, you might find value from their work if you’re hoping to please a large family or group of housemates.
4. Look at recently sold listings in your area
If you are looking to redesign your home because you’re putting it on the market, a great place to look is on the recently sold sections on property listing websites. This will give you an idea of the type of lifestyle people in your area are aiming for and the types of listings that have been successful.
Source REA
Source: Domain
5. Go to open houses and model homes
Going to open homes and auctions is another option to look for interior design inspiration. Even if you aren’t in the market for a property, heading to Saturday afternoon open houses is a great way to see what the market is like. If you’re selling, you’ll also be able to scope out your competition.
Going to open houses and model homes might also be a great way to find out what potential buyers in your area really like. You might overhear some opinions or you could strike up a friendly conversation to ask a few questions. This is definitely one of the most out-there ways to find design inspiration for your home, however, it could be quite fun!
Looking for design inspiration is the first step to a new home you’ll love or a way to make your current home more loveable! So even if it feels a little overwhelming, finding new and exciting ways to figure out what you like, no matter what they are, will definitely make the process easier.
DESIGN YOUR FUTURE TODAY!
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
Set Decorator Jessica Petruccelli SDSA shares, “You can’t have MEAN GIRLS without pink! But we didn’t want to feel tied to the way they did it in the original. We needed to create an iconic look befitting of queen bee Regina’s personality, with an aesthetic that felt more current.” Images courtesy Paramount Pictures.
Set Decorator Jessica Petruccelli SDSA
Production Designer Kelly McGehee
Paramount Pictures
From film…to Broadway musical…to musical film! Yes, this 2024 version of MEAN GIRLS adds music & musical numbers, but also fun and fabulous visual depth! Set Decorator Jessica Petruccelli SDSA gives a peak and insider info…
And Paramount Pictures gives us a synopsis:
From the comedic mind of Tina Fey comes a new twist on the modern classic, MEAN GIRLS. New student Cady Heron [Angourie Rice] is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George [Reneé Rapp]. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels [Christopher Briney], she finds herself in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis [Auli’l Cravalho] and Damian [Jaquel Spivey], she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school. –Paramount Pictures
Regina’s house. Bebe Wood as Gretchen Wieners, Reneé Rapp as queen bee Regina George, Avantika as Karen Shetty. Image courtesy Paramount Pictures.
From Set Decorator Jessica Petruccelli SDSA…
“Working on MEAN GIRLS was a fun and tight-knit experience. We filmed in a defunct high school in Middletown, New Jersey. This is also where our production offices were, and on one occasion, we found ourselves having to clear half of our set dec office on the spot to let actor Auli’l Cravalho, as Janis, run through one entrance and out another to make it back in time for their choreography down a dressed hallway! Most of the musical numbers were filmed and choreographed like music videos, which certainly kept us on our toes because there were a lot of single-take Steadicam shots with dancers abound. This meant size and shape of set dressing had to be always kept in mind.”
“This 2024 version of MEAN GIRLS not only had the challenge of taking song and dance elements from the Broadway musical, but it also considered the cult following from the original 2004 MEAN GIRLS film. The directors chose to incorporate musical numbers in a more naturalistic way to transition between these two worlds more seamlessly. From a set decoration perspective, we aimed to create real-feeling spaces that became heightened through lighting, special effects and camera techniques.”
Regina’s bedroom. Inset: Reneé Rapp as Regina George. Images courtesy Paramount Pictures.
Regina’s Bedroom…
“Production Designer Kelly McGehee, and I wanted to have a few nods to the original MEAN GIRLS when thinking about layout and color of Regina George’s bedroom. You can’t have MEAN GIRLS without pink! But we didn’t want to feel tied to the way they did it in the original. We needed to create an iconic look befitting of Regina’s personality with an aesthetic that felt more current. We looked to influencers, teen room tours on Tik Tok, and even the Kardashians when dreaming up Regina’s bedroom. We landed on a more minimal space with bold accent colors, furniture with cool unique forms and of course shiny acrylic details in honor of The Plastics. The headboard was made by one of our favorite local vendors, Corona upholstery, the fabric is a bubblegum color raw silk from Christopher Hyland.”
“The color palette is a mix of pale and medium pink…so the actors’ costumes would pop…with accents of neon pink and undertones of iridescent plastic: teal, lavender and a golden or fluorescent yellow. We prioritized hard edges and defined silhouettes in furniture and lighting choices. When using upholstery, we created strong shapes using fabric with a sheen, so the outlines would look glossy, like plastic. Nothing mushy and blended in Regina’s world. We used some unique lighting from Entler Studios, since we felt Regina would have some elevated items you wouldn’t see in every teen’s room.”
“In truth, I wish we saw a bit more of this room, our shopper/buyer Ashley Bradshaw did such a great job helping fill out this maximalist teen girl room with many cute, fun bubbly things for Karen. A few little nods to specific stuffed animals in the original Karen’s room, but certainly more filled to the brim than the original.”
“This setting was the brainchild of our designer Kelly McGehee. She and Art Director Grant Guilliams created concept art transforming a regular school hallway to a DIY explosion of color, rainbows, and flowers.”
“Kelly wanted the space filled with flowers of various sizes. We were able to source some 6-foot-tall paper flowers from a maker in Ukraine. We also created a mélange of bright fake flowers to line the lockers which our set dressing crew assembled over 100 feet of like pros, and we reached out to florist Flowerculttt to create some dreamy arrangements Kelly wanted spilling out of lockers.”
“This space was very narrow as it is, and the dance sequence moved through the entire space, so we had overhead plans that dictated where the hanging clouds needed to go to not get in the way of high lifts for the dancers!”
Cady’s Bedroom…
“Cady’s room had to speak for itself to show Aaron a glimpse of who she was before coming to North Shore High and becoming popular.”
“We used a mix of colors and textiles as well as little collections from nature and some of her drawings from being out in the field with her mom to show softness and textures in contrast with The Plastics.”
Cady’s Home…
“We wanted Cady’s home to feel like a layered and nurturing environment with an eclectic assortment of furnishings, a space Ms. Heron would have curated for her and Cady in their new home.”
Cady’s house. Image courtesy Paramount Pictures.
Cady’s house, her mother’s office. Image courtesy Paramount Pictures.
“We worked with an African antiques collector who had pieces specific to Kenya that we added to Ms. Heron’s office space. A few things she would keep from her years working in Kenya. We were also able to reach out to a few Kenyan artists for paintings we used in their dining room.”
Kenyan Tent…
“This set was quite a project, but who doesn’t love a challenge! Directors Art and Sam had a very specific way in which they wanted to create a single Steadicam shot that took viewers through Janis’s garage out into the plains of Kenya, through the tent where Cady and her mom live and out the back ending at the front of North Shore High!”
Kenyan tent. Cady and her mother lived there for an extended period. [Note the stuffed leopard on her bed. He appears in one of her bedroom photos above – sweet set detail.] Images courtesy Paramount Pictures.
“We contracted with a tent manufacturer to create one to our specifications for filming, including skylights for our DP and lighting team. Our Leadman, Craig Capitelli, had to even do some additional augmentation to the framework to allow for the height of the camera rig to move through this tight space.”
Janis’s Garage…
“This is Janis and Damian’s hang out, and was so fun to create. It was in large part undertaken by Assistant Set Decorator Charlene Wang de Chen SDSA. She reached out to local artists and students to create much of the artwork seen on the walls of the garage.”
Janis’s garage, an artistic haven. Image courtesy Paramount Pictures.
“Janis is an artist and beholden to no one else. This space is filled to the brim with materials for creating her art, found objects and funky furniture. It’s really meant to evoke a teen’s sacred space where they can essentially collage every wall with photos, drawings and inside jokes.”
“Janis’s Garage is also a bookend to the whole movie as we see Janis and Damian start and end our story here. This meant the construction team had to build a mobile version of the set that we took out to the location where we filmed our Kenya exterior as well as to the North Shore Spring Fling Gymnasium! So, we dressed this set several times and in several locations, it was a true collaboration!”
Interior Designers Institute was founded in 1984 and is one of the few Interior Design Schools in California offering an Avocational Certificate Course, Associate of Arts Degree in Interior Design, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interior Design, and Master of Interior Architecture Degree and is nationally accredited and also accredited by CIDA, Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
