The Art of Storytelling Through Interior Design

When we think of a building, often what we picture is the exterior – perhaps the sleek glass walls of a towering office building or iconic domed roof and marble columns of a government structure. But when we inhabit a space, it is the interior rooms we interact with on a daily basis. The outside of a building may be the first impression, but you get to know a place from the inside out.?

Designing a building is a collaborative process between architects and interior designers, and the best results come when these two groups come together at the beginning of the process to tell a seamless story throughout.?

Impactful interior design that successfully communicates a building’s story not only harmonizes with the exterior architecture but also with the culture and history of the building and its community. At VCBO, our philosophy is to ensure architect, graphic designer, and owner work together from the start of a project to find the narratives woven into each place we build.

Two of VCBO’s interior design leaders, Marilee Vicencio and Nancy McKendrick, are particularly adept at orchestrating these design narratives in their work. Their work exemplifies VCBO’s culture of careful consideration and attention to detail.?

Finding the Right Story to Tell

For both designers, a new project starts with research. “Sometimes you have to go out to the area,” Vicencio said, “to look at the city and cities around it. What does the architecture look like there? What are the interesting or recognizable aspects of the area?” This context is important to ensure the building fits into its environment.?

Online research also plays a role, digging into the history of the area and the influences that have shaped it over the years. “I look at the entire history of a city,” McKendrick said, mentioning that it is important to be inclusive of the city’s history. “I get inspired by different aspects of a place’s history and landscape, and I ask myself how I can represent these different periods in a seamless way.”?

When VCBO designed the Rome Italy Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the team drew on a wealth of historical context for the new building.?

“We didn’t want to try to compete with the historical architecture in Rome,” Vicencio said. Instead, the team took Michelangelo’s pattern from The Campidoglio, a 12-pointed star within an oval, and turned it into a motif throughout the building. While the building itself is modern, it still pays homage to the iconic architectural history of its home. The result is a building that can stand on its own but still fits into the framework of Roman architecture.?

Renovating a historic building requires a different kind of research. “I do a lot of matching,” McKendrick said, who has worked for years on the Utah State Capitol Complex, including the monumental restoration project and the highly anticipated North Capitol Building. In this case, her research focuses on the original building to ensure the updates and additions look like they were meant to be part of the building from the start. Nancy describes the process as understanding the decisions behind the original structure and staying within the original design intent.?

From furniture patterns to molding and motifs, finishings and furnishings often require intricate coordination and research. “We went through hundreds of options for a bathroom carpet,” Nancy recalled about the Capitol restoration.

The Power of Motif

The story of a building can be represented in many different ways — such as the subtle carpet patterns in the Provo City Center, which mirrors the Provo River that fed the valley’s development — to the more obvious charts and diagrams — such as those throughout the Noorda Engineering, Applied Science and Technology Building, which applies learning to the building itself.

The Noorda interior design team designed this entire facility as a learning opportunity. All of the mechanical, electrical, and technological systems are exposed to show the students how the systems engage with the architecture. Windows and lighting draw attention to the utility spaces, environmental graphics explain how the systems work, and a giant exposed HVAC duct runs through the heart of the building. Scientific formulas, such as a dampening wave and the Fibonacci Sequence, are embedded in window shade structures, acoustic wall panels, and ceiling baffles.

The building structure is also exposed, painted black against white walls to resemble a technical drawing brought to life. Through these features, the building tells the story of the students who attend classes there and learn about the workings of the very systems that house them.?

Often, interior designers find a middle ground through the use of relevant motifs throughout the building. Motifs can help tie a space together visually and incorporate aspects of local culture. Flora and fauna that have had an impact on the cultural or economic development of an area quietly pay tribute to its history, such as in the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple.

Oklahoma is well known for its wheat production, and it is one of the most important crops grown in the state. To honor this heritage, the temple features golden yellow accents alongside representations of wheat stalk. In the windows, the wheat is paired with the Indian Blanket Flower motifs, which is the Oklahoma state wildflower.

The use of motifs also helps increase cohesion between the exterior and interior building. The Mexico City Mexico Temple featured a geometric waterfall motif on the exterior. When VCBO renovated the building, the team decided to bring this motif to the interior.

Inside, the details are more subtle and sophisticated, matching the reverent, refined atmosphere shared by the building and its visitors. The motif hearkens to the pre-colonial civilizations who lived in Mexico and have shaped much of its culture.?

The Utah State Capitol, in comparison, incorporates many symbols traditionally associated with democracy, such as Greek laurel wreaths symbolic of victory and success. The Neoclassical Revival design contains many such influences from Greek and Roman architecture, which is used throughout the United States as a symbol of democracy and government.

The beehive, Utah’s state emblem, is also visible throughout the building, which symbolizes both industry and unity. Murals and paintings similarly depict Utah's history, blending with the Neoclassical symbols that tie the Utah State Capitol to broader American symbols.

During the building’s restoration, VCBO incorporated these symbols and design styles both to tell the story of American democracy and to match the restored design to the intent of the original building. Beyond the specific symbols, the elegant interior design reflects the solemnity and dignity to which our government aspires.?

Conclusion

When an interior designer like Nancy or Marilee begins a new project, the space enters a dialogue between the architecture, history, place, and the inhabitants who will use it. Successful commercial interior design takes all these elements into account with subtlety and integrates these stories without sacrificing aesthetics or utility.?

While grand religious and government buildings show obvious examples of storytelling through interior design, interior designers can communicate comfort through something as simple as a soothing color palette or elicit excitement through bold patterns and materials. Every interior, no matter how simple, can tell a story through deliberate and careful choices.?

About the Contributors

Marilee has contributed her interior design talents toward many projects with VCBO, including libraries, courthouses, recreation centers, schools, and several higher education projects. Most recently, her focus has been religious architecture and interior design on temple projects for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her ability as a designer is demonstrated in her understanding of interior architecture and her capacity to create beautiful design solutions and carry them out down to the last detail. From custom furniture and rugs to the design of molding profiles and escutcheon plates, she feels the design is in the details.

As an award-winning designer, Nancy is a veteran space planner, scheduler, and budget keeper. She is extensively versed in remodeling and phasing projects to keep units running during remodels. She does what it takes to get the job done right, treating every project uniquely. She believes there is no such thing as two identical projects. This philosophy allows her to solve problems creatively and design unique solutions for each client. Nancy has experience working in all phases of design and has a plethora of experience in corporate, healthcare, hospitality, and education projects.