My class and I went to the Texas Tech University Design Expo to visit the individual stations and see what is new to their company. Each station at the expo is completely different and comes up with something new for the design field. From chairs to wall coverings to flooring, each company provides the audience with something interesting, innovative and up-to-date for this years designs.

                  The first station that really caught my eye was the MDC wallcoverings by Candice Olson Contract. The designs and use of materials for these wallcoverings can make a room have a completely different look. Usually the textures and patterns are found on the furniture, but MDC brings texture, depth, and illusions to the wall. Many of her wallcoverings have certain designs and textures to add a certain appeal and feeling to the room. The MDC has a collection of textiles, certain types of paints, digital printing wallcoverings, natural and organic wallcoverings, and the normal paint and wall finishes. I thought this one of the most creative and appealing stations because of the original and modern ideas Candice Olson brought to the table. MDC takes a very classical design and turned it into an update and modern design that would most likely be used today.

                  Another station that caught my eye was Cape Contract Furniture. They allowed us to sit in some of their new products in order to actually experience what they do. They had a black plastic chair on display that did not actually look like it felt. They take the normal, traditional types of furniture and turn it into something that is more interesting for people to look at as well as experience. One thing that stood out to me was the use of materials they used. The normal everyday material was updated with something more fun and creative for the population. From Cape Contract Furniture, I took away that furniture is not only used to sit on, it also can make the look and feel of a room. The materials, colors, and style of a chair can completely make a room something different than the normal boring office or space.

         I always look forward to visiting the Sherwin-Williams table. A lot of people just think it is wall color, but I think the coolest part about Sherwin-Williams is that they give you the color wheel for the year. I love how they pick out the “hot” colors for that year that are in style. It is always interesting to see if you are using the colors for that year or if they have even changed from the last years color wheel. Paint does not seem like that big of a deal as the other stations at the expo, but it actually plays a huge role in the look and feel of a room or space.

         Overall, the design expo has opened my eyes to many new ways to do things. The designs, materials, and ideas the companies provide to us is only helping us understand we can do so much more with the unexpected. A lot of companies are taking the unusual and using it for a different job than it was primarily made for. By doing the unexpected, rooms are converted to a more interesting space and are not just a room, it is made into an art piece.