I’ve had a lot of questions about how our church is coming along in its new building, so I wanted to share an updated look into my creative “home away from home.”
Decorating for others is one of my favorite things. While I enjoy styling my own home, transforming a shared space for a community carries a different kind of meaning. Our goal was to create a warm, welcoming church home instead of a cold, sterile room.
My daughters and I put in countless hours on this extreme budget makeover and loved every minute. We’re grateful to the volunteers who handled the painting—an essential step. Here’s what the space looked like five months ago.
Before
Voyage doesn’t look like a traditional church building. We aimed for a modern concert-house/coffee-shop vibe. Working in a leased space with no dedicated budget forced us to be creative and resourceful.
We transformed what started as a boring white box into a warm, inviting, and imaginative gathering spot—much like how people personalize their own homes. The process allowed me to experiment with looks I wouldn’t necessarily try at home, while sticking to a tight budget and thoughtful decisions.
We wanted to avoid harsh fluorescent ceiling lights in the cafe area, so we created alternative lighting. Inspired by Anthropologie, we converted work lights into pendant fixtures using chains and metal bars. The result is industrial, eclectic and cozy—perfect for the atmosphere we wanted.
We added a chalkboard wall in the cafe to welcome creativity and messages from the community. It’s a flexible, low-cost feature that adds character and encourages interaction.
This gallery wall is especially meaningful. A friend and supporter, Dee from Red Letter Words, generously created custom subway-inspired canvases for us featuring the words explore, discover, thrive, and impact. The pieces bring personality and purpose to the space—my photos don’t capture their full beauty.
We selected several of her existing pieces and had four custom canvases made to represent our core words. They fit the aesthetic beautifully and help tell the story of our community.
For a local touch we added a clipboard with vintage ship photos—our location is a navy town on Puget Sound—and an antique copper temperature gauge. The metal table lamps are from IKEA and add to the industrial-meets-warm feel.
Here’s a wider view of the cafe area—an inviting place for conversation, coffee, and community connection.
Sometimes our projects are playful — like turning a metal garbage can upside down to become an end table. It’s a little risky, but it adds character and makes people smile.
Pallet art
Pallets inspired me on many visits to Anthropologie, and we used them as art here. They’re free, versatile, and lend a rustic, handcrafted touch. We hung small glass votives sourced from Goodwill, wired them in place, and placed battery candles inside for soft ambient light. Vases with flowers complete the look and can be changed easily for a fresh feel.
Pallet art doesn’t have to be perfect—splinters add to the rustic charm, especially when the pieces are primarily decorative.
More pallet art and featured canvas prints add color and warmth to the space.
Perrier bottles repurposed as vases.
We’re also working on playful restroom details and using cardboard for casual signage—simple, affordable, and effective.
Cardboard signs help convey messages in an approachable, handmade way.
All the little homey details make this leased space feel familiar and intentional—exactly what we hoped for.
It was a big undertaking, but a risk worth taking.
Now you know how I spend much of my time: creating art from pallets, repurposed items, and chalkboards to build a warm place for people to gather.