Teachers at Chilhowee Intermediate School were surprised (to say the least) when they popped into the teachers’ breakroom on the first day of school.
Gone were the stark white walls with bright blue trim. Hidden were the exposed wires and conduit. And all of the furniture matched.
Chris Daniels
The restoration was the work of interior designer Cheryl Holcombe with a boost from Town Hall East. And, of course, principal Chris Daniels suggested the project and was involved at every step.
Sylvia Mclaurin heads the Town Hall education committee. She said, “Cheryl just opened her heart and helped.”
Town Hall guy Nick Della Volpe tipped us on this project. He noted Chilhowee was built in 1928 as an elementary school. “It’s almost 100 years old,” said Nick, “and (Town Hall) decided to upgrade the existing dingy teachers’ breakroom.”
Della Volpe said the goal was to create a “meeting and chill space” at the breakroom – a place where teachers can wind down, collaborate with other teachers and work on their next presentation.
Mclaurin takes up the story: “(Volunteers from Town Hall) were (Cheryl Holcombe’s) minions. We did some of the painting, got rid of those blue baseboards and performed basic cleaning. We wanted to replace the hand-me-down furniture, old ceiling tile and make-do, even non-working, appliances.
“One thing Cheryl was adamant about. She didn’t want the teachers eating on paper plates with plastic forks. So, she found china, glasses and silverware. The room has a sink and we set up racks for drying and storing dishes.
“We made it homelike with books and pottery on shelves and sturdy furniture.”
Mclaurin’s committee had anticipated spending $5,000 on the project, but thanks to Holcombe’s expertise “the cost was amazingly low.”
“She thought through the lighting; she disguised all the wires and equipment (such as an air conditioner) with 3-D tiles and panels. She painted an abstract mural on every wall. She shopped resale stores and purchased furniture. The big reveal was July 25.”
Holcombe accepted no pay for her services, Mclaurin said, and Town Hall East bought the materials. Holcombe lives in Holston Hills but has no direct connection to the school.
“She did a marvelous job,” said Mclaurin.
Chilhowee School is located at 5005 Asheville Hwy. at the intersection with N. Chilhowee Road. Work remains to be done, and McLaurin says donations may be made to Town Hall East, P.O. Box 14259, Knoxville TN 37914.
Another view of the cool breakroom