The Case For The White Stage
Should Trends Shape Church Interior Design?
Just as our living spaces are subject to trends through the decades, so are our worship spaces. In fact, I can guess with about 95% accuracy what era your church was designed in just by looking at a sanctuary’s carpet. Red? Hello, ‘80s! Purple? Grab your Hammer pants; we’re in the early ’90s. Tan or earth tones? Definitely early 2000s. And if you look down and see gray, you’re clearly in the 2010s.
Color trends have their day, wall art trends come and go (I see you, Thomas Kincaid!), and even seating styles change over time. Remember when everyone traded out their pews for individual seats, and now pews are back in style? It can be dizzying to keep up with! So the question is, should churches try to keep up with trends? This is a crucial question to consider if you’re entering a design project with your church.
All Eyes On You
I want to focus specifically on the sanctuary as we further examine whether churches should follow trends. Lobbies are undoubtedly important, and children’s spaces are vital, but the sanctuary is the center of the action. All eyes are on the stage for a solid hour or more each Sunday, so with all that attention directed to one area, it’s natural to want it to feel updated and reflective of the current time. If there were a place to follow trends, it would be here.
The Era of the Pallet Wall
Case in point: there was a time in recent history when the pallet wall was all the rage. It was a way to update the stage with texture and visual interest on a small budget. With some minor construction and a stack of pallets from the loading zone at your closest big box store, anyone could have this look (and pretty much everyone did 🙂). It’s hard to find photos of a church service from that era without a rustic wood wall in the background.
Stage Design Takes Center Stage
Around that same time, churches began to put effort into creating exciting stage elements from inexpensive everyday items like string, coroplast, bubble wrap, or light bulbs. By adding well-planned lighting, a church could have a cutting-edge stage at a low cost. We saw Pinterest boards, blogs, and websites emerge, all about creative church stage design.
Copy + Paste?
Currently, when it comes to stage design, I have noticed the same advice in almost every design Facebook group I am a part of: “Paint the stage black and the walls gray.” And these paint colors are very common now. So does that mean you should go for black and gray in your church, too?
It is tempting to “copy and paste” when deciding what to do with your church design. This usually looks like finding something you like on Instagram or Pinterest, then picking it apart to determine the elements, and implementing that same thing in our building. I discuss this in my blog “Five Dos and Dont’s of Interior Design.” So, because a church you admire has gray walls and a black stage, it's tempting to think your church needs that too.
Are You A Gray-Walled Church?
But what if you’re not a gray-walled church at heart? This is where it’s essential to consider your church’s branding, history, and mission. It’s ok not to follow the crowd and go with what everyone else is doing. In fact, that’s a crucial part of my process when working with churches. We dig into your past, present, and future and talk about what your church uniquely brings to the community you serve. All of these things help us dial into a style for your church. And maybe that includes gray walls, but it’s more than ok if it doesn’t!
The White Stage Trend
In fact, I forecast that in the future, we will move away from darker spaces toward white and light sanctuaries. This can work in both traditional and ultra-modern settings. To see examples of churches doing this with a modern spin, check out Mosaic Church Hollywood’s vast modern white auditorium and Kingdom Awakening Ministries’ ethereal, stripped-down look. On a more traditional side, The Chapel on McEver is a breathtaking iteration of this trend, and St. Andrew Presbyterian has a classic sanctuary but uses light wood and bright walls paired with updated, modern lighting.
St. Andrew Presbyterian, Sonoma, CA
In either setting, whether traditional or modern, a white interior has quite a few benefits:
Brightness - A white interior reflects light, which makes spaces brighter and creates a sense of spaciousness. If you’d like to make a small sanctuary appear larger, use white to bring openness to the room. In a traditional church building, white walls with white ceilings and white beams can make the room seem to reach heavenward with its expanse.
Cleanliness - A crisp, white space shows off the cleanliness of the environment. This is a double-edged sword. :) White shows dirt, marks, and stains readily. It will require regular maintenance and upkeep to keep that crisp look, but it’s worth it for the visual payoff!
Focus - A white interior can help draw attention to the center of the stage or other focal points you set. A colorful item will stand out against a monochromatic white background, so you can strategically place items with color and texture in the room to pop.
Peace - White is often associated with purity, innocence, and peace, creating a sense of calm and serenity. We want our worship space to evoke these kinds of feelings, so it seems fitting to choose white and light walls.
So, Should You Follow the Trends?
There are many benefits to following the trend towards a white stage with light and airy paint colors in your sanctuary. But ultimately, the stage and sanctuary design you choose should reflect your culture and your people, and speak to the demographics you are trying to reach. Considering this before designing will help your sanctuary go the distance for years without feeling stale or outdated because it connects with your people and your church’s heart. It will give you a look that is classically “you,” which speaks to authenticity and honesty.
If you need help dialing into your church’s style, that’s my wheelhouse! I’d love to work with you through my proven process so that your church can reflect exactly who you are. Reach out on my contact form today!