Last summer I got to travel to a tiny town in Texas to design a set for a new show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. My job was to turn a former restaurant into an annex facility for Shades of Hope, a treatment center that specializes in treatment of eating disorders and co-occurring addictions. The center is owned and operated by the McCarty family, a close-knit clan of funny, warm, and welcoming people whom I worked with very closely during my month long stay in Buffalo Gap, (population: 493).
I have always been drawn to the old-world aspects of the south. The Texan country is quiet and beautiful, perfect for photographing crunchy gravel roads, friendly farm animals, and spectacular sunsets. Check out the photos that I blogged last year. Revisiting those photos makes me nostalgic; I need to go back. I didn’t have time to ride a horse.
This was definitely one of my favorite projects to date. Work-travel is the ideal because I get to spend extended periods of time exploring new terrain, but I feel like I have purpose. I really enjoy making things beautiful as well as utilitarian so I loved reconceptualizing the function of each space and outfitting it with everything needed to make it a functioning workplace. I was kind of a one person Art Department on this one, but I had so much support from the staff at Shades and the extra handy locals. Oh, and my fabulous PA, Jordan!
pin it!The building itself had a lot of charm and great details and the lush foliage really brought it to life. I forgot to photograph the peach tree in the backyard from which I ate sun-ripened, warm peachs every single day. Amazing. 
pin it!Exterior before.
Entry/lounge. It was fun decorating in a style very different from my own.
I used my own photos as art!
pin it!Entry/lounge Before.
pin it!Buffalo Gap looks pretty much looks just like that painting. But I didn’t see any buffalo.
pin it!Dining room before.
pin it!Staff office. It was an empty, dusty bungalow when I arrived. I turned it into a sort of administrative headquarters. I will never forget this crazy orange color. It’s called Starfish :)
Staff office before.
pin it!This was the Therapy Room aka Kim’s office. I dont have before pictures, but it was also a dusty white bungalow. I think this is my favorite room. The color is a warm, earthy taupe that I custom mixed. All of the beautiful artifacts and art were taken from Kim’s home, an amazing church converted into a loft style home. Big shout out to all the McCartys and the Tijuana Entertainment family. The 8 episode series already aired, but you can catch some episodes of Addicted to Food on the website.
