Intern To Interior Designer

Courtney Stewart came to Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C. as an intern from the Interior Design program at Cazenovia College. Her first few months with us were more “shadowing” than full time employment as her time with us fit in around her busy school schedule.

We believe that the interior of the project is integral to the overall design. When Courtney graduated Bob Kent and Dan Fay decided to invite her to join our firm full time. Our hope in bringing her on to our team was to formalize interior design services within the office and be able to better respond to the needs of our clients.

Courtney started this task by re-establishing our materials library in the office. Previously, this library had grown cumbersome, with too many outdated or obsolete samples. Courtney has created a new library, on a smaller scale, specifically tailored to the types of projects we regularly work on. That said, the library is quite inspiring with its varied and beautiful selections that help us as we determine what materials best suit each unique project.

Courtney has since then worked very closely with the rest of the office to coordinate and enhance the interiors of many of our projects. A stand out example of this is the recently completed Parish Hall reconstruction for St. Francis of Assisi Church in Chenango Forks. The selection of materials both for the hall, the faith formation classrooms and the public wash facilities truly fulfill the instructions we were given by Rev. Timothy Taugher, Pastor, when he said “I need you to make this facility, built in the 1950’s, look new and vibrant!”

Courtney has brought her expertise in interior design to bear on a number of unique requests from our clients. The Superintendent of Sharon Springs School was impressed when one of his students created an image of their mascot out of a series of inspirational words. Dan looked at this, and while it was nice, was not sure how such a vision could be implemented into the project. Courtney worked tirelessly with a number of flooring representatives to find a system where a printed “scrim” could be embedded in an epoxy floor, maintaining the integrity of the design and ensuring the floor would be able to stand up in a high-use space.

Throughout all of this Courtney has developed her interest in architectural design and detailing. While developing a series of construction wall sections may still not be her favorite assignment, she is absolutely up for the challenge! Her involvement with our firm is a clear expression of what we have always tried to be about here at Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C.. We aim to be a group of passionate people, excited to explore their individual areas of focus, but eager to branch out and learn from one another, as well as our clients and consultants, and Courtney fits this description well.

Courtney’s interest in interior design has brought a unique and invigorating perspective to our design family. Our collaborations have lived up to the old adage that the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. We are grateful that she is part of our team and we look forward to many more productive years!