Senior interior design majors displayed their work for the last time as ACU students in the “Take a Bow” senior show.

The official show was the night of Feb. 7 and was primarily for the designers’ families. Four of the five designers are from out of state, so relatives traveled far distances to attend. 

“It was a big deal for us to have them be here,” said Macie Stephens, from Springfield, Missouri.

Stephens’ favorite project she made was the branded restaurant, Brewed Bliss.

“I loved that project because it was one of the first projects we did in Revit, and so getting to actually see my project in 3D with my colors and materials applied was so rewarding,” Stephens said.

Macie Stephens’ project, Brewed Bliss. (Photos courtesy of Macie Stephens)

Stephens said she came into college already having a natural eye for design. Her material and color selection are still very similar to how it was when she was a freshman. She said she’s grown the most technically, which has allowed her to bring her ideas to life. 

“I learned to code and how things need to go with space planning and what you can do with ceilings and with floors and the flow of space,” Stephens said. “For instance, for the Hendrick, we had to create a 200-page binder of all these technical drafting sheets and construction documents. I had no idea how to do any of that when I came in four years ago, and now I can not only read it and understand other people’s work, but I can create it myself from scratch.”

Students are given varying amounts of creative freedom depending on the parameters of an assignment and the client’s needs. 

Ansley Brown from Franklin, Tennessee said she learned how to design outside of her preferences. 

“My style really revolves around whatever the project calls for,” Brown said. “My style has evolved in the sense that it is not always my own. It’s more so about what the client wants.”

Brown’s favorite project was centered around a piece of classical music from the movie Emma written by Jane Austen.

“It really allowed me to dive into the historical side of things, as well as play with a lot of color which I usually prefer,” Brown said. “I prefer residential design and with the hotel, it was a nice mix of residential and commercial, like homey, but not overly homey.”

Ansley Brown’s project, Hotel Emma. (Photos courtesy of Ansley Brown)

Brown said multiple students in her interior design class decided to drop the major and pursue something else. She said there is mutual respect for everyone left in the program because they have all worked through similar challenges.

“At the end of the day, there are definitely harder majors out there, but interior design is a huge time commitment,” Brown said. “If you can’t tell yourself what you’re doing it for and why you like doing it, you’re going to fizzle out and lose your drive for it.”

Mabiarely Rios’ project, Unwine and Dine. (Photos courtesy of Mabiarely Rios)

Mabiarely Rios is a 5th-year senior from Labelle, Florida. Rios had to redo her sophomore semester but took the opportunity to grow her skills.

“The challenge was not being saddened by the fact that I had failed the semester, but encouraging myself to keep going and allowing myself to fail because failing is okay,” Rios said. “It’s not the failing part that gets you, it’s what you do after you fail.”

Rios did the same assignment for two semesters and saw a major difference in the quality of her work.

“That’s my favorite project because it was my testimony that I need to finish my degree, and no matter if I fail one time, I’m still able to redo the project and exceed and excel,” Rios said.

After graduation, Stephens plans to do a few years of commercial design to gain experience and to do residential design long-term. Brown hopes to continue doing residential work for a woman she interned for over the summer. Rios is looking for jobs in Florida and plans on getting her Master of Architecture online.