Staff Writer

Shopping at Target, Pottery Barn, IKEA and HomeGoods might not be considered educational field trips, but for some students at Middle School of the Kennebunks, it is par for the course. 

A school year’s worth of design tips, “green” research and price-comparison shopping has paid off for three of art teacher Mary McCarthy’s classes as they laid out furniture, rugs, lamps and artwork in three rooms at Nonantum Resort on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport last week. 

“Remember you’ve got your bed going in here too,” McCarthy said as students unrolled an off-white Berber rug and tried placing it at various spots in the room. 

This is the third year McCarthy has taught eighth-grade students about interior design, using rooms at Nonantum Resort for a hands-on experience. 

“This whole unit plays into community service,” McCarthy said. “There is more to school than inside a school building. This gets students out into the community and applies it to real life.”

Students have spent the school year learning about interior design and as part of Nonantum Resort’s “green initiative,” they learned about what makes décor environmentally friendly. 

Nonantum Resort General Manager Tina Hewett-Gordon said the resort is working to create an environmentally friendly getaway and is certified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as an energy leader. 

“Everything is eco-friendly from flooring to bedding,” Hewett-Gordon said. “And we’ve used Eco Spec paint from Benjamin Moore. In the bathroom, we have low-flow toilets and showers. All the lighting uses energy efficient light bulbs. The students were asked to use some re-used items [such as a second-hand desk that was donated] and there is a recycling center in every room.”

Special events coordinator and interior decorator Marie Caswell said the resort asked students to bring elements of “beautiful nature” from outside to the rooms as well as consider the needs of a hotel room.

“I started late fall going into their class and informing them of what the resort is looking for, the history of the hotel and essentials in a hotel room because it is different than just a bedroom,” Caswell said. “They’ve been so much fun to work with. They are great kids and I love their enthusiasm.”

“This project is a good opportunity,” student Kimberlee Keithley said. 

“It’s giving back to the community and being eco-friendly,” student Amelia Temm said. 

As part of the class, students met with Pottery Barn Store Manager Kristin Plazeski in South Portland. McCarthy said Plazeski spoke to students about design elements, overall business aspects of interior design, marketing and managing. 

They also took a trip to IKEA in Massachusetts. 

“It helped them realize you can get the look you want at the price you want. Everything doesn’t have to be expensive to look nice,” McCarthy said, adding the students had a $6,000 budget [from Nonantum Resort] per room to outfit everything from throw pillows to the bathroom sink. 

“You have to put a lot of thought into putting together a hotel room. There are a lot of steps involved,” student Danielle Parrish said.

In planning a color scheme, Parrish said she learned there should be at least three colors to a room – one main color and two accent colors. She said her favorite part was shopping, especially at IKEA.

“It was fun getting out there,” student Sarah Thomson said about shopping trips. “And I learned less is more.”

Keithley and Temm spent most of the afternoon ironing sheer curtains for the riverfront windows of each room, while the rest of the students decided where to place artwork from HomeGoods and various pieces of furniture. 

“Should this painting go on the blue wall? Or the white?” McCarthy said walking across the room with a seascape painting. “Blue or white?”

Blue was the consensus and moving the large bureau to a different side of the room opened up space for a small desk.

In addition to furniture, fabric and coordinating colors, McCarthy added another element to the project called “I Came, I Saw, iPod” funded by a grant from the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks. McCarthy used the grant to purchase eight iPods for her classroom, and students traveled to the Apple Store in South Portland to create pod casts, or digital audio files, with information regarding the Kennebunks, McCarthy said. Each room the students have designed will have a docking station for visitors to charge their iPods and download the audio files. The project idea was inspired by iPod-guided tours at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Boston, she said. 

“These kids live with their iPods now,” McCarthy said. “In the rooms there will be an iPod dock to download information from around the Kennebunks in a personal message from the students.”

She said the pod casts have recordings from students about local restaurants, family activities, beaches and places to walk.

“It combines art and technology, and uses their technology skills,” McCarthy said. “And they get to see it in use because a group of girls have already reserved the two adjoining rooms for a birthday party.”

The unveiling of the three rooms is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 7 at the Nonantum Resort on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport.