Back in 2005 we worked on an addition for Trinity Lutheran Church, located in Crete, Illinois, and in 2021 they invited us back to refresh their lobby space. We were honored to be welcomed back a second time, to create a space that reflects the heart of the church and the people in the community.
In our Discovery sessions, the Aspen team worked with Trinity Lutheran to extract their DNA, values, and what their overall needs were for the space. Coming out of that, we created a design that would complement their existing historic architecture and traditional vibe, while bringing the space up to date, and giving it a classic feel to stand the test of time.
Outside the front doors of Trinity Lutheran, people are greeted with banners that say, “Welcome Home”—the church’s motto for how they want people to feel when they come to their church. To reinforce this message, we added a “Welcome Home” accent wall so it’s the first thing people see as they enter the lobby.
“Every Sunday in church we say ‘Welcome Home to Trinity,’ so for that wall to say ‘Welcome Home,’ just reinforces what we want people to feel here at Trinity.” –Frank Italiano, Lead Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church
The beautiful courtyard, that can be seen from the lobby, bathes the interior in light and inspired a lot of the touches that are seen in the space. The limestone and cross element were pulled into the lobby to bring those outdoor details inside.
The lobby seating area features floor-to-ceiling views of the courtyard, balanced with pockets of comfortable, transitional seating, and a soft, neutral color palette. The coffee bar was added to attract more people to the gather and enjoy a beverage at the high-top tables, or to work independently in the space.
“When people are comfortable, they’re sticking around longer, and establishing relationships.” –Mark Reiners, Chairman of Congregation, Trinity Lutheran Church
The outcome of this new lobby refresh is that Trinity Lutheran’s building and space reflects their heart, and says “welcome home” to their congregation and the people in the community.
View more projects where we’ve created space for ministry impact!
This has been a sponsored post by Lynn Pickard and the team at Aspen Group. You can read the original post by clicking HERE.
Lynn serves as Senior Interior Designer at Aspen Group. She’s a member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). She earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the Harrington Institute of Interior Design. Before joining Aspen in 2006, she worked at one of the largest Architectural/Engineering firms in Chicago on numerous projects, and for a smaller Chicago firm on projects for the Wrigley Company, Universal Access, and the French Consulate. Lynn is involved in the leadership of her church’s youth ministry.
Why Aspen?
Lynn says, “Because of the process. It’s very evident that Aspen cares more about Christ’s Church than about making a buck. The biggest selling point for me was how, by taking churches through the process, Aspen and their partners are able to determine how a project will affect the church, the community, and ultimately the ministry of Christ. And if it is not beneficial for the ministry, Aspen will stop the building project and point the church in the right direction to proceed.”
