Get me to the Church on time

BEFORE
Here are the pictures I promised of the Bible Church face lift (Faith lift) we just finished.  They really wanted to "update/remodel" but had a limited budget. 
You know that I love these kinds of projects because it means I get to REALLY put my creative skills to work.  I put together a design board and presentation with all my ideas.  I proposed that they give the stage a  "face lift" with the  budget and maybe do some minor updates to the rest of the auditorium.  They agreed and I got to work preparing for the updates.   We had 6 days between church services to complete this "redo"  WHEW!!
Here are the changes we made.
AFTER
Added a decorative stone wall to the back wall as our focal point.
BEFORE
AFTER
Replaced the stage carpet (of course we had to eliminate ALL the stage squeaks before the carpet was laid.)  We added a stair rail on each side of the stage to make it feel more balanced.  They will also be useful to those that need that extra boost to get up the stairs.
You are probably wondering why we didn't replace ALL the carpet in the Auditorium.  Well....that's for Phase II of the project.  The carpet has been chosen for when they want to proceed and it coordinates beautifully with the stage carpet we put in! 
BEFORE CROSS
Oh my, don't let anyone put that floral arrangement back out unless their is a funeral.
AFTER CROSS
We had a new cross made out of heavy duty copper and I painted it to make it look more rustic and old.
I was pleased with the end result.  
BEFORE
AFTER
I wanted to bring attention to the high beams that are on the ceiling.  They were lost before but now that we have painted them a rich brown, it made the auditorium feel bigger and more open.
BEFORE
AFTER
See what I mean with the columns?  Draws your eye up.
We also removed the large box that was in the middle of the stairs, now it looks less bulky.
I also had the side panels painted black underneath the white music screens.  The stage ceiling was also scraped and painted an incredible gray and it looks awesome with the stone.
BEFORE
Yuck, this paneling was really faded and looked like an old barn.
AFTER
We stained it a rich espresso color and it really made it come alive.
BEFORE
AFTER
We had the stone put in the baptismal area too and now it looks fabulous.
We also took the pulpit away and added a table and chair.  I think it's less intimidating and makes the congregation feel more relaxed.
(We did stain the pulpit a rich walnut color if for some reason it needs to be used later on).
BEFORE
The lobby area had no personality.
AFTER
Now it speaks to you when you walk in.  The entire lobby and hallways were painted a fresh new color too.
It was a long and crazy week but it was a fun project.  I felt privileged to work with such great people.  My team of contractors were amazing!!!  The only reason we got the project done in a week is because they are dedicated to doing things right and are willing to do what it takes to get the job done! 
Feeling blessed! 
Ruthie