Red Start Design Studios, along with Tracey Overbeck- Stead Interior Design, has received a 1st place award of excellence from ASID for this child’s playroom in the class, “Singular Space Residential”. We are very grateful for the acknowledgment and thank Tracy for all her work with us over the years.
These photographs were taken by Ethan Stead and our Rachael Shannon.
The Offcenter is a building on the east side of downtown Austin and houses a world renowned theater company known as the Rude Mechanicals and lovingly referred to as, The Rude Mechs. A few years ago Redstart was asked to come up with a design for the outside of the Offcenter building, which, by no means was a simple task considering there were two designers and eight or so actor/play write/ great minds and, I believe, some board members on the job. AND It was to reflect the personality of the inhabitants, welcome all comers, and include the logo of the company… if I remember correctly.
But, (drum roll) we did it ( hit symbol) ! Redstart sketched out and brainstormed and the Rudes came to a decision! (use the ‘photoshop of the mind’ to remove the trashcan and duct work)
The day it was painted, 20 or so volunteers arrived and we created a sort of a huge paint by numbers for them to fill in. The results were pretty great I think. I think Rachael and I still daydream about a snip here and a level there, but all and all, I smell success.
August 20th 2010 was set for the annual fundraiser for the Rude Mechanicals at the Offcenter space.
I had a wedding in California that night, but building sets really turns me on. So, I signed on to help design and build the always elaborate set for the party and leave the night before, sacrificing, as any good Catholic would, my two free tickets to the actual soiree.
The chosen theme this year was ‘The Eye Eye Ball’. We agreed, again by committee , that said party was to take place on the virtual deck of an art deco ocean liner.
So, many volunteers, and company members worked tirelessly to create the illusion of a glamorous cruise. 
Here are the decorations in process.
These were taken the night of ‘The Eye Eye Ball’ for me. The finished stage area is above and below is the sweet and craggy sailor bar where drinks were served.
What a crew! I was and am always amazed at the organizational skills and fearlessness of this company, not to mention how great and fun it is to work with all of them. A collaborators dream.
( note, the fake wood floor painting.. always a favorite!)
This June I was invited to New York to work on a dining room in a private residence in a Greenwich Village apartment. The assignment was to hand paint and modify an arts and crafts era wallpaper, designed by William Morris. The original theme and title of the design was ‘Fox and Grape’, an Aesop’s fable. Of course, I was temped to look up the rhyme…
‘One hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”
It is easy to despise what you cannot get.’
These were in deed, hot summers days.
These photos were taken before I began masking and prepping the space. The rat pictured was a color test.
Jason Neufeld, one of the charter members of the Redstart Studios team, joined me to hatch out the mathematical details of the project and spend long hours mapping the room and perfecting the repeat.
Here are the first few stages before modifications were made.
I also managed to take in a neighborhood parade.
I left New York 1/2 of the way through the project to return at a later date…… to be continued
Ok, well, remember how we said we’d be updating this more regularly so you could see what we’ve been up to? Maybe we haven’t held TOTALLY true to that promise.
The truth is, we’ve taken quite fondly to updating our facebook page quite regularly… may we suggest you take a gander?
Check us out for the freshest of the fresh today! In the meantime, we’ll try to squeeze in some posts between the art making.
Stop in, add us as a fan!!!
Thanks, and have a great day!
Shunda-K and her dancers blew the audience out!
Since it’s inception, Rachael has been part of the community of folks helping to make GayBiGayGay, the annual queer response to SXSW, a magical reality. The open-invitation day party, that started with some folks gathering in a muddy backyard, has grown exponentially every year; and, with every year, we bump things up a little bit in the production area. 2009 was the best ever, and we really had a blast putting together the low-fi, mini-festival wonderland that has pulled folks of every persuasion from all over the nation (and Canada!) to make it happen. It’s such pleasure to pick up the screwdriver, paint, and whatever else makes itself available, to set the stage for this uniquely Austin event! Thanks to my helpers/collaborators this 2009: Amanda Joy (for real), Kim Barker, Hazey Fairless, Paige Gratland AND to everyone else (the incredible performers, hosts Hazey & Silky, Kevin!) who make this event so especially awesome!
Local shero, Rebecca Havemeyer - 2009
The stage, pre-fest - 2009: gold flaming branches; flannel fringe... everything is made from recycled materials-- fence pieces, found lumber, old shirts, brush piles!
Those dancers!
Erase Errata enjoy GBGG 2007
Dynasty Handbag hand it out, 2007
Love from the crowd--Dynasty Handbag, 2007
The stage, after... (2007)
One of the advantages of having our new Fresh Paint blog is that you guys get to find out what we’re up to faster and fresher than ever before! But what about all those promises of images of this project or that project you worked on in the last year but we still haven’t seen on your website, you say? Exactly. While we rearrange the furniture at redstart.org, allow us to use this time to take you down our more recent memory lane with a few shots of some special projects from the last year….
Redstart had a blast with the glue and paste on this childrens’ playroom project, sat in our laps by none other than the fabulous Tracey Overbeck-Stead. Calling in orders for vintage wallpapers from Germany, and conceptualizing a new take on the Austin landscape per the client’s request, we really delighted in the fruits of our playful labor on this one.
Silver-leafed bats take to the the sky above giant wall-papered bluebonnets and cacti, green painted monochrome skyline and landscaping, and a touch of Japanese-inspired collaged lanterns tie together the many desires of this adventurous client!
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Austinites may also recognize this compelling explosion of color featured on the main wall of KIRK Gallery in downtown Austin. With another lead from interior design master, Tracey Overbeck-Stead, Redstart created a beautiful host to the impressive collection of art and design objects that KIRK houses. The piece is also an eye-catcher after the sun goes down and the interior lights of the gallery show off the dynamic forms of the paint installation. Local artist Virginia Yount picked up a brush to help Michelle lay out the piece, which spans the width of the main walls and spills out over the sides, displaying variations in paint sheen that play not only with the bright colors, but with subtleties like glossy white paint on matte white, as well. Stop in at 210 Guadalupe Street and check it out! (Thanks, Ethan Stead, for the beautiful photo above!)
Ok, one last thing, and then we’ll let you go, for now.
Redstart had the special opportunity to trick out one of the check-up rooms in the children’s cancer recovery wing at the Dell Children’s Hospital. Interior design pro Jerri Kunz, who was asked to manifest a concept for the space, delighted us with the opportunity to collaborate once again. Together, Michelle and Jerri hatched up the following concepts and plans of action. 
Jerri Kunz finished out the room with details like pirate’s hats for the children to don, and real fishnets hanging from the side of the boat, flanked with stuffed animal sea-life. The room is really spectacular– playful, and full of life– a wonderful addition to the beautiful facilities at the center.
One of the highlights of being over at the center was the opportunity to get a full tour from Art Coordinator Mary Frasher of all the amazing art that was made and collected to fill the entire hospital with life and humanity.
We are really proud to be a part of the successful efforts to make this space such a livable and dynamic one. Thanks to Mary Frasher, Dell Children’s Center and Jerri Kunz Design for making this such a special and rewarding collaboration.
On March 20th, Jill Pangallo mounted a live performance of her show, “Let Me Entertain You” at Fiesta Gardens stage here in Austin Texas. 
Michelle stepped up to create the stage set for the artist. The two drops flanking the stage were 17 ft. high panels designed, painted and mostly hand sewn. A color palette was selected to give the stage a sort of ‘broken broadway’ feel, with aging glamour in mind and metallic fabrics, wigs and tinsel applied in a kind of collage affect. The images were also in concert with illustrations used for print media associated with the show
including a book jacket cover that was printed by Monofonus Press and sold as a collected collaboration of work that inspired Jill’s performance.
Installing the giant sails in high winds was quite a task but conditions enhanced the scene by blowing the huge , draping braids around for some dramatic affect.
Redstart was featured in a witty and insightful design resource blog entitled “Design Crisis” a couple of months ago. Thanks to Karly for giving us a shout….. here’s a shout back…
In the spring of 2008, Redstart was commissioned to paint the interior and select colors for a recording artists’ studio and residency retreat in lush farmlands near Round Top, Texas. The space is complete with lots of quiet space to sleep and secluded acreage to walk, compose and contemplate. Here are some photographs of the somewhat furnished, finished paintings.
We were asked to work within the theme of ‘duende’, which is said to be a duality between lightness and darkness. There is a much more eloquent explanation of this idea and the location on the website for the studio, http://www.pozohondostudios.com/. Our process is most fruitful when we are able to research the subject matter and talk with the client about their ideas in regards to how they wish the space to feel and envision it’s use.
In this case, the communication with the client, and just the feeling of the place itself , not to mention all the designers and craftspersons that worked together on this project, produced a usable and gorgeous environment. The images we gathered to launch from were intended to complement the existing themes of Mexican Folk imagery used in other dwellings on the land–inspiration from Mayan and Aztec art and pictograms collides here with traditional Mexican folk patterns and forms. Many of the images were blown-up or repeated and placed around the room, wrapping around the corners and up into the rafters.
Redstart’s contribution was completed in the fall of 2008.
Photos: Ana Klausman
