The time is finally here! I’ve been waiting a long time to share this super fun project with you all…it’s one I started working on in January of 2020! I was contacted by the Vermilion Regional Airport here in Danville, IL to help revive their event center, formerly known as Cloud 9. The space was pretty dated and definitely need some love. So we got to work and were cruising right along until one major unexpected event took place, you know the pandemic. Because of these delays from Covid-19, the project took longer than expected to complete! This January I finished my part of the project and I am so I’m very excited and proud to share with you all the new event space called The Flight Line! I hope you love the space as much as I do but to really appreciate the space for what it is now, I think you need to see some before pictures.

Before we get into the before pics, I wanted to share the original mood board I created before beginning on the project. Since we were going for a vintage airline theme, I wanted it to have a 1960’s Mad Men feel to the space. Vintage airline posters, and streamlined furniture were a must. The space evolved from here, however a lot of the original elements were kept in the final design. Now for the before pics…

The first project we tackled was the paint. That yellow really brought the space down and had to go. To make the space feel brighter and more modern I chose Sherwin Williams Modern Gray SW-7632 in a satin finish. To upgrade the kitchen storage I chose Merillat Classic lanielle textured laminate in the color cavern and Nevamar textured countertops in color Fresh Papaya. The pops of orange really tied everything together and made the space feel fresh and vintage at the same time! For the entryway the previous linoleum had started to show its age so we tore that out and refinished/polished the concrete for a cleaner and more seamless transition to the flooring that was able to be salvaged. We also had a contractor add a storage closet to the space for storing tables and chairs when not in use for events. This was a great investment for the space and feels like it was always there to begin with! New garage doors as well as a bar area were also put in and made such a difference. Once the major projects were completed new lighting was installed and decor was able to be brought in.

For lighting over the bar I chose a Sputnik light which is one of my favorite features of the space! It epitomizes mid-century modern and adds a really cool vibe to the space. For bar seating I chose low back acrylic bar stools. In the lounge area, I added an original Chromcraft airport bench from Portland Oregon. These benches spent more than 30 years in Portland International Airport, and were saved by PDX Originals who restored them to their previous glory. Other fun features of the space include the custom neon sign which reads Metroliner Lounge. Vintage photographs and posters provided by the VRA, and the color-changing fuselage window.

This space was such a fun project for me to work on and so different than what I normally do and I loved the challenge! I am very proud of the work done by all involved and think this new event space will be a great addition to our area! For those local to Danville, and interested in booking this space for an event, you can mention Home By Hiliary to receive $20 off your booking price!

Mid-Century Modern Airport Design