Two interior design students at UW-Stout are working to ensure their peers have a more efficient, comfortable and warm experience at Helping Hand Food+ Pantry, the university’s student pantry.
Emma Walstra and Klaire Johnson – project co-leads who form the EWKJ Interiors team – reimagined the pantry space to create an “atmosphere that reflects the care UW-Stout places in serving its students.”
Their three-week-long project was part of Lecturer Lindsy Tomski’s Educational, Civic, and Cultural Interior Design Studio course, which partnered with the pantry to simulate a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Students analyzed site conditions; met with pantry co-directors Associate Dean of Students Jacqueline Bonneville and Dean of Students Executive Assistant Karrin Ruch; and developed full design service proposals, including budgets, timelines and general design strategies.
“Our partnership with the pantry is a great opportunity for students to practice flexible design solutions. It provides students with invaluable, real-world design experience, while highlighting an essential campus community resource. We’re proud to support their mission and look forward to the continued impact of our collaboration,” Tomski said.
Among the studio course proposals, EWKJ Interiors’ design was selected for the redesign of the 480-square-foot pantry, which offers food, personal hygiene items, winter coats, school supplies and other items.
“Klaire and Emma’s work reflects the heart of our interior design program and marks the beginning of many meaningful contributions ahead,” Tomski said.
When the official design and implementation process begins, Walstra and Johnson will gain meaningful experience in project management, coordination, and client relations, and will follow common practice in commercial architecture. Tomski also hopes the team will be able to collaborate with other disciplines across the School of Art & Design – such as graphic design to revisit ideas for a new panty logo and construction for any building needs.
With a cross-disciplinary approach, Walstra and Johnson can “help direct and deliver a truly holistic refresh for the pantry space. My role will be to guide them – not direct them – as they navigate the stages of this collaboration,” Tomski said.
Walstra and Johnson are excited to work on a real-world project with real clients, expanding their skills, refining their design process and working on their professional development. “This opportunity has been the most engaging project so far since we will be able to see tangible results and assist the food pantry with creating something bigger than ourselves,” Johnson said.
Helping Hand, which opened in 2018, is open to all UW-Stout students. It is located at University Services room 111 and operates with the support of volunteers from the Dean of Students Office and the Stout Student Association.
Donations can be made to Helping Hand Food+ Pantry during pantry hours or by appointment. The pantry is funded through the UW-Stout Foundation. Monetary gifts are also accepted. All funds go to purchasing food or supplies.
“The pantry does not exist without the student volunteers and the incredible generosity of our faculty and staff and the UW-Stout Foundation,” Bonneville said.
A welcoming space, designed for students
The project began last summer, when Bonneville reached out to School of Art & Design Director Aaron Durst to share the collaborative idea with faculty, in hopes that students or classes would wish to elevate the pantry space, allowing it to continue to meet the ever-increasing needs of students. Tomski jumped at the opportunity for her students to participate in the real-life proposal project.
EWKJ Interiors’ design was inspired by the pantry’s request to create a more welcoming space, one that incorporated UW-Stout’s visual identity and polytechnic spirit.
“We chose a color palette that featured the Stout blues from the university logo. Our color and material palette also incorporates light wood, seen throughout the university’s public spaces, such as our classrooms and the Memorial Student Center,” said Johnson, of Wabasha, Minnesota.
“The pops of orange complement those blues and are incorporated through signage or decorative plants to add color. By introducing biophilic elements, such as potted plants, we can create a more natural, welcoming and comforting environment,” said Walstra, of Waupun.
The small space and tight budget were the most challenging aspects of the design. The space limited the furniture and shelving configurations. EWKJ Interiors explored multiple layout options and considered circulation and accessibility before landing on a final floor plan. Their proposed design solutions “reimagined a space without breaking the bank, so the food pantry can use its funds for resources for the students,” Johnson said.
“The location is also subject to change, so it was challenging to make the space feel permanent while also using temporary design solutions, such as peel-and-stick tile, portable shelves, and decorative fixtures that are easy to install and uninstall,” added Walstra.
Walstra and Johnson also teamed up for the 2024 Fashion Without Fabric, when they won first place for their design “The Prime Divine.
Improving lives through creativity
Growing up, Walstra enjoyed playing Minecraft and creating structures within the game. “When I was looking into careers, I figured that interior design would be something I would be really passionate about because I could be creative while making an impact on people’s lives and on the environment,” she said.
Johnson was always drawn to arts and crafts and wanted to incorporate that creativity into a future career. “In middle school, I was researching different career paths I could pursue. Architecture and interior design instantly caught my eye because I could combine creativity with making the built environment better for everyone in terms of aesthetics, accessibility and health,” she said.
Both students will graduate in spring 2027. Walstra would like to work with a firm that focuses on restaurant design, earn sustainability certifications, and possibly take the NCIDQ exam, the industry’s leading credential. “I hope to make an impact in the field by bringing new ideas and innovative thinking that will create meaningful and sustainable spaces,” she said.
Johnson plans to pursue a career in workplace and hospitality design, with a focus on retail, restaurant and office environments.
“I am especially interested in creating spaces that foster community and reflect the culture of the people who use them, while supporting the employees who bring them to life. My goal is to contribute to professional organizations that help spread resources and knowledge about the field to aspiring designers, as communication, opportunities and connections are the foundation of the career,” said Johnson, who hopes to someday start her own business.
“I like to have the freedom of creating spaces that feel my own and contribute innovative, sustainable and accessible design solutions that really take projects to the next level with an excellent support team by my side,” she said.
UW-Stout’s School of Art & Design is one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. UW-Stout also has a new program in game and media studies.
