Design Concept
Bonnie and her husband, who have worked in the English tutoring industry for over ten years, wanted to spend more time with their child after having one, while still maintaining their passion for tutoring. After much consideration and with support from Bonnie’s former employer, they decided to establish the Kentucky Zuoying Branch and collaborate with JY Design to redesign the interior, aiming to create the most spacious and comfortable learning environment for the children.
Yellow is the main color tone of Kentucky English tutoring center. Rather than a bright and flashy yellow, Bonnie wanted to provide students with a warmer and more comfortable visual effect. Therefore, we chose a soft pastel yellow, applying it to both the tutoring center’s facade and interior spaces, creating a bright and simple Nordic style.
For materials, we used solid wood veneer, titanium-plated stainless steel, latex paint, tiles, petrified wood, and more. Through the mixed use of these materials, we enhanced the visual layering and guided children into an educational environment that balances aesthetics and functionality.
Tutoring Center Facade Design
Unlike the traditional color tones commonly used for tutoring center facades, JY Design chose a bright and dazzling pastel yellow for this tutoring center’s facade. This creates a comfortable and warm visual effect. The vivid color injects a lively and energetic atmosphere into the tutoring center and enhances the building’s exterior visual appeal, quickly attracting the attention of passersby. This allows children to approach their learning space with a joyful mood, greeted by a beautifully designed environment.
Office Space Design
A relaxation area is set up at the back of the first floor, serving as a secret base exclusively for the children. The floor in the relaxation area is elevated to create a comfortable space where children can wait for their parents. Kids can choose a cozy little corner there to rest and read.
The office desks are designed with a two-way facing arrangement, oriented towards the main entrance to facilitate greeting students promptly. This setup also allows parents and students to communicate face-to-face with teachers. In front of each guest chair, there is a bright red short hook for storage under the desk. The stair handrails, shelving, and hooks under the desks are all color-coordinated in red, adding just the right touch of accent to brighten the warm wood tones.
The designer skillfully incorporated Kentucky English’s primary colors—yellow and red—into the space. The yellow from the facade extends indoors and transitions to wood tones, creating a natural and warm feeling that conveys the brand colors, while also adding depth to the overall design.
Staircase Design
The student classrooms are located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, so how to lively guide parents and children up the stairs is an important issue. The designer removed the old handrail leading to the 2nd-floor teaching area and designed an eye-catching red railing with a rhythmic feel. The new staircase handrail becomes an interesting guiding element. Next to the handrail is a photocopier, which looks as if it is being protected by the red railing, creating a fun and lively scene.
Teaching Space Design
The teaching area on the second floor uses clear and transparent glass partitions to increase the sense of spatial openness. Bright lighting provides clear visibility, offering children a high-quality learning environment. The decorative films on the glass partitions maintain privacy while outlining lively scenes, breaking the typical dull design impression of tutoring centers and creating a warm and energetic atmosphere.
Commercial Space Planning – Client Feedback
“At first, I was really worried that having too many demands would be rejected by the designer,” Bonnie recalled with a smile. She always hoped the learning space would be good and even better. However, with a limited budget, close communication with the designer was necessary to find a solution acceptable to both parties. Fortunately, STUDIO J never directly rejected the client’s requests and always tried their best to find a balance, allowing the client to truly spend money where it matters, creating an environment that children love through commercial space planning.
“At the beginning, we hoped to create a teaching commercial space that didn’t feel like a typical tutoring center. Here, both children and adults can feel comfortable, build trust, and stimulate their passion for learning.” Kentucky English Zuoying Branch and STUDIO J jointly created a pleasant and bright commercial space, hoping that their shared passion and love for education will shine warmly and continuously, just like the warm yellow tones.
