Project Proposal
SunState Aviation
Long Beach | Powered by Academy of Aviation
Your inspiration
At Barely Beige Studio, we do not impose a style or follow a formula. Our work begins by listening, then refining and translating what matters to you into spaces that feel intentional, functional, and well considered.
Thank you for the opportunity to design SunState Long Beach. It covers the whole suite, from the arrival and student lounge to dispatch, the sim room, briefing, ground school, and offices, and a brand that makes Long Beach a place students talk about.
Not just built. Designed.
We are not hired to decorate finished spaces. We are brought in to shape spaces before they exist, when decisions around layout, flow, proportion, and experience matter most.
Barely Beige Studio is an interior design studio that works alongside builders and design teams, so the plan and the interiors are designed as one. Our process is design led, execution driven, and intentionally hands on: we guide you through complex decisions, anticipate challenges before they surface, and stay involved until the design is built as intended.
A full tear down and ground up build whose approved plans did not support how the homeowners wanted to live. Without altering structural walls, we reworked the layout for flow, function, and livability. What began as a beach cottage concept became a Spanish Hacienda that honors San Clemente’s Spanish heritage.
Tile framed arches, a custom front archway, and tiled stair risers create a rich sense of arrival. It is sculptural, warm, and unmistakably rooted in place, the same sense of arrival we will bring to SunState.
Custom Home | San Clemente
A New York loft aesthetic in a coastal setting. Interior trusses brought warmth to vast ceilings, matte black cabinetry anchors the kitchen, and the ADU tells the clients’ own story.
View the full project
New Build | Laguna Beach
Modern elegance, built to be publication worthy. Stone, tile, and wood are layered into a considered moment at every turn, anchored by a sculptural staircase and feature wall.
View the full project
Cottage 7 | Newport Beach
For Cottage 7 we went bold with color: deep navy walls, a school of fish swimming up the stair, turquoise tile, and a statement orange soaking tub. Proof that we design every space to its owner’s story, never to a formula.
View the full projectSunState Long Beach is where people come to earn their wings. The space should feel as serious as the training and as welcoming as the best lounge on the field, all at once. Here is what we will deliver for you:
Aviation heritage, never a theme.
Your inspirationStudents are making one of the biggest investments of their lives, and too many schools still greet them with a drop ceiling and a row of plastic chairs. We looked at what flight schools tend to get wrong, and designed SunState Long Beach to do the opposite.
A name for every room, signs that read like the taxiway, and a first solo tradition your students will talk about for the rest of their careers.
Plan as provided by SunState. We verify every dimension on our walkthrough.Designs every space and the Long Beach brand, with elevations, renderings, lighting and furniture layouts, and every selection.
Prepares any permit drawings the improvements need, with the engineering and code sign off.
Our trusted subcontractors, brought in, scheduled, and overseen by us.
One team from the first sketch to opening day: we design it, select everything, and run the build. The landlord has already approved the work, so we can begin the day you sign.
We do not hand you a drawing set and wish you luck. We bring our trusted trades, schedule and oversee them, take every call, and stay on site until it is done right. You keep running the school.
We bring the subcontractors we work with and stand behind, and we manage them start to finish.
We are on site at least once a week, so questions are answered at the wall, not over the phone after the fact.
Scheduling, sequencing, and getting the right people there on the right day. It all runs through us.
We check the work against the design at every stage, from the plumbing overhead to the last light fixture.
Flooring, lighting, hardware, and furniture at our trade pricing, with no upcharge.
We walk the finished space with you and see the punch list through to the last detail.
Furniture layouts and selections are part of the design. Once your budget is set, we quote purchasing, delivery, and installation as a flat fee under a separate agreement, with our trade pricing passed on to you.
We uncover how your students, team, and visitors use and feel in your space, then translate it into early layouts and concepts.
We refine every layer: floor plans, finishes, materials, and the flow of each room.
Interior elevations, plumbing schedules, and specifications capture every dimension and finish.
We partner with your builder, your plans professional, and the trades to align on budget, schedule, and scope.
As construction begins we stay involved, visiting the site and refining details.
We walk the finished spaces with you so your space reflects the design we envisioned together.
Your fee follows the work in two chapters: the design, then the design built, with us on site until you open. You never pay for everything up front, and each payment is tied to a milestone you can see.
We buy at trade pricing from our vendors and showrooms: flooring, lighting, hardware, and furnishings. You receive that pricing on every selection we specify, with no upcharge from us.
Our fee is paid to Barely Beige Studio. Construction costs, subcontractors, and furniture are paid by you directly and are not part of our fee. Our fee is fixed and includes construction management through opening day. The friends and family rate applies to this project.
Two chapters, one design team. You pay as each milestone is delivered, from the first sketch to the day you open, with no monthly fees and no hourly tracking.
Reserves your start and our calendar.
The space plan and the look and feel of every room.
Drawings, schedules, and every selection, ready to build.
We guide the trades and protect the design, on site every week.
Every detail checked against the design before finishes go in.
Punch list closed, install and styling, and the reveal.
Friends and family rate. Furniture and procurement are quoted once your budget is set. The first payment is due before work begins.
About six months, if everything goes according to plan. The landlord has already approved the work, so we start the day you sign, and we keep the schedule current with you every Monday.
Your one big decision in design is choosing a look. Once you do, we take it from there: finishes, fixtures, and furniture are ours to set, and we will walk you through every choice.
| Week | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kickoff meeting, site measure, discovery questionnaire, Pinterest review | A shared Pinterest board and our project calendar |
| 2 | We develop three distinct looks for SunState Long Beach | Design direction lookbook, presented in person |
| 3 | You choose your look; first round of feedback | Confirmed design direction |
| 3 to 5 | Drawings, finish and fixture selections, furniture plan | Design package, presented end of week 5 |
| 6 | Final round of revisions; package issued to your builder | Final design package |
Two consolidated revision rounds are included: one after the lookbook, one after the design package.
Construction runs 4 to 5 months. The key to staying on schedule is ordering long lead items (cabinetry, tile, stone, custom furniture) as soon as your design package is approved, so materials arrive before your builder needs them.
| Weeks | What happens on site | Behind the scenes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 8 | Builder bids and permits | Long lead orders placed |
| 7 to 11 | Demolition and rough in (framing, plumbing, electrical) | Site visits to confirm layouts |
| 11 to 14 | Inspections, insulation, drywall | Tracking deliveries |
| 14 to 19 | Cabinets installed, tile set, countertops templated and installed | Site visits for tile layout and finish checks |
| 19 to 22 | Plumbing fixtures, lighting, hardware, paint | Furniture and decor deliveries scheduled |
| 22 to 26 | Punch list, furniture delivery, install and styling | The reveal |
| Before week 1 | Signed agreement, any existing plans or drawings, and access to Suite 100 |
| Week 1 | Discovery questionnaire and Pinterest board |
| End of week 3 | Your choice of look and consolidated feedback |
| End of week 6 | Final feedback on the design package |
| Weeks 6 to 8 | Approval of long lead orders so they can be placed on time |
| During build | Quick replies (within 48 hours) when questions come up on site |
We will flag anything that affects your schedule as soon as we see it.
We send project updates every Monday, with progress notes and any upcoming decisions. We ask that feedback and approvals come within one week to keep momentum. We are always reachable by email, text, or phone.
The design includes two consolidated rounds of revisions. Additional revisions and additional on site time are billed at $200 per hour, and travel at $125 per hour, or at a fixed rate agreed in a written change order.
Licensed plans professional of record and any permit drawings; structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; Title 24; ADA and fire and life safety certification (we design to them, the licensed professionals certify them); permit and agency fees; construction costs and subcontractor fees (paid by you directly); AV and IT systems design; flight simulator equipment; exterior signage; furniture purchasing, delivery, and installation (separate agreement).
Invoices are due on receipt. Payments are made to Barely Beige Studio by Zelle (preferred, no fees) or bank transfer; wire details are provided on request.
If a payment is more than seven days overdue, work pauses until the account is current.
This proposal reflects a one time friends and family rate for SunState Long Beach. Future projects are priced at our standard rates.
Services beyond this proposal, including procurement and fabrication, are priced separately on request. Pricing in this proposal is valid for 90 days.
“Nicole helped us to create the home we dreamed of. The most appreciated aspect of having her as our designer was her willingness to work WITH us, not AT us. It felt like a real team effort.”Lili Brandt
“She helped us build the home of our dreams, and honestly I think it is one of the prettiest houses in our town. Her attention to detail is top notch.”Chris Silic
“Not only did she deliver on a project that had numerous challenges, but she did so on a tight budget and a tight schedule. The end result exceeded my expectations.”Jason Hartanov
Barely Beige Studio is led by cofounders Nicole Sayer and Courtney Shondel, whose complementary backgrounds form the backbone of the studio: thoughtful, design forward spaces that are as intentional as they are livable.
Over a decade of residential and commercial design, leading each project from concept to completion with an artist’s eye and a builder’s discipline.
A storyteller at heart, merging design, branding, and psychology to shape the emotion behind each space and the story of a home that feels undeniably personal.
Thank you both for bringing us into SunState Long Beach, and Liliana, thank you for the introduction. A flight school is where people take one of the biggest steps of their lives, and we love the idea of designing the place where it begins.
Your ideas are a great start: the chart on the floor, the black and steel, the warmth of the lounge. Our job is to bring them to life, make every call along the way, and hand you a Long Beach space that works hard every day and still feels like an arrival, from the front door to the first solo.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to talk it through, answer every question, and take the first step together.
With gratitude,
