Once upon a time, there was an empty space. Let's be honest, it looked impossible to turn this "thing" into anything in only 6 weeks. But we did it. 

The Wingman Bar was the first step. We had promised our partners at Check-6 Foundation that we will dedicated the bar to military pilots. Thus, we kept our promise. We know...this looks a bit insane. But wait for it...

Every piece of furniture was stained by hand with diligence and patience. We always kept in mind that our veterans represent excellence and when representing them, we must demonstrate the same. 

Once we knew what we wanted the final space to be, we started with the basics. Assal said we should make everything in-house. Clearly, we thought "she is insane." Now, we can humbly claim every piece and corner of this extraordinary space we made for the community.

So...we experimented with colors and designs to showcase the most sacred parts of our land. As you pass by every wall, you will see a piece of history and American culture. 

Every nail was hammered by AUSV staff. No contractors were hired. So what that we almost hammered our own fingers off at times. It was worth it. 

Katie said she can paint...and paint she did. Red, gold and black were the chosen ones. She strategized based on modern day interior design trends and made that plain and boring space to look like a million dollars. When you walk into the lounge, you should know that Katie's fingerprints are everywhere. 

OK...we experimented a lot. 

We even painted the floors red. Well, not all the floors. We used a touch of modern design to bring a sense of celebration and class to our veterans lounge.