HOme Environment

Description: Youth will apply the principles of design to home design and decoration as well as learn about care of home furnishings.

State Fair Entries: 6 per county; two per level.

Exhibit Guidelines:

All posters, notebooks, and display boards must include a reference list indicating where information was obtained, giving credit to the original author, to complete the 4-H member’s exhibit. This reference list should/might include web site links, people and professionals interviewed, books, magazines, etc. It is recommended this reference list be attached to the back of a poster or display board, be the last page of a notebook, or included as part of the display visible to the public. A judge is not to discredit an exhibit for the way references are listed. Posters are to be 22”x28” and displayed horizontally and placed in a clear plastic sleeve or covered with clear plastic to protect contents. Display boards should be designed to sit on a table using no more than 36” of tabletop space. Space should be left in the lower right hand corner to place an exhibit tag provided by Purdue Extension staff. Judges evaluating exhibits should recognize individual differences and creativity, therefore using information in this document as a guide rather than a requirement.

 Exhibit Class Guidelines:

Beginner (grades 3-5 suggested)

Choose one of the following options:

• Furniture Item and Notebook – create a wall hanging, storage organizer, a set of 3-5 accessory items or something similar for the home or similar activity.
• Design Board and Notebook – color a line drawing from your manual and create three color schemes, color a line drawing from your manual and demonstrate dominant and supportive color, or display a line drawing showing where furniture would be placed in the room or similar activity.
• Portfolio – Collect different color schemes, magazines showing different furniture designs, or magazines/photographs of formal vs informal balance, dominant and supportive colors, etc. or similar activity.

Intermediate (grades 6-8 suggested)

Choose one of the following options:

• Furniture Item and Notebook – refinish or repurpose a piece or set of furniture, storage unit, or display a collection of 3-5 similar home accessory items, or similar activity.
• Design Board and Notebook – create a line drawing for a room in your home showing furniture layout, accessory items and fixtures or similar activity.
• Portfolio – display a sample of three different types of wall treatment with explanation of each, three different floor treatments with explanation of each, an energy plan for your home, or similar activity.

 Advanced (grades 9-12 suggested)

Choose one of the following options:

• Furniture Item and Notebook – refinish or repurpose a piece or set of furniture, storage unit, or display a collection of 3-5 similar home accessory items, or similar activity.
• Design Board and Notebook – display a floor plan for any room of your house or the whole house or apartment, or similar activity.
• Portfolio –display a sample of three different lighting or window treatments with an explanation of each, interview an interior designer and prepare a report, a home energy saving proposal plan, or similar activity.

Exhibit Categories:

Furniture Item and Notebook

An actual piece of furniture accompanied by a standard notebook (3-ring binder) explaining the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the chosen project. We suggest including pictures showing where the item will be used. Also, we encourage 4-H members to include pictures of themselves doing the project, but this is not required. Always place your identification information in the notebook and on the furniture.

Design Board and Notebook

Standard 22" x 28" poster, displayed horizontally with a firm backing. Design boards must be covered with plastic to protect and help hold items in place. An identification name tag must be attached in the lower right corner. The notebook is to help explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the chosen design. This can be a "before and after project" or "plan in the
future" project.

Portfolio

Standard notebook (3-ring binder). If 4-H members choose to do this option more than one year, we suggest that they keep the previous year's materials in the notebook. Place materials for the current year in the front, with the previous year's materials clearly marked or labeled at the back. Always place your identification information in the notebook.