A well-loved mid-20th century brown brick state primary school in South East London was badly in need of a facelift for its entrance and reception area, but had almost no funds with which to achieve this. In 2010 we came to the rescue with a colourful scheme aimed at injecting a warm welcome, celebrating the school's diverse, inclusive and creative ethos, and ensuring that it sits comfortably alongside the existing institutional interiors. Bright painted walls- their colours selected by the head teacher - feature large, toning noticeboards for rotating artwork and information displays. A flat-screen TV is set into the wall to show regular information and event updates. A comfortable seating system for visitors and waiting schoolchildren integrates display shelves for artwork. Working with the students, we created a sculptural light display on the ceiling, initially decorated with paper flower artwork it can be easily updated.