There鈥檚 nothing like a challenge to add to the character of a new building.

At the new Blu Homes condominium development, 20630 Douglas Cres., in 91原创 City, the builders have given two students from the Interior Design program at BCIT a challenge. They have a space of their own to design as they see fit.

This is an opportunity for the students to add to their portfolio and step out of the classroom.

Kendra Redekop and Hannah Lang both were given $3,000 and one of Blu鈥檚 Sapphire units to design and outfit in little more than a month.

Redekop, 27, is a part-time student of BCIT鈥檚 Interior Design program. She also works full-time to put herself through school.

Though she has designed houses for herself and her family before, this was her first opportunity to take a brand-new space and see what she could make of it.

Her space, 鈥淣atural Chic鈥� uses elements from nature including wood, stone and glass to create an open, warm space that flows naturally.

鈥淣ature inspires me in a huge way,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his space is very indicative of that.鈥�

To stay within the budget she was given, Redekop and her husband made a few of the pieces located in the unit. She also used Craigslist to save on many items, giving them her own personal touch.

After a month of work on her suite, Redekop鈥檚 final total cost was $3,024.

Hannah Lang, 21, attends BCIT full-time and is also in the Interior Design program. She describes her style as vintage-romantic and sophisticated with an 鈥渁ntique modern feel, but so that it is still livable up to the times.鈥�

Her suite, 鈥淎 Moment in Paris鈥� uses deep tones and vintage pieces to create an atmosphere that blends together cohesively.

Lang spent her younger years rearranging her bedroom furniture and designing houses on the computer game 鈥淭he Sims,鈥� but she鈥檚 never had a space of her own, with a budget to command.

鈥淎ctually doing it in real life is different,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting how everything comes together in the end.鈥�

In order to stay on track with the budget, Lang prioritized her spending. 鈥淚 made sure I had things like the bed frame and the tables before I did anything else, just to be sure I could make it.鈥�

Her safe spending brought her final total to $2,996.

Trish Becher, who came up with the concept for the challenge and selected the two students, gave them full creative power over the space, telling the women to 鈥渋nterpret the space and do with it what you would.鈥�

The suites were under lockdown until May 14, when Blu Homes hosted a friends and family event to showcase the students鈥� work.

鈥淭heir personalities were different enough that how they would interpret the space would be totally different,鈥� Becher said.

Because the challenge was to design the space as they saw it for themselves or were inspired to, the students put themselves into it.

鈥淭his feels like home to me,鈥� Redekop said. 鈥淥f all the spaces I鈥檝e created, I think this one is going to be the hardest to step away from.鈥�

The grand unveiling for the public will take place on May 28 and 29 from 1-4 p.m.