Myself alongside several fellow designers from the
Interior Design Society have been working for several months on a community service project in partnership with Dwell with Dignity.
Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty. They provide and install home interiors for families that include furnishings and art, bedding and kitchen supplies, and food in the pantry.
Scope of the Project:
ReDesign and install a fully furnished three bedroom apartment for two adults, a 9 year old girl, a 3 year old girl, a 15 month old boy and a two month old girl. With little exception the furniture was all refinished by our designers and donors, the art throughout the project was all hand made by our volunteers as well as all the drapery and pillows.
IDS Volunteers:
Project Managers: Dot Greenlee & Christine Gee
Design Committee: Denise Piaschyk, Kristy Mastradonas & Barbara Gilbert
Art Committe Chair: Jody Clarke
Paint Committe Chair: Alba Dorsch
Sewing Committee Chair: Christine Gee
We had several other members that volunteered their time and talents to paint the apartment, installation and the clean up!
Teen Dwell, Sheri Martin, Linda Boylan, Kathy Prior, Nicole Arnold, and Lindsey Ward.
Here are a few action shots of the team at work.
We had a great time working together and the results are amazing!
Our family
This sweet family of six were thrilled to be chosen for the IDS/Dwell with Dignity Project. They arrived into their very small, temporary apartment on February 1st. Just down the hall we were creating a wonderful home for them to rejuvenate both their spirits and their lives. They are given the apartment for one year, after graduating from the program they will be allowed to take everything that was donated and gifted to them to their next home!
The moment you have been waiting for...the big reveal!
Our inspiration for the living room came from Denise Piaschyk fabric choice for the drapes. The fabric was donated by Kasmir. The warm hue of the living space really set the stage for the entire apartment. The pop of teal on the TV console was exactly what the room needed to give it a punch!
The family was speachless when they walked into the apartment!
The dining room shows a more whimsical side to our design. The light fixture was the starting point in this room. Our intent was to incorporate a natural element in every area of the apartment and the grass cloth wallpaper adhered to the back of the book case was the perfect backdrop for the beautiful accessories.
In addition to replacing the carpet our sponsors also replaced the torn linoleum with ceramic tile as well as added a tile back splash. The dishwasher did not work so the space was perfect for their kitchen garbage can. It is now a kitchen anyone would love to cook in!
This beautiful room was designed for the 9 year old girl. Being the Sewing Committee Chair I created the bed pillows, drapes and re-covered the desk chair. A faux painter I have worked with on several projects, Tracy Palmer painted the beautiful little desk.
She was so excited when she entered the room she immediately plopped down on the bed. She absolutely loved the color!
After they had time to take in everything in the room, the 9 year old ran out to give me a hug! She absolutely loved the faux fur pillow I made for her bed. Every girl needs a little glam!
This room was designed to accommodate the 3 year old girl and her 15 month old brother. Denise and I created the color scheme in this room keeping it whimsical for both a girl and a boy. The art was all hand painted by our volunteers with Jody Clark as the committee chair. In addition to the beauty of the room, several of us donated toys and books to each of the kids so they could really enjoy their new space.
The kids bathroom tile was cracked and in very poor shape. We replace with new porcelain tile and gave it a thorough cleaning and accessories. Now the kids have a great bathroom space all to themselves.
The master bedroom was huge by any standard. The size makes it a perfect retreat for both the parents as well as a quite place for the baby.
Again, all the art was hand made by our volunteers and the furniture was reupholstered and painted to fit into our design. The baby bedding was custom made to coordinate with the color scheme.
After walking through the apartment with the family they were so grateful and really could not believe how much had been done for them. In addition to the beautiful furnishings they were given their first nights meal, hot in the crock pot as well as a fully stocked pantry and refrigerator. The husband had no idea and he was amazed! As the man of the family you could see the relief on his face knowing that his family was going to have a wonderful place to live and thrive!
A HUGE Thank you to our sponsors & donors:
Prosource Flooring, Arizona Tile, Taylor King, Patina Flooring, Container Store, Texas Paint & Wallpaper, Eatzis, Peacock Alley, Sandro the electrician, J’s Tiling, Tracy Palmer, Kemtex, Simply Sew Creations, Chuck the faux artist, Kasmir Fabrics, Childress Fabrics, All Covered Upholstery, Nathan Grace, Nice Moves, Sleep Experts, Treeland Nursery, Shirley Oliver, and Wee Dream Scapes.
This has been the most fulfilling project I have done as a designer! It has been an absolute blessing to work with Dwell with Dignity and change the lives of a wonderful family!
