Projects
Dream Fulfilled
Mom described her dream to the volunteer design team -- a home with a little glamour and an old school "art deco" feel. The Furnish with Love designers enthusiastically combed through the warehouse on a mission, pulling out a mirrored vanity stool, a nightstand with silver legs, a gorgeous slipper chair, and piling up their finds in preparation for moving day. Some creative bargain shopping ensued for curtain panels, drapery hardware, new bedding, and other finishing touches.
On install day, all the furnishings made it to the apartment by 10:00 AM, and seven volunteers worked at a fast clip to turn the dream into reality by 4:30 PM when the family returned. Mom and daughter were ushered upstairs and walked through their newly-decorated home in awe, touching new items and seeing their familiar things in a new light. Beaming, Mom said her vision had been brought to life. For Furnish with Love volunteers, those are the sweetest words.
Design by Mellissa Craig and Shakia Jones
Partner Agency: City of Refuge
Gifting to a Giving Mom
When we met her, this great young mom had a single used mattress on the floor of her bedroom with sheets that did not even fit. Meanwhile, she had invested everything she could into her four year old son’s room. He had a handsome twin bed, a sports-themed rug and bedding, a child’s book rack filled with age-appropriate reading material, and a train table to keep him creatively busy. We were thrilled to be able to gift them each a desk (as both are now in school), a furnished living room and a beautiful bedroom for this great mom.
Design by Rhonda Leonard and Chloe Develasco
Partner Agency: City of Refuge
Project Sponsor: NO VACANCY home staging
Photos by George Stewart, Impact Photos
Making Wise Use of Space
This refugee family lives in a tight apartment. To create a comfortable environment, we fit bunk beds and a twin bed in the bigger bedroom, moved what had been the TV console into the kids’ room for a dresser, changed out the large coffee table for a smaller one with folding leaves. A second large sofa was replaced with a single chair and comfy floor pillows that can be stood up against a wall. The former TV console was replaced with a set of cubbies to allow for extra storage. In the kitchen, we gifted stackable stools that can slide under a new tall movable island. We wish the family all the best on their continued journey!
Design by Beth Krakow, head heart home design & Tracie Moore
Partners Inspiritus, Refugee and Immigrant Services
A Safe Landing
Life was good for the Jackson family until neighborhood violence forced them to make a quick getaway from their jobs and their home, leaving most of their belongings behind. Thanks to their hard work and the incredible support of City of Refuge, they are now settled in Atlanta with the two boys in school, Mom & Dad working and even a family business plan evolving. As just one piece of the puzzle to help them pull their lives back together, the Furnish with Love team created this home where they can fuel their passions - cooking, basketball, drawing, Star Wars, reading and family time.
Design by Ashleigh Esprit, Shakia Jones, and Tracie Moore
Partners: City of Refuge
Photos by George Stewart, Impact Photos
Mother & Daughter Femininity
Candace and Auri have been through a lot. And, yet, they have the sweetest smiles and brightest attitudes you could ever imagine. Their request was to include soft, blush colors and brilliant unicorns in the design of their home and we were happy to deliver! On the morning of the installation, we arrived to a kitchen full of gifts for us, our recipients’ expression of appreciation. That evening, all of us wiped tears from our eyes as we revealed their new home and experienced the palpable joy in the room. Had it not been for Covid-19 precautions, there would’ve bigger and longer hugs all around!
Design by Natalie Lewis, Mariposa Consulting, LLC & Chandra Farley
Partners: City of Refuge
Total Re-fresh
Two families each year call this house their home while they work with Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM) staff toward creating self-sufficiency and stability. DCM invited Furnish with Love to hit refresh and provide new furnishings, sleeping space for 6 people, and a lighter, brighter look for 2021.
Design by Crawford Bray, Crawford Bray Design & Anne Wisniewski, AJW Designs, Inc.
Partners: Decatur Cooperative Ministry
Out of the Fire
Due to a 3:00am apartment fire, the Zuluanga-Lopez family lost everything overnight. In less than a week, a volunteer crew got to live out our name and “Furnish with Love”! We selected, assembled, and moved all the furniture, installing a 3-bedroom apartment in record time! A fully furnished home, filled with warmth, generosity, and beauty, is a wonderful thing to be able to give a family.
Design by Lisa Turner, Trinity Home Design
Partners: Design Logistics
Shelter in Place
No thanks to the lockdown initiated during the beginning of the pandemic, this installation initially planned for March joyfully took place in July after the industrious Williams family went through many changes during the pandemic - a layoff, new job, acceptance to nursing school, and a move! While we typically include a detailed installation to families’ homes, due to COVID-19 precautions, we had to drop off items to this family. However, this amazing mom and son are delighted with their new home and the furnishings carefully gathered and selected for them. Her words were “crying with joy".
Design by Radhika Vydianathan, Kalaa Chakra Interiors & Beth Krakow, head heart home design
Partners: Interfaith Outreach Home
Colors of Happiness
To wrap up serving Atlanta families in 2019, Furnish with Love’s volunteers created this home of reds, oranges, yellows and blues to put everyday cheer into the lives of the next family that will settle down here.
Design by Wallace Bryan & Elizabeth Turner, Trinity Home & Design
Photos by Anastasia Alkema Architectural Photography
Funding sponsored in honor of Warren LeGarie, Albert Hall and Rhoda Festejo
Bright & Beautiful
We completed this project for a mom whose work commute from Clayton County to North Fulton took a toll on her health and her car. With her car down, it became impossible to get to work. Without a job and little savings, she was soon evicted. She invested the last of her savings in the repair of her car, hoping to return to work but that became impossible to do. She found friends and family who were willing to keep her son while she lived out of her car and sought employment. We were so happy to create this fresh, bright, and comfortable new environment for mother and son.
Design by Emily Klimkiewicz, Purple Martin Interiors
Photos by Ulrich Brinkmann Photography
Funding sponsored in honor of Warren LeGarie, Albert Hall and Rhoda Festejo
Small but Mighty
Our volunteers worked hard to make this compact space livable for a family of four on their way to a new and fulfilling life. Eliminating the worry of finding the basics for a home, and even adding to the aesthetics, ensures they have everything they need to settle into a home that will nurture them and allow them to focus on moving forward.
Design by Lisa Turner, Trinity Home
Photos by Mary Powell Photography
