Projects
Designed to Delight
This family home exceeded all expectations for a mother, teenage son, and young daughters. Furnish with Love volunteer designers listen closely to learn the needs and wishes of each family member when they make an initial site visit. Then plans are carefully developed so that each room reflects the personality of the occupant.
The design team thrilled each member of this family with their personalized rooms: a boxing theme for the son, unicorns and rainbows for the young girls, and a soothing, relaxing space for Mom. The apartment was perfectly designed for family living.
Special thanks to volunteer designers Shakia Jones of Allure Haus Designs, Mellissa Craig, and Robin Ligameri.
Creating Space for Family Life
Creating warm and useful spaces for a mother and four young children in a small apartment is a challenge, one this volunteer design team welcomed. Mom, a preschool teacher, now has a beautiful bedroom with a desk to work on lesson plans. The girls have a bunk bed dream room, and the 9-year old son and baby brother share space highlighted by bright spots of orange, a favorite color. The family has a cozy den and generous table for meals and games.
The family was overwhelmed when they returned to their once-empty apartment after the transformation was complete. "This could NOT be our house," the kids repeated as they explored with beaming smiles. It truly is a new home for a new life.
Special thanks to volunteer designers Marcia Knight and Kemper Orr of Marcia K. Knight Interior Designs.
Surrounded by Warmth
The Lafleur family recently moved into a townhome after living in their car in a park, then in a local shelter for months. Both Mom and Dad have found jobs at Hartsfield-Jackson airport since moving to Atlanta, but saving enough money to have a permanent home takes time. The Boyce Ansley School referred this family of four from Haiti, emphasizing what good parents and excellent students this family includes.
Our volunteer designers pulled together a relaxing bedroom for the parents, a pink dream of a room for the two young girls, and a multi-tasking den, dining, and office area. The family was speechless as they roamed through their new home, taking it all in.
Special thanks to volunteer designers Robin Ligameri, Gina Vono, Katie Nowakowski and Beth Krakow
A Home that Roars!
A strong person who lost her parents as a teenager and left an abusive relationship, this Mom is buoyed by life in her beautiful new home. Mom works at a Fortune 500 company and is making a fresh start with her 5-year-old son. In the words of the social worker who referred her to Furnish with Love, “her tenacity and zeal for life show how resilient she has been through her trials.”
Mom wanted a sleek look but still wanted to be surrounded by memories. She asked the designers if they could add to her collection of black and white accessories and make a special place to remember her mother. Her son just wanted dinosaurs. And he likes them to ROAR! Our volunteer designers got to work and created a welcoming home full of treasurers from her past and ready for new adventures.
Special thanks to volunteer designers Ann Hesskamp, Katie Nowakowski, and Mellissa Craig
A Bed of His Own
When we met this mother and five-year-old son, they had just transitioned from three years of homelessness. They had lost their home when fleeing from domestic violence and were immensely grateful to finally have a place to call their own. They were nominated for a FwL gift by a social worker at the child’s school who shared with us that, despite all the hardships they faced and continue to face, this mom gets her son to school on time every day with a smile on her face. Mom’s greatest hope in getting our gift was that her son would get his own bed.
Special thanks to volunteer designers Audrey Frances King of Audrey Frances Design and Loren Audrey Taylor of Loren Taylor Interior Design.
What Makes Them Feel Good
At Furnish with Love, we know that space effects how you feel and that there is no more important space than home. In this case, 10 year old Elijah shared that he feels joy when watching his favorite show, Naruto. So, our volunteer designers brought in some of the show’s posters, merchandise and bold colors. Grandmom Delyane shared that she is particularly drawn to the color mauve and “older pieces with a soul”. These desires led the transformation of a donated desk, and her bedroom.
“I wake up like, ‘wow, this is great’. Somehow, my bed feels more comfortable. Elijah didn’t want to sleep in his bed because he didn’t want to mess up the new bedding. So, I took a photo for him of how you all made it.” Elijah’s grandmom and guardian Delayne.
Design by Katie Nowakowski and Ann Hesskamp
Partner Agency: City of Refuge
Project Sponsor: Keller Knapp Realty, Inc.
Growing Up
We met these sweet brothers with very different needs. Big bro is in the 5th grade, so homework is picking up. As we believe in all school age children having a place that reminds them that their studies are important, he got a handsome desk surrounded by mementoes of his favorite team - the Atlanta Falcons. The little guy is battling some health issues that he is expected to outgrow in a year. So, for now he’s in a toddler bed next to mom, but soon he’ll be able to move into a big boy bed just like his brother.
“Thank you! It’s a home.” Mom of 2 boys, Renee.
Design by Krisztina Bell and Rhonda Leonard, No Vacancy Home Staging
Partner Agency: Mary Hall Freedom House
Project Sponsor: No Vacancy Home Staging
Photos by George Steward, Impact Photo
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
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
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, 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, volunteers worked at a fast clip to turn the dream into reality in just 6 hours. 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.
Design by Mellissa Craig and Shakia Jones
Partner Agency: City of Refuge
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