Interior Design


Our Interior Design project connects interior designers to adults with special needs in order to create living spaces that enhance their lives.


What exactly are we doing?


We understand that living with a disability has challenges that are hard to overcome so we want to provide living spaces that remove some of these challenges. By partnering with interior designers, we’re giving people with disabilities a chance to revitalize their homes so they feel at ease in their space. To that end, we are placing artwork on the walls, painting wonderful colors, buying furniture, making sure the lighting is just right, choosing the most appropriate flooring and doing everything we would do with our own spaces.

Along with being aesthetically pleasing and personal, we’re making sure that our designs follow the Principles of Universal Design which accommodates for all mobility levels and impairments. Our first recipients are the residents of an assisted living home in Goleta, California that houses adults with special needs. We’re also looking to expand the project to support the elderly and families who have sick children at home.


Why is it so important?


A home should be our most functional, safe and restful place in the world. Most of the time though, the living spaces of people with disabilities is just enough to survive, not thrive. We would like to provide a place where they can rest their mind, body and spirit.

When you’ve had a hard day at work and come home to a cluttered kitchen, a disorganized living space, or you stub your toe on an oddly placed coffee table, it only adds to the frustration of life. Our goal is to help eliminate some of those frustrations for our friends with disabilities so that they can focus on the more important parts of their lives like staying healthy and connecting with people they love.

Along with practical solutions of mobility and organization, we’re hoping that each recipient will collaborate with their interior designer so that their space can express more of who they are, what they enjoy, and support the life they want to live. Whether it’s having the ability to host game nights, relax in a recliner chair, or have a table to support their love of puzzles, the enjoyment of life of our recipients can grow from a uniquely designed space.


Meet Matthew!


 
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Matthew recently received a makeover for his room from Foundation For The Arts. The success of this project sparked an enthusiasm to see more people with special needs have a living space that they truly enjoy. We’re reaching out to Matthew’s neighbors in his assisted living apartment complex in order to help more than 20 people revamp their rooms.

 
 
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Want to help?


This project needs:

  • Sponsors for each special needs adult

  • General volunteers to help paint walls and move furniture.

  • Interior design volunteers to design rooms for each individual

  • Partnering artists to loan or donate artwork