Good Shepherd Charity Project: AFTER Photos of Room Makeover

Several of you have been asking me, "When are you going to post the AFTER pictures from the Good Shepherd project?!" Well, the wait is finally OVER and I'm so excited to be sharing with you the final results of the room I had the pleasure of re-designing back in June. Just to quickly re-cap on the project:  Earlier this year, project manager and organizers, Vanessa De Vargas and Vanessa Kogevinas, recruited 30 designers in the LA area to design and furnish 30 rooms at the Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles, a center for homeless woman and children. The units we worked on serve as temporary housing to help single women of all ages get back on their feet, after facing financial hardship, addiction, abuse, or any other unfortunate circumstance that contributed to them becoming homeless. The project was 100% pro-bono and we all volunteered our time and resources to make it happen. We had 30 days to completely transform our individual room, however we saw fit. This was hands-down, the most rewarding design project I have ever been a part of. It was a pleasure to work at a women's center staffed with the sweetest group of women and nuns. I also enjoyed meeting and becoming friends with several of the other designers who participated in this project. So, without further adieu, here are the BEFORE & AFTER photos of the room I designed...Enjoy!

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{BED BEFORE}

 {BED AFTER}

I replaced the existing bed (which was more like a brick mattress on a piece of plywood) with a brand new frame, mattress, and box spring. One of my upholstery vendors donated the custom headboard, which I had upholstered in a bright white mircrosuede fabric (daring choice to go white white, but I think it was worth it!)

I purchased this Bungalow 5 chest (which was one of several donated at a very discounted price) and had it re-painted in a high gloss white (was originally off-white). I changed out the hardware to petite crystal knobs, which I purchased from Target. The acrylic lamp is also from Target.

I replaced the existing ceiling light fixture (which was awful) with this beautiful round glass beaded chandelier. We added the ceiling medallion to dress things up, which made a huge difference! (only $20 from Lowes).

I thought this art print added the perfect touch of inspiration to the space. "Life is Beauty Full" by Sugarboo Designs, donated from my online shop.

 

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{ROOM BEFORE}

 {ROOM AFTER}

When I first started designing this project, I selected the drapery fabric first, and built the rest of the room around it. The fabric I chose was Woven Jacquard Ikat Fret Raspberry by Robert Allen. I LOVE the way the drapery panels turned out! They totally "made" the entire space.

I started off with a pink, white and gray color scheme, then decided it needed a pop of yellow. I found this amazing chair from HomeGoods at the very last minute (literally, 2 days before the project deadline)! It was like it was made just for this room!

I hung a pair of white lacquered shelves from IKEA above the chair, to give the woman living in the room a place to store books, display picture frames, etc. Shelves are a great way to add storage to a small space (especially if there isn't enough room for a bookcase).

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{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

I wanted to create a small work space that felt separate from the rest of the room, so I placed the desk (which was a total steal from Target.com) underneath a window that faced out to a nice view. I changed out the hardware with vintage style crystal knobs - they completely transformed the look. The (2) white cutout art prints were from HomeGoods.

The desk chair was donated by Bassman-Blaine and Associates one of my favorite sales agency/showrooms ever! (To-the-trade only).

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{VANITY AREA BEFORE}

{VANITY AREA AFTER}

To brighten up the vanity area, I painted the back wall a bold shade of pink called Couture by Valspar (available at Lowes). The existing light fixture was switched out for a sweet little crystal chandelier (also from Lowes). In lieu of a towel ring, I used adorable gold crown hooks, which can also be used to hang jewelry. The gorgeous mirror was donated by one of my FAVORITE vendors, Made Goods (the Sabine mirror, made of faux Shagreen).

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{MORE AFTER PHOTOS}

I wanted to create a small entryway upon walking into the room, so I added this magenta chest, which had a distressed finish that gave it a vintage look. I hung a bulletin board above the chest so the woman living in this room can easily keep track of her appointments, reminders, etc. 

Me with my amazing husband Ryan, who I could NOT have done this project without. He was my handyman, painter, furniture assembler, and back-up designer when I needed another eye (he's the one who pushed me to do the bright white headboard). I love him more than words and am blessed to call him my husband and best friend :)

Posing with new friends (and the only other designers working on this project from "the OC", everyone else was from LA). On my left, Typhanie Peterson from Shoebox Decor & on my right, Jessica from Jessica Bennett Interiors.

That's a wrap! This was taken at the end of day 2 of the Open House weekend, just before I packed up and left room #110 for good. It's now being occupied by one blessed woman, who is fortunate to be a part of the Good Shepherd family. I wish her, and all of the women who stay in this room throughout the years, the very best in life and much success and happiness. xoxo - Julie 

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A very special thanks to the following companies who contributed to my room design and made it possible for me to complete this project:

LOWES

KIYONNA WOMEN'S CLOTHING

MODEL HOME SOURCE

MADE GOODS

FLORES DESIGN

BUNGALOW 5

Also, a very special thanks to my family, friends and clients for their generous donations with time and/or money. I am forever grateful. 

Charity Project: Good Shepherd Women's Shelter

I'm so excited to share with you an amazing project that I'm blessed to be a part of. Project manager and organizers, Vanessa De Vargas and Vanessa Kogevinas, have recruited 20 designers in the LA area (myself included) to design and furnish 20 rooms at the Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles, a center for homeless woman and children. The units we'll be working on serve as temporary housing to help women of all ages get back on their feet.  This project is 100% pro-bono and we're all volunteering our time and resources to make it happen. Please visit the official Charity Design Project blog for more information and ways you can help (such as gift card donations to home stores, etc). Additionally, if you are a vendor or designer in the industry and have any furniture, lighting, accent pillows, fabric, wall paper, wall decals, etc. that you'd like to donate, please visit the project blog as well for details.{All donations will be provided with a tax deductible receipt}. And feel free to spread the word via twitter, facebook, etc! I'm looking forward to getting started and promise to keep you updated on the progress of my room design over the next couple months! If you have any questions, you can also email me direct at julie[at]modernchichome[dot]com. (BEDROOM IMAGE CREDIT ABOVE VIA)

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

"UNITY" by MONICA STEWART

I recently received an email from one of my blog readers, Kara Butterfield, and she introduced me to a charity that she and her sister Tahnya are very involved with. It's a non-profit charity called The Progressive Women's Association. This organization works voluntarily to "Stop Violence Against Women in Pakistan." Thousands of women and young girls are beaten, raped, severely disfigured, burned alive...most of the time, by family members or by their husbands. Discriminatory laws combined with harmful customary laws and practices deny women their human rights in Pakistan. Women are considered second class citizens.

The Mission of the Progressive Women's Association:

P.W.A. is a voluntary non-government, apolitical organization formed in 1986.

- To advocate for women's rights violations
- To fight discriminatory laws against women
- To provide and encourage political empowerment for women
- To expose hidden domestic violence against women
- To evolve strategies for the empowerment of women

By organizing wardrobe exchange parties, Kara and Tahnya donate $5 per article of clothing exchanged to the charity. Kara says, "a small token of our big belief in PWA's fund raising efforts to bring a stop to the horrific violence some women are subjected to, often by their immediate family." Click here to find out more on P.W.A. and how you can help with this very important cause.

A big thank you to Kara for contacting me with this fantastic charity to feature on "Giving Back" Tuesdays. If you would like your favorite charity featured on Giving Back Tuesdays, or if you have a topic that you'd like me to explore, please email me - it would greatly appreciated.

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

I have always had a passion for animals and it breaks my heart to think about any animal being neglected, abused or abandoned. My husband and I adopted our kitty Oliver from our local animal shelter and it felt great to give the little munchkin a chance at a good life. So many other animals aren't as fortunate.

This week's charity of choice is Animals for Adoption -"Creating More Humane Communities for People and Pets." A little about their organization: "Animals are abandoned daily, starving and neglected. To prevent this, our programs educate pet owners, assist the impoverished, promote adoptions and improve shelter conditions nationwide." They have three different national outreach programs to help educate pet owners and potential adopters on how to treat and care for their animals; Assess-A-Pet, which is a nationally known temperament test that identifies congenial, family pets in shelters, aiming to keep adopters and their communities safer by matching families with safe pets that create permanent, loving relationships; Train-to-Adopt is a program committed to the Quality of Life for all dogs in shelters. Individuals and shelters can certify and learn to train shelter dogs to enhance adaptability and carry out behavioral exercises to keep shelter dogs calm, sane, and content; Training Wheels is a national mobile outreach program that brings trained shelter workers, dog trainers and volunteers to people's homes, providing them with whatever help they might need (education, financial, etc.) in a proactive and non-punitive way. Often people who most need help with their pets are least able to access and afford that help. Through the various Training Wheels® programs, pet owners are often able to keep their pets and avoid having to relinquish them. To learn more about this wonderful organization and how you can help, click here.

PHOTO CREDITS: ALLPOSTERS.COM

"Giving Back" Tuesdays

"Giving Back" Tuesdays are all about taking a moment from our busy lives to give to a good cause and make a difference. I've enjoyed researching different charities and organizations to highlight once a week in an effort to raise awareness for various causes. This weeks charity is Miracle Flights for Kids. "Founded in 1985, Miracle Flights for Kids® is a national, 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization dedicated to helping very sick children overcome financial obstacles that prevent them from accessing proper medical care and second opinions." Miracle Flights for Kids flies children with serious cancers and debilitating diseases to specialized medical treatment centers across the US, as many times as needed. This enables sick children and their parents to receive the help they need, no matter the location. What a fantastic way to help those in need! Click here to learn more about how you can help.

Giving Back Tuesdays

This is the first post of a new weekly feature I've created. Every Tuesday, I'll dedicate a post to "giving back." Topics will range from featured charities and organizations that help with various causes; home design resources that donate portions of their profits to a good cause, etc. I did a post a while back about how important I feel it is to give back to the community by donating time and/or money to help make the world a better place.

The first organization I'd like to feature is The Nature Conservancy. Their mission statement: "To preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." Since their founding in 1951, they have protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide and operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally. Among the many different ways to donate and give, they have an "Adopt and Acre" program that is dedicated to protect the rain forests of Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. The Osa Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and diverse habitats, home to lush rain forests, beautiful beaches and some of the most precious creatures God has created. The expansion of urban areas, farming, tourism, illegal logging, and poaching are destroying the rain forests and natural habitat for animals such as the jaguar, puma and sea turtle, among many. With just a $50 donation you will help protect and restore one of the world's most extraordinary regions that is slowly diminishing. Click here for more information on how you can give back.

All of these photos are from the Osa Penninsula, Costa Rica. The beauty of the land and the vibrant colorful creatures takes my breath away! Photo credits: The Nature Conservancy.

Giving Back

I was talking to my husband tonight about how I've been feeling the urge lately to "give back" to the community and do my part to donate time or money to different charities and organizations. The only problem is, I don't know which ones. I found a website called Charity Navigator and their slogan is "your guide to intelligent giving." Who they are: "Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,300 of America's largest charities." You can look up almost any charity and check out their stats - how much they take in each year, how much they pay out in expenses, how much their CEO's and top employees make, etc. It's very interesting and kind of an eye opener in regards to doing all your homework about an organization before becoming involved, whether it be with your time and/or donating any money. I did find a couple of websites that give options for charities to get involved with: 1) Animal Charities of America: "Protecting pets, wildlife, and endangered species. Teaching people to treat animals with respect. Humane training of animals as helpmates and companions to people in need." Through their Members section, you can view various charities that focus on specific areas of animal rights and choose for yourself which charity you'd like your money to go to; 2) Just Give is an organization that is "Dedicated to creating tools and services to make charitable giving part of our everyday lives, JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about." They also have a database of charities to choose from, ranging from animal rights and education, to arts & culture, hunger & poverty, and everything in between. I did come across one charity that looks pretty legitimate: Born Free Foundation, "keep wildlife in the wild." They are actively involved in stopping captive animal suffering in zoos, etc.; rescuing big cats from being held captive in tiny cages; rescuing orphaned apes involved in "bushmeat" and exotic pet trades; the protection of wild elephants and their habitats as well as fighting ivory trade and the capture of wild elephants for zoos...these are just a few areas among many that this charity is involved in. I have such a passion and love for animals and feel so strongly about protecting their rights and being a "voice" for them.
I think I have my homework cut out for me to find something I connect with and that I trust to become actively involved with. Do you have any suggestions, comments or experiences with "giving back?" If so, please share!

Happy Friday!

I'm a big fan of wine and wanted to share with you a new brand that was launched last early last year. It's called Hope Wine. This company donates 50% of it's profits to three diseases: AIDS, Autism and Breast Cancer. By donating 50% of profit they look to aid in the fight to educate and find a cure as well as spread awareness for these causes. It all comes down to spreading a message of HOPE. They are soon going to expand nationwide but are currently stocked at various stores only in California. I've sampled all three wines they offer and they are wonderful - I especially like the Chardonnay. Visit their website for more information. Cheers!