While the contest and judging period felt a bit grueling at times, the three-week design period and time spent working side-by-side with Widemans were pure creativity and fun. The $3000 budget allotted exclusively for use at the Dallas Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore was just enough to meet our design needs yet small enough of a budget to really push our creativity.

About the Widemans
The Widemans are self-described “total DIYers” who have redone several rooms in their home — an almost 90-year-old home. With two children under the age of six, two large dogs and a baby on the way, the Widemans are continuously challenged to enjoy family time in their cozy but tiny home. Not only is the home a small place to live, but it is also the couple’s home office as well. So, organization and effective space management were two of our most important goals.

Wideman Living Room Redesign
The Wideman’s living room needed to be pared down in terms of furniture and every area of the room needed to be optimized for maximum usage without compromising aesthetics.

We removed everything from the room, including the chair rail from the walls. Because the ReStore did not have any texture for the walls, we used mortar as texture. We then painted the walls, trim and ceiling from the paint selection available at the ReStore.

The existing hutch was a big space hog. We cut it down, mounted it to the wall and repurposed it as a TV cabinet, freeing up precious floor space.

The Wideman’s children needed a convenient but inconspicuous place to put their coats and backpacks. Before the makeover, the lack of effective organization created a cluttered and unpleasant living space for the Widemans. We repurposed a gate planter box for use as a coat and backpack rack. Bolts, repurposed wood and spray paint from the ReStore all added the final touched to make this function yet fabulous piece of furniture. We also created a space specifically for the children to do their homework and art projects. The desk is created using a marble slab attached to metal planter boxes that were cut down to serve as brackets and mounted to the wall — another space-saving piece of furniture. We hung a pendant lighting above the desk to create a well-define “nook” for the children.

Although we did not find shelving that would be appropriate for the Wideman’s living room at the ReStore, we did find a great way to repurpose the Wideman’s current shelving — aesthetically interesting shutter doors with a fresh coat of paint served as a nice touch to dress up the current shelves.

Metal planters were creatively repurposed as end tables. We created a decorative art display from several cabinet doors to hang as a focal point above the sofa and used spray paint to create a collage color and tie all the design elements in the room together.

All other living room furniture and lighting were purchased at a great price at the ReStore.

Wideman Dining Room Redesign
The Wideman’s dining room is where much of the family spends their time and also where the Widemans work. This space required a systematic approach to organization in order to provide a functional space that was also easy to keep organized.

We painted the walls using the flat paint available at the ReStore and used an acrylic spray to provide the satin finish and durability needed for the space. Because this small space needed to meet high functionality demands, we added wall mounted cabinets above the table for additional storage. We repurposed two vintage doors to create the dining room table (total cost of $35) and a decorative mirror feature above the table to add an elegant balance to this functional space.

The Wideman’s needed a secure storage space for the work supplies, which we created using two vintage, iron security gates from the ReStore. Shutters were mounted to hide the side of the refrigerator and to give a “built-in” look to the space. We also added a base cabinet for the microwave and granite top.

 Enjoy Before & After Photos of the Dallas Habitat for Humanity Design Duel Home Makeover

Today is day 3 of voting for the Habitat for Humanity Design Duel! Show your support by voting today and sharing the word with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Currently, we are slightly ahead of the Wilson Associates, an internationally acclaimed interior design firm with offices around the globe. Help keep Dallas’ local interior design firm Pickard Design Studio ahead in the competition today and tomorrow!

WATCH SARAH PICKARD ON  GOOD DAY

Thank you to everyone who tuned in yesterday morning to watch Sarah Pickard and Connie Jackson on Fox 4 Good Day. Hopefully you picked up a few “designing on a budget” tips as well as some creative ideas for repurposing gently used items such as the dining room table we created for only $35 by repurposing two front doors!

Habitat for Humanity ReSale Store
For this three-week design process, we were given a $3000 budget to select items exclusively from the Habitat for Humanity Restore, which sells reusable and surplus building materials to the public. Habitat for Humanity ReStore outlets all offer something a little different, but the main merchandising focus is on home improvement goods such as furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. Check out their website for a ReStore location near you. ReStore resale outlets accept donated goods which are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities. Support the local economy, save money and create environmentally and socially responsible interior design and home remodeling practices by utilizing this great resource, all while providing essential funding for Habitat’s community improvement work.

VOTE NOW!

View the Professional Photos of the Pickard Design Studio interior design for Habitat for Humanity Design Duel 2011

VOTE NOW!

Today is Day 2 of voting for the Habitat for Humanity Design Duel. We are really having fun watching the voting process! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to support Pickard Design Studio as well as Dallas Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that transforms neighborhoods by engaging families and community partners in creating affordable housing. As interior designers, this is certainly a project we are passionate about and were thrilled to participate in. Voting for the Design Duel competition continues through this Friday, September 23rd. Please show your support for this wonderful organization as well as for Pickard Design Studio by voting every day this week!

All the interiors designers and staff at Pickard Design Studio are honored to be selected to participate in this important design project because we truly believe in Habitat for Humanity’s mission “to build and repair simple, decent, affordable houses with those who lack adequate shelter,” and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to be evaluated by such a prestigious panel of judges: Barbara Gilbert, Barbara Gilbert Interiors, Interior Design Society; Charla Blake, Art Institute of Dallas; Christopher Wynn, FD Luxe, Peggy Levinson, D Home; and Tracy Kornet, CBS 11. Of course, public opinion is an important part of this voting process, and it is truly exciting to see the show of support we are getting from everyone. Learn more about the panel of judges on the Habitat for Humanity Design Duel website.

We would love to answer questions about the specific project as well as what it was like to work so closely with our “do-it-yourself” homeowners — who were a delight to work with over the three-week design period! Just reply to this blog with questions and/or comments.

See a full “Before & Photo Gallery” on the Pickard Design Studio Facebook page.

Enjoy a few before & after photos below. More photos coming soon!

The Dallas area Habitat for Humanity has taken a new twist on their mission “to build and repair simple, decent, affordable houses with those who lack adequate shelter” by launching the first annual Design Duel. The Pickard Design Studio was honored to be chosen to compete against the Wilson Associates, an internationally acclaimed design firm—what an honor! Thank you Habitat for Humanity for calling us and asking us to participate!

Habitat for Humanity’s Design Duel included a redesigned living and dining area for “do-it-yourselfer” type homeowners who could really benefit from a little “have it done” assistance from interior design professionals.

The design project included a three-week design period and a $3000 budget for supplies and merchandise from the Dallas Area ReStore and of course any custom created artwork and other design elements were welcomed. A full Before & After photo gallery will be coming this week, but below are the photos the families submitted with their application to participate in the competition.

Now that the designs are complete, the Habitat for Humanity Design Duel is ready to begin and that is where the Pickard Design Studio friends, Facebook fans, clients and the general public come in. Although there are official judges (designers and media personalities) for the competition, the public also has the opportunity to vote.

Designers are scored by the following criteria:
20 points – Budget (stayed within or under budget)
20 points – Creativity (use of materials, repurposing items)
20 points – Functionality (use of space, comfort)
20 points – Original Design (adhered to proposed concept/sketch)
20 points – General Public Vote (winner receives 20 points toward score)

Though both homeowners “win” with their sleek new living/dining spaces, only one designer will walk away from this first-ever competition with the “Top Designer” title and bragging rights!

May the Design Dual begin! Check back every morning as we will be posting Design Duel updates to the Pickard Design Studio blog each morning! 

Be sure to watch Sarah Pickard Wednesday morning on Good Day Dallas and get the behind-the-scenes scoop on this exciting Design Dual!

 VOTE PICKARD DESIGN STUDIO HERE!