A non-profit director entered the store's Life Improvement Challenge makeover — and won a gorgeous makeover of her organization's community center.
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The family room sofa was looking a little shabby with cushions packed down from years of intensive use.
Then there were space-usage issues. Books overflowing from the bookshelves lined one windowsill, and large plastic bins supplemented insufficient storage, holding toys and smaller everyday items.
Kate Duggan wanted to replace the sofa and to add little touches that would make the space feel more welcoming and comfortable. But funds were tight, so she went to Ikea.
Duggan didn't go to the store chain to shop, but for help. As executive director of Family Promise of Bergen County she approved an idea to try for Ikea's philanthropic Life Improvement Challenge makeover. As a result of daily voting from their numerous associated volunteers, the organization was selected in April to win an Ikea makeover valued at more than $8,500 for the family center.
The center is in the rented lower level of a nearby Ridgewood church. It literally provides living space for families, mostly mothers and children, who suddenly find themselves homeless.
"The rent goes up or their work hours are cut, and they can't make it anymore," says Duggan. The families that use the program are sheltered at numerous area churches overnight. They then are shuttled to the family center, which provides a place for them to shower, do laundry, have meals, pay bills online, do homework or just relax, socialize and play after a day at work, school or daycare.
"This is where they start their day," Duggan said. "When they have finished their day, they come back to the family center. At 6 o' clock, the van comes to take them to the congregation where they are going to sleep."
The programs of Family Promise also are designed to help families increase their earning potential and become self-sufficient, Duggan said. "It's not a matter of just returning them to housing. Our program is focused on providing job training and increased education." They also help with "soft skills," she said. "You learn to look people in the eye and to really present yourself in the best possible way - all the things that go into making you the most marketable candidate out there."
To make over the communal family center, Ikea staffers evaluated the space and concluded that the open area should be reorganized, in addition to bringing in the new sofa and storage units. They wanted to offer the families a place to keep their essential belongings, so several tall armoires were brought in, all bolted to the wall for safety. The space was divided into zones for specific activities, including areas that could offer a bit of privacy to those wanting to be away from the group for a time. The family center is used by several families at once, often as many as 14 adults and children.
Ikea donated labor, paint, furnishings, curtains, accessories and a refrigerator as part of the communal room's makeover.
"It actually made the room look bigger, said Corinne Lau, spokeswoman for Paramus Ikea, which managed and staffed the makeover. There is the reading nook, a play rug, the sectional for conversation or watching TV. New seating was added in several areas, including a computer nook. Yellow chairs now surround the center's large dining table. "We put in yellow chairs to bring up the color in the space," Lau said.
A punch of color also comes with a bright green and yellow storage unit that doubles as a low room divider, separating the dining area from the sofa area.
"They came in, and they assembled everything and set it all up," Duggan said. "They were very clear that anything above a certain height would have to be secured to wall," she said discussing the makeover, which was completed before Ikea voluntarily recalled millions of chests and dressers that need to be strapped to a wall to avoid falling over.
Deaths and injuries related to televisions and furniture tipping over has been an industry-wide safety issue. Many manufacturers - including Ikea - now pack wall straps with furnishings that could topple over and cause injury or death.
With such safety issues avoided, Duggan said families that use the center were very excited about the new look. "It's really hard to have lost everything and to become homeless," she said. "We know what it does for our spirits when we renovate our kitchens, so imagine what it does for these families," she said. "This is their living space."
What they renovated
The family center at Family Promise of Bergen County in Ridgewood.
Who did the work
How much it cost
More than $8,500 in furnishings and labor was donated by Ikea
How they saved
By keeping some furniture, including bookshelves, a large dining table, and a playhouse and other toys.
Where they splurged
On a large sectional sofa and a stainless steel refrigerator
How long it took
Two days
What they'd have done differently
Nothing. "In fact, when they sent us the fabric choices, we were surprised at how vibrant they were. They did a better job than I think we would have," Duggan said. "The word everybody everybody uses when they walk into the space is 'cheery'."
Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.