design for a difference reveal day
FLOOR360 and NBC15 revealed the results of the 2022 Design for a Difference Makeover on October 15, 2022 to the staff at Common Threads Family Resource Center in Madison. This moment was the first time the staff saw the facility since September 30. During that time, the volunteer interior design team and an army of volunteers, donors, installers, painters, artists, muralists and specialists transformed 5,500 sq ft of space inside the facility. The grand total of the value contributed by the Madison Community was $450,000!
team floor360 pitches in
The Design Team and an army of businesses, volunteers and donors power the Design for a Difference makeover at Common Threads Family Resource Center. But everyone on the team at FLOOR360 lends a hand as well, not just the flooring installation experts and project managers! Team members from Interior Design/Sales, Accounting, Purchasing, Marketing, Warehouse, Estimating and Administration all pitch in to make this project happen.
Before makeover photos of common threads family resource center
The space inside Common Threads that FLOOR360’s Design for a Difference team is transforming is the old Community Action Coalition food bank warehouse and other spaces totaling approximately 5,500 square feet. The makeover will take place October 3-15 and we can always use volunteer help or donations to make this happen. Visit the donation page or Amazon gift list page. The design details always remain a secret until the staff at Common Threads sees it for the first time on October 15. We can promise it will be a transformation that the non-profit can leverage into improved revenue streams, visibility, staff recruitment, services, participation and pride in the work they do.
2022 Design for a difference Design team planning begins
FLOOR360 organizes the planning meetings that take place at FLOOR360 or on-site at Common Threads. Angela Skalitzky the Design for a Difference Project Manager, has divided the overall floorplan into smaller spaces so the design team can breakout into smaller groups and transform those spaces. Then, they each meet with the people who work at Common Threads so they learn about the function of each space.
Each small group inside the Design Team creates a concept for their space based on it’s ideal function and the wish list from the people who use the space at Common Threads. From now until October, the design team will seek donations for the materials, labor and funds they need to make their vision come alive.
2022 MAKEOVER RECIPIENT - COMMON THREADS
On May 24, 2022 FLOOR360 and NBC15 officially announced that Common Threads Madison will receive the 2022 Design for a Difference Makeover at their location on Stoughton Rd. Their mission is to empower individuals with autism, mental health, and sensory differences by providing meaningful support to them and their families. Our plan is to create a design plan and execute a makeover in their main area and time out rooms. A design team will gather in June, then meet with the team at Common Threads to understand the function and needs of their space.
2020 Design For A Difference: Home is Where the Heart Is
Due to the issues related to COVID-19 in 2020, the national Design for a Difference movement decided to look for local heroes making a difference in their communities. Nominations were sent in from all over the United States and Canada to select a few that would become finalists that everyone was invited to vote on. The Madison area had four individuals in the national finalists voting phase and they were Oscar Mireles, Lynn Aspinwell, Diane Small, Brenda Szarek, and Vickie Tauscheck.
In October the person with the most votes was determined to be the national winner and received a home makeover valued up to $10,000. When the runners-up were announced FLOOR360 was thrilled to find out Oscar Mireles was selected from the Madison area. He receives a home makeover valued up to $2500. We will install the flooring he selects, and provide him with an interior design consultation and recommendations.
Congratulations!!
2019 Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center Makeover Complete
October 12 – On a cold fall day at 2pm, the leadership team, board members and invited guests were led into the Yahara Room at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center with their eyes closed. When they opened their eyes they were treated to a whole new redesigned community room thanks to the hard work of interior designers and area businesses who were brought together by FLOOR360 and Design for a Difference to makeover 8,500 square feet inside a 115 year old church. There are 11 rooms total that received a design makeover. The two largest are the Yahara Room which anyone can rent out for their event. Downstairs there’s a redesigned teen and kids room with a loft, a Lego wall and gaming areas. There’s an Art Room and a Fitness Room where there wasn’t one before. The creativity and vivid colors are everywhere like the new logo in the entry and murals in the Yahara Room, Youth Room and Art Room. Points of interest are a sculpture hanging from the ceiling made of 12 brass instruments, a clock made out piano keys, donated road signs decorating the walls, and a colorful mural depicting all the summer festivals with a new Wil-Mar logo.
2019 Makeover In Progress
September 29 through October 11 an army of volunteers from FLOOR360, interior designers on the design team and local businesses worked around the clock in secret to make a special place like Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center even more special. The Design for a Difference makeover details like paint color, floor color, furniture and creative design details are a closely guarded secret until the final results are revealed during a private event with the leadership team and board members of Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center on October 12. This is the fifth year in a row that the Madison community has shared in the joy of giving by giving back to a local non-profit who has given thousands of people so much over the years. A big extra thanks to our media partners NBC15 and BRAVA for supporting the makeover with volunteers and sharing the good news about the giving spirit of the Madison community.
Top Secret Makeover Begins
September 25 – The top secret work has begun on the designs inside the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center. The all-volunteer design team has been planning the designs since May, and now the floors, the colors, the lighting and all the personalized features of the ‘new’ Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center will be installed. Everyone who works at FLOOR360 pitches in during the makeover, especially the Installation A-Team. But all the creative designing, donation collection, and beautiful details come from the design team comprised of interior designers in Madison. An army of area businesses shares in the joy of giving by donating labor, materials and funds to make a great space for this special place.
The team that works at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center and all the people that use their services will not see the results of the Makeover until mid-October during a reveal event that is closed to the public. Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center plans to have a public open house shortly after to show everyone what their ‘new’ facility looks like.
Fundraising at Willy Street Fair
On September 14, Design for a Difference design team members Cathy Wall, Audra Johnson, Emili Spencer, Erin Lynett and Laurie Lundgren volunteered a couple of hours to pour beer at the Willy Street Fair. The non-profit recipient of the 2019 free makeover. Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, sponsors this festival held on Williamson Street each and every year. The total amount raised from the tips was $225 that goes to buying supplies for the makeover happening during the first two weeks in October.
2019 Video Progress Updates
Thanks to our partners at NBC15, we are able to document the progress of the Design for a Difference Design Team from April until October. Here are the first three updates that show the design team as they meet for the first time to each select a room to design inside Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in Design Update #1, the design team meets with the people who use Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center to determine their needs and wants in Design Update #2, and the design team collaborating on seeking donations and materials they need to bring their creative designs to life in Design Update #3.
Design Update #1
Design Update #2
Design Update #3
Design Update #4
Friday Construction Progress Meetings
On Fridays, the Design for a Difference-Madison design team meets with people from NCI Roberts who are doing major construction changes inside Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center June through October. The design team communicates with the NCI Roberts team on project progression and things like electrical and wiring and how that will fit in with the cosmetic design plans and finishes. During the first two weeks in October, the flooring will be installed and the designers will execute their design concepts for each room. Volunteers will paint, place and assemble furnishings and add lots of creative flourishes to personalize the spaces for the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center community. But everything is a closely guarded secret until the day the design team reveals the finished rooms to the team leaders at Wil-Mar.
Fundraiser at La Fete de Marquette
On Friday July 12, members of the 2019 Design for a Difference Design Team poured beer for festival goers in the Bistro tent at La Fete de Marquette, McPike Park Madison, WI. There were donation jars on the table for people to help us purchase materials for the makeover taking place inside Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center this year. It was a hot evening but the beer and wine were cold. Soon after pouring beer everyone went backstage next to the main stage to get a bucket to start a bucket brigade between musical acts. As the Design for a Difference video edited by NBC15 played on the big screen, the design team fanned out in the crowd to collect more donations. At the end of the beer shift and bucket brigade, a total of $500 was raised for the makeover!
Design Meeting at Steinhafel’s
On July 11, Steinhafel’s East Madison was generous enough to offer the design team space in their showroom to hold a meeting. Everyone took time at the beginning to tour the showroom, which is where the old American store was on the east side, with more space added on. They discussed the fundraising opportunity at the La Fete de Marquette event and the progress of design planning. Each team has a plan for their rooms now, so they are deep into the phase of the project where they are looking for donations of materials to make their design vision a reality. As always all design plans are a closely guarded secret until reveal day.
Madison College Interior Design Program Meeting
DESIGN CHARRETTE – a collaborative meeting during which members of a team quickly collaborate and sketch designs to explore and share a broad diversity of design ideas.
On June 13, students in the Madison College of Interior Design Program held a meeting at Madison College to talk about their design plans and concepts for the Youth Room – known as a Design Charrette. The volunteers and students are donating their time to make over the Youth Rec Room and Youth Director Office. Watch the NBC15 news coverage about the event that helps demonstrate the reach Design for a Difference as a movement is having on the Madison Community.
2019 Designer Rummage Sale
UPDATE: We raised over $2000 for the makeover this October!
On June 8, volunteers from the Design for a Difference- Madison Design Team – Alexandra Wood, Cathy Driftmier, Brenda Szarek, Tara Buedding, Angela Skalitzky, Alyssa Trautman and Audra Johnson took the first volunteer shift at the Designer Rummage Sale that was held at FLOOR360 from 9am-4pm. This was the second year interior designers donated household decorative items like lamps, prints, dishes, pottery, mirrors, holiday items and furniture to sell to raise money for the free makeover of a Madison area non-profit. This year, FLOOR360 donated leftover quantities of tile and hardwood sample boards for people use in the their D.I.Y. Projects and crafts. In the end, over $2000 was raised after all the sales were totaled.
East Madison Community Center Award Event
On June 7, East Madison Community Center (EMCC) held an event to recognize their volunteers and partners. Issa Snack by Shuga provided a delicious selection of comfort food that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Design Team members Angela Skalitzky, Tara Buedding, Laurie Lundgren and Audra Johnson attended the event and sat with newly elected Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway at a table in their activity room. After a fun demonstration of double-dutch jump rope, the Mayor helped recognize junior and adult volunteers that make EMCC such a special place. Each volunteer received a certificate and chose a prize from variety of items on display. Design for a Difference and FLOOR360 received their Corporate Partner of the Year award and plaque for our contribution of an interior makeover valued at $600,000 in materials and services. Angela Skalitzky accepted the recognition and said a few words to the assembled crowd.
Design Team Meeting #3 – Concepts & Color Palette
On May 30, the interior design professionals volunteering their time and talents to the 2019 makeover of Wil Mar Neighborhood Center met to review room design concepts and see the color palette. After forming small teams, visiting the space in person, and speaking directly with the people who use the spaces, each team presented their preliminary design plans. The design teams presented their ideas on bulletin boards and power point presentations, then requested feedback or further ideas from the larger group. Over the last five years, these meetings have been a place of collaboration, encouragement and inspiration for the group as a whole.
Next, Laurie Lundgren owner of Laurie Lundgren Color and Design presented the color palette for the makeover. Like everything else involved with the makeover, the specific colors will remain a secret until October. Laurie said she used murals and the festival posters on display inside Wil Mar Neighborhood center as the inspiration for the colors she chose. Each design team will select colors from this palette for painting their individual rooms. One color palette is always chosen to preserve a cohesive look that covers the 9,400 square foot facility.
Design Team Meets at Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center
