For interior designers, there may be only one feeling better than seeing the satisfaction of well-paying clients who love their new interior — and that’s the reaction of an ill child, a previously unhoused mother or a victim of a house fire seeing a new space created just for them.
Lucy Penfield and her design firm, Lucy Interiors, experienced that feeling with the project “A Treehouse Grows in East Bethel,” which created an engaging treehouse for Isaac, a 10-year-old boy with cystic fibrosis.
“The joy on Isaac’s face when he first saw his treehouse was the most rewarding part of this experience,” says Penfield, who has design studios in Wayzata, Minnesota, and Naples, Florida. “It’s moments like these that remind us of the true power of design to change lives.”
The treehouse recently received the American Society of Interior Designer’s 2024 Community Impact Award, which celebrates the profound impact that design can have on individuals and communities. It is among the highest national honors that ASID bestows.
Penfield describes the treehouse as “dark and stealthy, symbolizing (Isaac’s) resilience in battling his illness” and, like the tree in Betty Smith’s novel, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” the treehouse symbolizes “hope and endurance,” she says.
The space, outfitted with interactive games and a cozy loft, is designed to encourage both activity and rest, solo play and socialization. An especially cool, kid-friendly touch: a pivoting bookcase that leads to a secret room. Each feature was carefully planned with Isaac’s physical limitations in mind, and details, like a “U ROCK” message on a vintage marquee sign, help life Isaac’s spirits.
Dallas-based Dwell With Dignity has a mission to “help families and communities escape poverty, homelessness and social injustice through design; one household, one gathering space and one marketplace at a time.”
With a “safe, functional and beautiful home,” the organization says on its website, families’ stress levels drop, kids’ academics improve, friendship circles expand, family traditions are started.
The newest people in need
As I write this, residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast and North Carolina’s mountains are reeling from the apocalyptic devastation of Hurricane Helene. The urgent need right now, especially in the mountains, is basics: getting people food, water and temporary shelter; restoring power and communication towers; and reopening roads.
But in the months and years to come, hurricane victims will be repairing and rebuilding their homes. What a gift it would be if interior designers could help some residents recover from this nightmare by creating interiors of their dreams.
