la-z-boy and the ronald mcdonald house

If you have a heart for great causes, love a good before and after, and well, all the glorious eye candy… this very special post is just for you today. And we couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with you here!

This past weekend, we were honored to participate in something really great for the Ronald McDonald house in Nashville. We shared about it a few weeks ago, and if you aren’t familiar with Ronald McDonald houses and what they do, you can also find a great video here.

Ronald McDonald House is an amazing charity. They’re built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on the health of their child. As parents, we know that when your child is sick… your world stops. So we simply cannot fathom what parents go through when dealing with a serious illness for their little ones. Ronald McDonald House believes that when a child is hospitalized, the love and support of a family is as powerful as the strongest medicine prescribed. It’s in these wonderful places that children and their families can stay while receiving treatment, for little to no cost.

I don’t think any of us can imagine what a big deal that is for parents and their children, until we’ve been through something life altering like a severe illness. Your world stops. And causes like this are completely invaluable. There are currently 357 Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide, serving children and their families in their time of need.

So when La-Z-Boy approached us about working on an amazing project like this with them, they had no idea how very close to our hearts this cause would actually be.

Jamin is a childhood cancer survivor. It’s not something we’ve shared very often or publicly, but it’s something we’re very passionate about. So we were thrilled to help. Not only as parents and a design team who could put their talents to good use, but from the angle of a child who went through the surgeries and the chemo and all of the treatment. And survived. It’s just something no child or parent should ever have to go through. So from there, all the pieces began to fall flawlessly into place… because there was something bigger at work, and we knew it was exactly what we were supposed to be a part of.

For over 7 years, La-Z-Boy has been the official provider for Ronald McDonald House. They’ve furnished over 150 Ronald McDonald Houses, and family rooms with over 8,500 pieces of furniture, donated over 1.5 million dollars and provided countless volunteer hours to show their commitment to this great cause. So we were more than thrilled to put our heads together for The Ronald McDonald House in Nashville, and spruce up their living space. 

The Ronald McDonald House in Nashville uses this space as a greeting area for new families, parties, counseling, and much more. So they had certain needs for versatility that needed to be filled. It’s also a great gathering spot for families in their ‘down time’, in between the hospital and treatments, waiting with their little ones. We wanted it to feel just like a home away from home. A comfortable, welcoming space for parents and their children. That called for great, sturdy pieces, that were comfy and stylish to boot.

We wanted to warm up their space, and give it a ton of personality so that it became a place where people wanted to be. A place people are drawn to. We’ve always been big believers in the energy a space can exude, and we think that it’s important for families to feel welcomed. In that, there’s a chance to bond with other parents, children and families, which is exactly what this house is about.

We feel like we were able to give this very special room in a very special house, a voice.

One that welcomes them. One that asks them to come put their feet up for a while. To sit back and relax and feel at home. To rest and feel a little bit comforted in their time of need.

Which is exactly what both Ronald McDonald House, and La-Z-Boy are all about.

La-Z-Boy graciously furnished everything in this space.

So we chose durable, practical finishes, with lots of style and personality: Super comfortable chairs and sofas that exude personality and beauty, while being some of the most amazing things we’ve ever sat in before. With sustainable upholstery to boot.

A trestle table that folds up and out of the way, but can be extended for parties. A nesting coffee table that can be rearranged around the room for games and gatherings. A couple of poufs for little ones, which we were pleased to see they were immediately drawn to. That’s only scratching the surface of the purpose these pieces will serve.

And shots of welcoming color to reflect a little happy. Something we hope they feel when they step into the space. A place to let go… if only for a moment.

Good causes take a village. And we were thrilled to work with Aspen Construction, to change the space over completely with color. We can not thank them enough for their hard work, time, and materials. The architecture became a little less awkward in the space, by changing the way it was seen. And some board and batten grounded the entire room, with a much needed anchor for the mantel. Their work is beautiful, and exactly what we wanted.

We designed a mantel, and the fabulous Brad from Fix This Build That, was able to execute the design flawlessly. Living out of town {for now} can be a bit of a challenge, and it was comforting to know we were in good hands with great people in the meantime. His time and work are totally appreciated, and we’re thrilled to link up to him in the future for a full how to on this piece.

We were thrilled to bring in some of our own art, with a little colorful touch.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that’s kind of our passion, and we loved making it personal with this large painting for the space. This quote kind of encapsulates what Ronald McDonald houses are all about, so I brought in some of the Nashville Skyline, along with a bit of an abstract take on it all for fun shots of personality and welcoming color. It brought much needed height to the room since sometimes, those second story spaces can be kind of tricky. We shared how to stretch your own canvas, here... and will be sharing more on how to build a frame for it in the upcoming weeks.

All of the beautiful accents, aside from the art {and a few books we scrounged up} were provided by La-Z-Boy. We were delighted to choose from their endless array of options to bring just what the room needed with their gorgeous pieces.

It was an absolute honor to work with La-Z-Boy on this project. A reminder as to why we do what we do. A chance to focus on what really matters.

We were humbled and in awe of the families that are staying there, and what they’re going through will absolutely blow your mind.

I think they did more for us, than we could ever do for them… we have so much admiration for who they are. And what they’re doing.

And the ladies who work and volunteer at this Ronald McDonald House are absolutely incredible. They provide hospitality on a level we can’t even comprehend, in meeting the needs of these awesome families. They were so patient with us throughout this install, and we were thrilled to work with such great people.

With what we do, it really is a joy to work with such amazing people who all come together for such a great cause. We’re just completely humbled that we were able to be a part of it.

It’s our greatest hope that just this little touch of what we were able to do, brings years of enjoyment to the people who both stay and work in the house.

We’re thrilled with how it all turned out.

Stay tuned for more details coming up… We’ll have all the details on each piece with direct links to the products at La-Z-Boy, along with detailed tutorials for all the handmade items coming up soon.

Thank you for letting us share today. It’s been one of those projects that made us step back, and refocus on the important stuff. And think beyond ourselves.

For more details on our design services, be sure to stop by our home page, where we have both e-services and full service available.

Pssst: We’re updating this as we go…

• Read all the specifics on sources here

• Anchoring the space, and how the mantel was built

Have an inspired day!