The last few months of 2015 were a blur for me, in large part due to my participation in the Where Hope Has a Home project at the Ronald McDonald House Stanford. Although it may seem like it’s just furniture in a room, it took a year of space planning, soliciting sponsorship, raising funds for purchases, shipment delays, architectural changes, electrical changes, paint selections, lighting installations, designing custom-made pieces, construction delays, multiple deliveries, and more nights spent in a 35 degree building with no electricity and no heat than I’d like to think about. In short, the project was/is HUGE, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re in the punch-list phase!
Now that there is breathing room and I have put all the pieces together, I want to take a step back and tell you what went into my selections and how those selections will positively impact the families and their critical ill children staying in room 336.
One of the very first things I did was reach out to Bay-Area based luxury organic soft-goods company, Coyuchi. All I could think about was how exhausting having a sick child can be and how restorative sleep is during times of great stress. Knowing that the families occupying the rooms would have daily exposure to the sterility of a hospital environment, it felt important to offer them the very best in organic bedding and linens with which to shed that bombardment when they came back to their room.
Coyuchi responded to my request for sponsorship with enthusiasm and massive generosity, lovingly donating all of the bedding – duvet inserts, pillow inserts, blanket, throw, coverlet, duvet cover, shams as well as all of the gorgeous organic towels and washcloths in the bathroom! When the giant boxes starting arriving at my house many months ago, I cried. The human-kindness their company showed the Ronald McDonald House and the families who will use their beautiful products left me stunned.
It was always my intent to use a soothing color palette of grays, soft beige, cream, blues and mixed metals. The color-scheme reminds me of the natural beauty of California beaches, and it’s a comforting and enveloping in the twilight hours. I also wanted things in the room to feel welcoming, with nothing being “too precious” or too staged for actual living. The textures and patterns that I found on Coyuchi’s site fit my vision better than anything else I had seen (and believe me, I researched for weeks!).
Although bedding may not seem like that big of a deal, many of the families that will occupy the Ronald McDonald House have never slept on high-thread count sheets or felt the difference between quality cotton and synthetic materials against their skin. I wanted them to feel special, to feel pampered (to the extent that one can feel that way during such challenging times), and I wanted them to know people cared about their well-being down to the smallest detail.
For critically ill children, something as simple as a towel can be too rough for their sensitive skin. Receiving chemotherapy, radiation, needles, and endless touching, leaves a child’s skin fragile and sore. Soft towels after a warm bath or shower is imperative, and the organic, high-quality cotton will be soothing and heavenly for adults and children alike.
I am so lucky to have had the stars align with Coyuchi’s commitment to supporting the Bay Area community and families in need. Thank you for your open hearts and lovely products!
All my best,
Melisa
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