Introduction
What is Design With A Heart?
We proudly volunteer with New Life Furniture Bank’s Design With A Heart program, where local designers help transform empty houses into welcoming homes for families overcoming difficult circumstances. These thoughtfully decorated spaces bring comfort, joy, and peace to those who need it most. Want to help a family furnish their home? Donate now.
Success Story
Meet Janee
From empty to cozy—watch as Janee’s house becomes a warm, welcoming home! Janee is such a bright light, a wonderful woman and mother who has confronted significant challenges.
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Facing homelessness and the premature delivery of her youngest son, Janee endured an incredibly difficult season. While her time at the NICU gave her access to essential services and the chance to secure an apartment, the new space lacked the comfort of a true home. With her busy schedule and frequent hospital visits, she needed support to create a nurturing environment for her family.
Through Design with a Heart and New Life Furniture Bank, we had the privilege of designing vibrant spaces that brought warmth and joy—from a superhero-themed kids’ room to a serene retreat for Janee herself. Partnering with Beau and Barbie Presnell of The Rug Gallery and Phil Beckman of Drapery Stitch, we were honored to help transform Janee’s house into a sanctuary that truly reflects her family’s spirit.
Success Story
Meet Faith
Faith is a young mother of three young children under 3, who finds comfort in their newly furnished and welcoming home.
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When we arrived, the apartment was nearly empty with only bedding on the floor. Now, with housing and furnishings, Faith can focus on her culinary studies while providing stability and hope for her children.
It was an honor to help create a safe, beautiful home for this family. We’re so grateful to New Life Furniture Bank and everyone who contributed—an incredible organization doing so much good in our community.
Success Story
Meet Michella, Steven, and Tank
Michella and Steven sold everything they owned and left a violent neighborhood in Chicago on a Greyhound bus to move to a safer place for their grandson, Tank.
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A relative gave them money for a hotel room, but they only had enough money for a couple of nights, so they slept on park benches outside. They were homeless for a week, then Samuel Adams Landis, co-founder and executive director of Maslow’s Army met the family and brought them to a shelter called Heart House. Within six weeks, Steven and Michella were able to find jobs and permanent housing.
Success Story
Meet Angel & Sally
Angel & Sally had fled very difficult circumstances and arrived in Cincinnati with just the clothes on their backs. Angel was also pregnant with her second baby, which made experiencing homelessness even more difficult. After several months of staying in a temporary shelter, a local non-profit agency was able to help them get into their own apartment.
2024 PARTY IN THE HOUSE
In addition to participating in the New Life Furniture’s Design With A Heart program, we support their Party In The House gala as a Champion Designer, raising funds by redesigning donated furniture pieces for auction.
Party in the House 2024 was an unforgettable evening at Memorial Hall! Thanks to the incredible support of our guests, sponsors, designers, and volunteers, we raised over $90,000 to help New Life Furniture Bank furnish 2,500 homes for families in need.
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Highlights included:
300 guests celebrating together
20 dramatic furniture transformations
A moving story of personal resilience
Joyful music, delicious food, and an inspiring live donation moment that raised $20,000
A special thank-you to Aaron Powell of Ardhadi Decor for generously upholstering our NLFB transformation piece.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who made this event possible. Together, we’re creating brighter futures and turning houses into homes.
2021 PARTY IN THE HOUSE – DESIGN CHALLENGE
We were thrilled to be voted the winner of the 2021 People’s Choice in New Life Furniture Bank’s design challenge!!! We had some gorgeous competition from our fellow Cincinnati designers and are so honored to have been chosen!!
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We took a formally faux-distressed, tired looking coffee table and gave it a fabulous makeover! With blue lacquer on its bamboo-style carved legs and trim and topped with Thibaut’s Sakura blue and white cherry blossom grass cloth paper. This stunning table is now and updated classic with fabulous Asian influences. We like to think its a perfect examples of Winding Lane’s signature style.
2019 PARTY IN THE HOUSE – DESIGN CHALLENGE
We were honored to be chosen to participate in the 2019 Design Challenge, as part of the 2nd annual Party in the House Fundraiser for New Life Furniture Bank. The challenge was to select furniture pieces from the furniture bank and give them a “new life”. We selected a beautiful vintage credenza and spider chair and had them professionally painted and reupholstered.
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We showcased these pieces by creating a vignette centered around these pieces in Winding Lane’s signature style. The chair and credenza were then auctioned at the event, which raised over $40,000 for New Life Furniture Bank. This money will help NLFB to continue to furnish homes for local families in need. The goal is to furnish at least 1,000 homes annually.
FILL-A-TRUCK
Winding Lane Interiors hosted a “Fill-A-Truck” event for New Life Furniture Bank! We also welcomed the neighborhood to come in and tour our new beautiful design studio, have a snack, and learn more about the amazing work that NLFB does in our community!
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Many kind people dropped off gently used furniture and household items to donate! Thanks to everyone who came out and helped fill the New Life Furniture Bank truck at our studio Open House! We were so happy to meet so many new neighbors and friends who came by the studio to help such a wonderful organization! Can’t wait till next time!!!
Please consider donating your gently used items to help real people have a welcoming home everyone deserves. New Life Furniture Bank will even pick up from your home!