How the Design Industry Is Helping L.A. Communities Rebuild
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If there’s one group that understands a home is more than just walls and a roof, it’s interior designers. They know a home is a safe space where memories are made, dinners are cooked, and bedtime stories are told. They’re the people who help families transform an empty house into a personal sanctuary.
So as soon as the devastating wildfires hit Los Angeles last week—killing at least 25 people, displacing more than 150,000 others, and destroying at least 12,000 structures—the design community looked to pitch in the best way they know how: rebuilding those sacred spaces. Here's what they're doing to help.
Shannon Wollack of STUDIO LIFE/STYLE
In addition to collecting funds and donations for the children of affected communities, STUDIO LIFE/STYLE’s Shannon Wollack is organizing a free, open-form video call once a week to help connect people with design world pros (think insurance experts, architects, and builders). “Your home is everything,” the founder and partner of the L.A.-based commercial and residential design firm says. “It’s where you hang your heart.” Noticing a collective mood not too dissimilar from the chaotic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she had been receiving calls from people who'd lost everything wanting to know where to start. “People are so overwhelmed with figuring out school, dealing with the insurance company, and just being displaced that they need direction as to what they should be tackling and how.” To learn more about these weekly Zoom calls, email support@studio-lifestyle.com.
Wollack is also one of the many designers participating in The Expert’s Rebuild Hotline. This online design platform that connects clients to interior designers for consultations is offering free one-hour calls to those who have lost their homes whenever they’re ready to start planning. So far, more than 120 experts (about half of the firm’s roster) have donated over 950 hours. “Our mission is to provide comprehensive support to those affected by the Los Angeles fires, guiding them through the critical decisions they face from the very beginning,” interior designer and The Expert cofounder Jake Arnold says. In addition to designers, the site is compiling a database of contractors, architects, and other home professionals offering their services.
Tamara Kaye-Honey of House of Honey
Designer Tamara Kaye-Honey started to mobilize on January 8. The House of Honey founder and creative director, whose design studio is just five miles from the Altadena community, converted her workspace in South Pasadena into a hub for donations. Through this initiative, she connected with Arizona-based designer Jaimee Rose, who organized a “truckload” of furniture and home goods with other local designers to send to California. “We realized quickly that designers from all over the country wanted to help,” Kaye-Honey says.
Together they created the Soft Landing Project, a collection center for donations to be distributed to affected families moving into unfurnished rentals or starting fresh. The goods, which include new and gently used furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding, art, and decor, are stored in a 70,000-square-foot warehouse in downtown L.A. “The support from the design industry, not just in California but across the country, has been astounding,” Kaye-Honey says. In addition, brands including Woven, Chasing Paper, Christopher Farr, and USA Premium Leather have donated goods.
The team at House of Honey is working with the local publication California Home+Design to organize the influx of donations and establish distribution plans. “The goal is to host on-going “shop days” where evacuees that do not have the means to purchase furniture and home goods will be able to find a set number of items to make their new residences feel more like home,” the designer says.
Amber Lewis of Shoppe Amber Interiors
Designer Amber Lewis, who lost her Shoppe Amber Interiors storefront to the fires in the Palisades, has compiled a comprehensive list of ways to help, including resources for those affected, clothing and food drop-off locations, and organizations for donations.
Michael Hilal
Designer Michael Hilal is collecting furniture, bedding, and home goods to distribute.
Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin
Ome Dezin principals Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner are doing pro bono design work all over the city of L.A. to help families rebuild and redesign their homes.
Amanda Leigh of House of Rolison
House of Rolison principal Amanda Leigh is a licensed general contractor with an extensive background in fire rebuilding, and the firm is offering free consulting to anyone who needs help getting through city planning and guidance. They're volunteering their crews and trucks and will deploy their teams into areas affected to help people retrieve belongings and aid with transportation needs.
Ali Borowsky
Artist Ali Borowsky is creating free illustrations of homes lost in the wildfires.
Asher Bingham
Artist Asher Bingham is also giving back by drawing L.A. homes that have been destroyed.
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