DESIGN ELEMENTS
Design for Good By Andrea Smith Photos courtesy of Stephanie Pohlman Designs
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fter reflecting on the last year and wondering how she could help those hurt most by the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephanie Pohlman of Stephanie Pohlman Designs decided to offer her talents to a deserving family as part of what she calls the Design for Good project. The contest launched in March and culminated in a bedroom makeover for a couple, Bonnie and Jack, living in Maryland Heights. “They stuck out to me with their story,” Pohlman says. “She’s a health care worker, and she was working on the frontlines with COVID patients, and he actually lost his father to COVID.” The project brought light into the couple’s home both literally and figuratively. Pohlman’s design incorporated a neutral color palette, to Bonnie’s liking, and freshly painted white walls, thanks to a donation from Wentzville-based BRS Custom Painting. The bedroom lacked overhead lighting, so Pohlman says she relied on intentionally placed lamps and bedside sconces to brighten the space. To make the room feel larger, she opted for elements with vertical lines and worked with the
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metro area’s One and Done Contracting, LLC on an accent wall. “We chose the beadboard because it has the vertical lines in it, which actually draws your eye up and makes the room feel larger,” Pohlman explains. She says that using earth tones helped complete the bedroom’s desired “serene, relaxing vibe,” featuring live plants provided by St. Louis’ LoKey Designs. In a video of the couple seeing their renovated room for the first time, smiles stretch across Bonnie and Jack’s faces as they take in the transformation. Jack was most surprised by the personal touches, like their photos hanging on the walls and wall art displaying lyrics from a song played at his father’s funeral. “It really kind of feels like they got to know us, which is very, very cool,” he says. “It’s so beautiful, and we feel so thankful,” Bonnie reacts. The couple was one of three individuals or families selected at random from a pool of about 150 raffle participants. Pohlman hopes to make this an annual giveaway and to secure more sponsors that will allow for bigger and better projects in the future. “I know there were so many deserving people that put their name in for this, and we just feel
really special that we were chosen,” Bonnie reflects. “It’s been a really hard year on everybody, so I think that this is just so amazing that Stephanie and her team chose to do this project and bring joy to someone’s life.” Stephanie Pohlman Designs, stephaniepohlmandesigns.com
