Lotus Interiors

Vote for Lotus Interiors at projectlocal.com.au

2012-03-06T10:32:00.004+11:00

The Northern District Times newspaper are currently part of a community grant scheme called Project Local. Lotus Interiors have applied for one of the funding grants and our application has made it through to the voting round.

We would love all of our supporters to register and place their votes for us.

Go to projectlocal.com.au to register and vote!

Unfortunately voting is a rather lengthy process however here are some instructions to try to make it as easy as possible.

1. Go to projectlocal.com.au and register yourself.
2. Upon receipt of your project local account details confirmation email click on the enclosed link to set up your password and log in to vote.
3. Once you have created your password you will be advised that you have an allocation of 10 votes.
4. To vote for Lotus Interiors click on the 'Current Ideas' tab on the top navigation bar
5. Ensure 'All ideas' are selected in your search bar. You will note there are 30 pages of Ideas.
6. You will need to search for Lotus Interiors as it doesn't always appear on the same page. When you have found it click 'Read More'
7. Once this is selected you will find the 'Vote' button. Click this and you will be asked how many of your 10 votes you would like to allocate. We would love it if you nominated all 10.

We have two weeks to get as many votes as we can, voting closes on Friday 16th March.

Thank you for taking the time to support us, fingers crossed!!!

It was 2011's final makeover...

2012-02-09T15:18:00.002+11:00

December 2011 was a busy month for the Lotus team as we worked together with SHACK on making over the communal spaces of a Sydney Women's Refuge. Our last project however for the year was to assist Belinda*, a 22 year old girl who grew up in foster care due to domestic violence. Having had 21 homes in as many years Belinda* was excited about the prospect of a safe and secure house for the next couple of years.

Lotus had meet with Belinda* a few months earlier and been busy planning and coordinating a makeover for her cute little 2 bedroom unit. Belinda* had received a funding grant allowing her to purchase white goods and some furniture and we took on the task of assisting her decorate her unit, so her house could become a home.

Lounge - Dining Before

Belinda's living room was already accessorised with rusty orange tones. So the addition of a throw, rug and some artworks from SHACK all added some more colour to the neutral furniture and complemented the existing decor beautifully. An upcycled bowl also looked beautiful against her dark timber dining setting.

Lounge - Dining After

Master Bedroom Before

In the bedroom the addition of a natural timber heart created a beautiful, romantic feeling which was complemented by the floral quilt set donated by SHACK homewares. Belinda's* bedside tables were adorned with candles, a donated lamp and a vase. A restored mirror added extra functionality to Belinda's* jewellery display.

Musk Cherry Blossoms, 2011, Acrylic and Mixed Medium on Canvas- Work of Amanda McSeveny

Amanda McSeveny's Cherry Blossoms artwork at the end of Belinda's bed added to the romantic feel its lovely soft pink tones. This piece is a beautiful representation of the preciousness and fragility of life. It also reminders the viewer that each tiny seemingly insignificant part 'life' is unique and priceless. Upon completion of Belinda's* room she commented that her bedroom "looked like one of those beautiful hotels". We certainly hope it will become her special retreat. The addition of some potted plants also softened her little balcony.

Second Bedroom Before

In the second bedroom Sue Blake of In An Organised Fashion created a study/dressing room for Belinda* with lots of new storage solutions. A big thank you to Howard's Storage for a wonderful donation of a hanging robe and some beautiful storage baskets.

Second Bedroom After

Belinda* was very overwhelmed and extremely grateful for all that was done. We too as always loved the privilege of being able to assist in such a simple way.

Thank you to everyone who was involved with our projects in 2011 and we hope you will join with us again in 2012!

Girl Guides get creative and give generously...

2012-02-01T16:42:00.001+11:00

Who doesn't love a bunting or a paper pompom? Well these simple craft activities brought the Mums and daughters of the North Epping Girl Guides together one evening in December last year, as they generously gave of their time to create gorgeous bedroom accessories for Lotus Interior's future families. As Lotus Interiors is all about restoring beauty it seemed fitting that the girls contribute to the cause by using their hands to create something cute and from upcycled fabric swatches.

Tammy and I both considered it a real privilege to be part of their nights activities and to witness young people willing to be generous and give to their community in a simple but tangible way.

A huge thanks goes to Roslyn for her vision and commitment to the evening and to the North Epping Girl Guides for their willingness to host such a fabulous evening, for Lotus. Thank you also to Karen Stewart of Boda Interiors for donating the sample fabrics that became our bunting and to beedeebags.com.au who donated the ream of tissue paper for our paper pompoms.

As you can see all had lots of fun. There were many pompoms made and bunting created which I am sure will bring much joy to the recipients.

Part 2 - Sharing our time with yet another Wonderful Mum...

2012-01-23T14:07:00.000+11:00

.... Following on from Part 1- A Birthday Wish Comes True, we completed the makeover of the rest of Simone's* home in late November. We visited her a number of times helping her to clean, arrange furniture and decorate her bedroom and living room.

Sue of In an Organised Fashion spent an invaluable morning with Simone* helping her to sort and arrange her wardrobe. This was something that Simone*, as a busy single mother of three, would never have made time to do for herself. It was nice to spend time with her chatting and laughing as we went. With Sue's guidance Simone* was able to declutter and sort her wardrobe, it was a very productive and enjoyable morning.

Simone's Bedroom Before

Simone's* bedroom was decorated with the side tables that had been painted as part of our restoration day. Some lamp shades had also been painted to match the SHACK quilt and cushions and a mirror was centered over the bed.

Simone's Bedroom After

In the living room, the biggest impact was made by rearranging her furniture and hanging some artwork. Simone* is currently studying fine arts so it was nice to be able to display some of her own original pieces.

With so much sadness and stress complicating her life, Lotus Interiors provided Simone* and her girls with some relief and the enjoyment of having an inviting home environment. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to helping this family.

* Note names have been changed

Lotus and SHACK get underway with the Women's Refuge project...

2011-12-05T14:30:00.001+11:00

We’ve now completed two fantastic working-bee days at the Women's Refuge and have made wonderful improvements. The girls from Lotus - Angela Wilson, Amanda McSeveny and Georgie Wollaston were there. Along with Lance, Rob, Helen, Prim and myself from the SHACK team. As well, the following kind-hearted people volunteered their time and energy - Joy Jagleman, Jane Liu Fang, Tracey Gronau, Erin Barlow, Dee Geary and Katy Geary.

On the first day, we made great progress in the shared living and lounge rooms. We cleaned and completely repainted it a cosy, soft white with a lovely pale tea-coloured feature wall. Lots of muscles were used to detach a bank of built-in cupboards which were relocated to the other end of the room which created a much more usable area for the lounges. It is so much brighter and more welcoming. One of Shack’s handsome Rhode Island Large Buffets will go in on our final styling day.

The second day saw us buzz around like crazy – making huge changes to the kitchen / dining room and sunroom.

The kitchen and dining room had one dark red wall and the rest of the walls were lime green. It was very dark and gloomy. The sunroom was packed full of old stuff and not usable, so needed a particularly good clean. So it was all looking a bit grim.

In just over four hours we repositioned the fridge to open up the space, cleaned and repainted the kitchen / dining room and the sunroom – what an incredible difference! We also brought in the New York plain 1.8m table and Parisian chairs and put up the New York square mirror, it looks so good!

Everything was taken out of the kitchen cupboards and reorganised by a professional organiser Sue Blake and her hard-working assistants. They also sorted out all the books – two very big tasks.

The biggest change however was to the sunroom – it is on its way to becoming ‘the sanctuary’ – a private space just for the mothers to rest and think in peace and quiet. The luxurious new rug has gone down, the gorgeous white and gold vintage Victorian iron bed is in position.

At the next working bee, the finishing touches will happen in 'the sanctuary’ – the linen will go on the vintage bed, the sheer white voile draping for the ceiling, the hand-painted gold table – it will be so pretty and restful.

We'll also be completing the styling of the living, lounge and dining rooms by hanging artwork, mirrors, curtains, Christmas bunting and other decorative items. We look forward to everything coming together in time for the families to enjoy these spaces for their Christmas holidays. They definitely deserve some beauty and joy around them as they journey through a very difficult time.

The ladies get busy restoring furniture...

2011-09-30T10:17:00.001+10:00

Wow Lotus is heading into a very very busy end of the year and we are super excited about the projects coming up. Not only do we have our refuge makeover with SHACK but we also have makeover Part 2 for Simone* as well as a makeover for another gorgeous young lady. These final few months of 2011 are going to be simply awesome as we help to 'Restore Hope and Beauty' to families who are rebuilding their lives after experiencing some really challenging circumstances.

As usual the Lotus ladies are always up to something and last week was no exception. This time we rolled our sleeves up and literally got our hands dirty as we cleaned, sanded and painted some tired pieces of furniture. I personal love watching the transformation that can occur as you chose to see potential in something that many people would simply toss out. Of course many hands made light work and the ladies got stuck into all of the preparation work so that I could paint and finish off some bedside tables and a wonderful little child's table and chair set. Check out our handy work.

Jane jumps straight into sanding.

Tammy and Angela give the mouse sander a workout.

Roslyn joined us this week and we put her straight to work.

Thanks Roslyn for your willingness to jump in and do whatever was needed.

We are so appreciative of your efforts.

We had several sanding projects: 1) some very very tired walnut coloured side tables,
2)some little timber children's chairs, 3) a gorgeous ornate dining table (which is still being worked on),
and 4) a few stools which have been ear marked for future restoration days.

After a quick bite for lunch the ladies tackled the first coat of paint.

Children's chair before

Children's chair after

So here is the finished product. These were not originally a set but after some gluing, sanding and paint this little veneer table came up a treat and I think they look great together. I loved restoring these little chairs and completing this table and I can't wait for the right little person's room to place them in.

So these are the before photos of the bedside tables.

And here are the finished draws. I am really really happy with how they have come up and I hope Simone* loves what has been done with her bedside tables. I can't wait for her to see them when we get to complete Part 2 of her makeover.

Thank you ladies for all of your hard work and for helping me with all of the prep work on these items of furniture. Together we have done a fantastic job and I know their future homes will love them.

As we have restored beauty to these tired pieces of furniture, may they in-turn be inspiration to their future families, as they courageously rebuild their lives.

Very soon we will be posting the dates for our refuge makeover with SHACK so make sure you keep an eye out for those dates if you would like to be involved.

Lotus Interiors - Restoring Beauty

*Please note that names have been changed.

Lotus Interiors and SHACK are making over a Women's Refuge...

2011-09-22T21:16:00.004+10:00

To date Lotus Interiors has only made over the private homes of individual families. But Lotus Interiors is about to take on a new and very exciting refuge makeover project. In conjunction with SHACK, who have been one of our greatest supporters we will be endeavouring to restore beauty and hope to the women and children who receive such desperately needed assistance from this Women's refuge.

Shack is a local family owned and operated small business with stores at Chatswood Chase, Home HQ Artarmon and Moore Park SupaCenta. They opened their first store on Sydney’s North Shore in the early 1990’s out of a passion for beautiful things and the desire to share them. Over the last 18 years, Shack has become a leader in the lifestyle industry and has earned an enviable reputation for its dedication to its customers and for sourcing items of beauty from across the globe at affordable prices. Shack has been there supporting the work of Lotus Interiors since the beginning and all of our families have received some of their beautiful homewares. They have generously given everything from exquisite cushions and linen, gorgeous silk flowers, decorator pieces, artwork and furniture items. For this latest project they have even contributed the passion, dedication and knowledge of some of their fabulous team. Together SHACK and Lotus Interiors are extremely excited about being able to support the work of Erin's Place.

The Women's Refuge that we are assiting provides supported crisis accommodation for women with dependent children who are escaping domestic violence. The facility offers communal type living for up to four families at a time, each occupying one bedroom and sharing all other household facilities and living spaces. The service provides counseling for both women and for children, court support, advocacy, information, brokerage and emergency financial assistance, as well as appropriate referrals to other agencies.

Here in Sydney many women and children fleeing domestic violence end up in refuges just like this one. They are scared, hurt and broken. At present this Women's Refuge is tired and neglected – a lot like the people who land on its doorsteps!

Help us restore hope and beauty for these families as they find rest in the walls of the Women's Refuge. Together we can make it a beautiful sanctuary where families can heal and begin again.

For ways you can help, please see below!

- Lounge -

- Enclosed Verandah -

- Bedroom -

- Dining -

What can you do to help!

1. Donate an item:

Indoor plants / pots / hanging baskets
Cane/wicker day bed or outdoor type lounge
Grass floor mat (must fit within 2.5m x 3m) – for enclosed verandah
Fairy lights
~~Large rectangular wall mirror for dining room~~
3 medium size mirrors for bedrooms
~~8 dining room chairs (easy clean)~~
Computer or laptop – for older children to do homework
WII games for kids to play on
Stools or Ottomans for kids desk/homework area
~~Lounges (leather or vinyl – easy wipe down) – preferably charcoal / grey or chocolate~~
~~Paint – neutral colours & gloss white!!! Lots of it!~~
Carpet – would love to be able to re-carpet 2 of the bedrooms if someone can help!
Cushions &; decorative items
Matching manchester for (3) 2 x bedrooms – all rooms have doubles and single bunks per room

2. Volunteer your time or skills:

House Painters - professional or amateur all welcome! We want to re-paint the bedrooms, living room and dining area.
Artists - create a painting of hope to be placed a family bedroom. Email us for more details!
Handy people - to help hang paintings & curtains etc on the makeover days
Tradesperson - to help “possum proof” an enclosed verandah!
Carpet Layer
Beauty Therapists/Massage Therapists/ Hairdressers - to pamper the mums on makeover days. Contact us to find out more.

3. Offer Financial Support:

If you can’t volunteer your time or can’t provide any of the requested items and you would still love to be involved, then we would love your financial support. Your contribution will purchase a required item or provide financial assistance to pay for tradespeople or the necessary hardware to make this project possible.

You can show your interest by emailing us on lotus.interiors.team@gmail.com

A Birthday Wish Come True....

2011-09-13T19:21:00.000+10:00

We are currently working with mum, Simone* and her three daughters, Karen* (12), Melanie* (5) and Sarah* (3). Simone* was born in Peru, one of six children, in a very poor farming region. She grew up witnessing her mother, a victim of terrible domestic violence. Simone fell pregnant with her first daughter Karen and unfortunately her daughter's father didn't want to know them. Simone and Karen moved to Australia looking to start a new life. Simone married an Australian man and had Melanie and Sarah, then found herself the victim of domestic violence. Simone and her three girls have been living in crisis housing for the past 12 months and have recently moved into permanent housing.

Melanie & Sarah's Room Before

Melanie & Sarah's Bedroom After

We aimed to help this familiy by making over their house in a few stages. In the first stage we set about making over the girls bedrooms, to coincide with a birthday party that was to take place the following day. We put together a pretty room for the younger girls with floral quilts and gorgeous artworks donated by SHACK homewares. A simple restored lamp and a beautiful donated flag bunting across the room also made a great feature.

Karen's Bedroom Before

At Karen's request we created a gorgeous room in a mix of black and white, silver and gold. Thanks to SHACK homewares for their stunning linen and soft furnishings we were able to give her bed a slightly grown up feel. We incorporated various donated items with Karen's own collection of books, toys and posters (every 12 year old needs a poster of Zac Efron!!). An incredible artwork called "Crowned" created by Amanda of Beautifully Recreated set at the head of the bed finished the room beautifully. Hanging all of the artworks in the girls rooms was made easy thanks to a wonderful donation of Command Hooks we received earlier this year from 3M.

Karen's Bedroom After

"Crowned" is the work of Amanda McSeveny - beautifullyrecreated.com.au,

2011, Mixed Medium on Canvas

Simone and the girls were extremely grateful for the generosity of the Lotus team and I'm sure it was an unforgetable birthday for Sarah. Simone was overwhelmed and said she just kept going back into the rooms to look at them. It has once again been a pleasure to be involved in creating these rooms for such deserving and appreciative young girls. Thank you to all the generous donors of both new and pre loved items, who have made part 1 of this makeover possible.

Stay tuned for the completion of the rest of their home.

Restoring Hope and Beauty....

PS - If you have a small outdoor setting that you no longer require that is still in good condition could you please let us know at lotus.interors.team@gmail.com as we would love to be able to provide one to this family.

*Please note that names have been changed.

Making a house a home...

2011-05-02T16:44:00.001+10:00

Recently, The Lotus Interiors team worked their magic for Amy*, 19 and her beautiful 14 month old son Luke*. Like many of the families we help, Amy had left an abusive relationship and had very little with which to start their new lives.

Dinning Room - Before

Dinning Room - After

After moving into her public housing placement, the Lotus team came to visit and had the opportunity to assess what was needed to turn this house into a home for Amy* and Luke.* Armed with an itinerary, we raided our storage unit for the necessary items and called in the cavalry to help create some items to help personalise the environment.

We decided on a red, blue and yellow colour scheme for Luke’s room and thanks to the wonderful efforts of Chantal, we even had beautiful new curtains made specially for his bedroom. The bed linen and cushions were kindly donated by Shack Homewares, and Samantha from Shack even designed and created a gorgeous artwork for his wall.

Luke's Room - Before

Luke's Room - After

In the living room, a friend had given Amy* a 3 piece lounge setting, so we created the theme for this room around them using textured finishes and warm earthy colours. Thanks to Marie Hampson for making the wonderful curtains for this room. The living room is the heart of the home and has a welcoming feel to it. It is now a place where Amy* can have friends over and feel comfortable entertaining and also provides Luke* with another place to play with his mum and his toys.

Lounge - Before

Lounge Room - After

Following through with the warm, rich colour scheme of the living area, we wanted Amy’s* room to feel like a sanctuary where she could go to really relax and unwind. With it’s thick red velvet curtains, sumptuous cushions and a beautiful bedspread courtesy of Shack Homewares, this bedroom really is a beautiful space.

Amy's Room - Before

Amy's Room - After

This house has undergone an amazing transformation to become a home for Amy* and Luke* - a place where they can feel safe and secure, and start their new life together.

The Lotus Interiors team is proud to be able to help families like Amy’s* to take a positive step towards the future by restoring beauty to their lives and providing them with an environment that inspires hope, happiness and self worth.

Thanks to all those people who continue to make this possible for us through their generosity, time and a myriad of special skills!

Restoring Hope and Beauty....

*Please note that names have been changed.

Well the Lotus Interiors Team is off and away again for 2011...

2011-03-06T13:09:00.000+11:00

Our current client is a young mum aged 19 with a gorgeous little boy aged 16 months. They have been living in a refuge having fled from the little boys violent father and have finally been placed in public housing. We plan to do their makeover on Friday 25th March 2011 and we are currently seeking the following items:

1. bed side tables
2. tv unit (basic compact one - not a corner piece)
3. desperately need curtains to hang on rods - or material to make some???
4. 10m extension tv ariel
5. rug (160 x 230 if possible)
6. vacuum cleaner

Please email us on lotus.interiors.team@gmail.com should you be able to assist in anyway. Please note that photographs of items are required.

YOU CAN HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHERS

By making a financial donation towards our storage facility - need to raise $4,400 to sustain it for another 12 months, you will be making an enormous difference.

Funds currently raised .......$1,150

To DONATE please email lotus.interiors.team@gmail.com

*please note tax receipts can not be issued as we are simply a community group at this stage

Lavishing a young mum and her gorgeous little boy...

2010-11-08T21:08:00.003+11:00

Hi all! Thank you so much for tuning in to see what we are up to here at Lotus Interiors......all are welcome!

As well as working with single parents and children from crisis housing we are now very excited to also be working alongside an Independent Living Program that assists homeless young people develop independence.

Our latest project was with a beautiful 22 year old mother, *Jane and her energetic 22 month old boy *Tom.

The Independent Living Program has assisted *Jane since she left home as a teenager and had nowhere to go, right through to assisting her move away from a volatile relationship.

Lotus Interiors felt that *Jane was more than deserving of some spoiling. It is our hope that such a simple gift might change the nature and course of her life.

*Jane was given a public housing placement in a brand new villa and the Lotus Interiors team went to work!

Enjoy seeing the photos of her new beginning.

Angela Wilson
Founder

Some thoughts from the day…

Tom's Room Before...

Tom's Room After ...

For *Tom we created a fun and colourful room where he can enjoy his toys, with table and chairs to sit and play, and lots of fun and happy furnishings. Our artist extraordinaire, Amanda McSeveny, created some wonderful artwork that is sure to put a smile on his face and capture his imagination on a daily basis. The blue star theme is one that no doubt he will stamp his own style on in the years ahead. *Tom is such a gorgeous little boy, so full of life.

Jane's Room Before...

Jane's Room After...

*Jane's room became a wonderful, restful retreat with fabulous textured fabrics complementing, the room’s centerpiece; a beautiful canvas painting donated by Shack Homewares. *Jane and her caseworker were overwhelmed with the outcome and we loved that we could provide her with a stunning space.

Lounge Before ...

Lounge After...

Overall *Jane’s home is now a place of beauty, somewhere that she can be proud of. We hope that our simple act of kindness will reflect to her just how much she is worthy of happiness and joy in her life, and thus effect the choices she makes for the future. As always it is such a privilege to be allowed into peoples home and lives. We sincerely hope *Jane and *Tom enjoy their new home as much as we enjoyed putting it all together for them.

Tammy Scharenguivel

Committee Member

*Please note names have been changed.

A teenage retreat...

2010-08-20T16:25:00.001+10:00

Well it was a few weeks ago now but we were back at it, again aiming to restore beauty and hope. This time however our challenge was to convert a disused garage into a teenage retreat. Our beautiful family were in need of an extra bedroom that would allow Ally's* teenage daughter Jane* to have a space of her own. A space that would reunite her with her family.

With only a few hours and limited available hands we set out to create a welcoming and encouraging retreat for a very precious teenage girl, who could do with being showered with beauty and joy.

Arriving again with the trailor in toe we immediately threw ourselves into the cleaning of this once not so loved garage. So engrossed were we in our cleaning that we forgot to take photos, that was until all of the cleaning was done. So here is the garage post our scrubbing.

As with any makeover this one too has its own story to tell. As with all of our makeovers all of the items we provide are either generously donated or lovingly restored. Well just as we were really getting into it we discovered that the bed we had been given was now missing some vital parts. Not deterred we continued with the makeover even making the bed up on the floor believing that we would be able to solve this minor hiccup before the day was through. So off we headed with the bed pieces in the trailor to the nearest hardware store. Having found most of the staff standing around not doing very much we felt sure that someone would assist us with a solution to our dilemma. Unfortunately the staff were neither able to assist us or very helpful. But where better to find a handyman than a hardware store? Long story short we were fortunate enough to find two very generous tradesmen with a ute full of tools who took the time to fix our bed in the carpark of the hareware store.

We hope Jane* loves her room. We hope it is a place she will enjoy bringing her friends, we hope it is a place of safety and security and it is a retreat where she can know that she is treasured, precious and beautiful beyond measure.

Again thank you to all of the wonderful people who continue to support the work of Lotus Interiors through generous donations of homewares, furniture, time and support.

Lotus Interiors............Restoring Beauty!

*Note: names have been changed.

Our first family finally gets their new home!

2010-07-12T16:43:00.007+10:00

Many of you have journeyed with me and the Lotus Interiors Team over the past seven months or so as we have rallied together to provide beautiful home wares for Ally* and her four children; Tim*, Fiona*, Emma* and Sam*, who despite significant challenges are rebuilding their family unit after being impacted by domestic violence.

Well - we did it! A few weeks ago the Lotus Interiors Team packed up a Ute, a luggage trailer and a minibus and headed off to provide this family with a home that might fill their lives with beauty, speak value and inspire hope for their future. The day was truly a privilege as this precious family gave us permission to enter their lives and witness their joy and thankfulness.

The transformation was wonderful as the attached photos demonstrate. Our combined efforts have helped provide this amazing family with a fresh start in a truly beautiful and empowering home that we hope they are proud to share with others.

The transformation took place with the assistance of Tim* and Emma* while Ally* and Sam* headed out for the day in order to be able to enjoy a 'big reveal'. Upon arriving back at the house for the reveal Sam* aged 7 sobbed with her arms over her face, unable to look at what was now hers. I had to keep reassuring her that it was all theirs and that it was all going to stay. Eventually she allowed herself to take it in and proceeded to hug me over and over saying "thank you, thank you, thank you" amongst the tears...obviously I cried too!!!

Lounge - Before (Crisis Housing)

Lounge - After

Dinning Room - Before (Crisis Housing)

Dining Room & Study Spaces - After

Ally's* reaction to the reveal was priceless. She was so touched and kept saying that she had never ever lived in a house like this. She felt that she could now have friends come into her home without her feeling ashamed and judged. We also hope that despite still facing significant challenges as a family, that her home will now be a place of refuge and comfort.

Ally's Room - Before (Crisis Housing)

Ally's Room - After

Tim's Room - Before (Crisis Housing)

Tim's Room - After

Tim* followed us around all day in his wheelchair saying "This is the best day ever!" What an amazing privilege it was for our team to be able to give such a simple gift to such an inspirational young man.

Emma and Sam's Room - Before (Crisis Housing)

Emma's Room - After

Sam's Room - After

Emma* and Sam* had never had their own room before so both were delighted to have their own room complete with side tables and lamps all of which were also a new experience. Sam* spent much time after the reveal flicking her lamp on and off in wonderment. Man, we take so much for granted. Thanks to your generosity we able to provide some lovely reading books and clothing as well as little gift boxes with some earrings and jewellery for both girls.

I feel so incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to have a dream and then see it come to life in such a beautiful and powerful way. So thank you to all of you who donated items and to those who simply encouraged us along the way.......if it weren't for you then this family would not have received a beautiful home that daily speaks value and hope into their lives.

I would like to specifically thank....

The wonderful Julia Schofer from SHACK Home wares along with her store manager Samantha Tunbridge for their unconditional support and generosity towards our vision
Jeremy Byrne and Anthony Spon-Smith of Coco Republic for their incredible generosity and support
Stylist Katherine Holihan for her continuing support and wonderful donations
Diana Hagop, Susan Abel, Bronwyn Maynard and Anne Wilson for your kind donations
Joy Morgan for her countless hours of free babysitting - I couldn't have done any of this without you!
Louise and Richard Scott for your many volunteered hours of practical help
Gillian Coutts and Sheridan/Pacific Brands for their wonderful contribution
Alex Wilson and Scott McSeveny for their moving skills
Tanya Morgan for her creative expertise
Rod Minell for his generous furniture donations

And of course to all the individuals who contributed items along the way we are truly thankful.

Last of all a very personal thanks to my team Tammy Scharenguivel, Amanda McSeveny, Georgie Wollaston, Heidi Tombs and Amber Stone, you girls are such an inspiration. With such gigantic hearts, no job is ever too big! I love you guys!

Here's to the next project - bring it on!

Founder
Lotus Interiors............Restoring Beauty!

*Note: names have been changed.

Calling all removalists...

2010-05-28T14:39:00.000+10:00

One day a year is all we ask!

Have you ever wondered how your moving business and expertise could make a difference in your local community?..

Lotus Interiors is seeking the assistance of local removalist businesses to assist a local family in crisis and give them the chance at a fresh start!

We have recently secured a storage facility with “Rhodes Self Storage” allowing us to stock pile furnishings and homewares to assist families in need however we still face the challenge of transportation! We require the provision of a truck and two removalists to assist with client moving days and or collection of donated goods.

Lotus Interiors is seeking removalists to donate one days' free service per year!!!

If you would like to join our team by donating your services, please contact Lotus Interiors on the details below. We would love to hear from you!

Complete your one day and that’s it till next year this is our promise!

Introducing Lotus Interiors

2010-05-21T14:05:00.001+10:00

So much of who we are and how we value ourselves comes from our immediate environment, the place we live, our home. With this in mind and a deep desire to make a difference and place value on those in need Sydney mum of three, Angela Wilson founded Lotus Interiors in 2009.

Established as a volunteer organisation functioning totally on donated goods and services Lotus Interiors works with women and children facing homelessness, often as a result of a domestic violence. Lotus Interiors seeks to restore self worth and respect by creating beautiful, valued homes that inspire hope, empowerment and self-confidence.

Currently the Lotus Interiors team is made of a core group of committed committee members who all volunteer their time, skills and expertise while balancing successful careers and or busy lives as mothers. Lotus Interiors in conjunction with other not-for-profit organisations identifies and intentionally works with one family at a time. Lotus Interiors assits the family to successfully transition from crisis housing into an empowering and hopeful home environment. Each home makeover is individually taliored to the needs of the family, with everything that creates a home being considered and sort. For many of these families they have left behind everything to pursue a safe and better life. For this reason furniture through to manchester, artwork and decorative accessories are needed and sourced for these families to compliment their most valued and precious possessions.

Our service is provided at no cost to the client and as a result we rely completely on the generosity of businesses and individuals. If you would like to find out more about how you can support or volunteer your services to Lotus Interiors, please contact Founder, Angela Wilson on 0414 930 268 or email her at aandawilson(at)aapt.net.au.