Atlanta design community and Dwell with Dignity team up to help local families

Egypt Sherrod and Steve McKenzie are among those helping furnish, deocrate, and stock homes for deserving families
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Dwell with Dignity
Atlanta designers Julie Montgomery, Lathem Gordon, Cate Dunning, and Ann Wisniewski decorated this Atlanta apartment for a family nominated by Buckhead Christian Ministry.

Photograph by Thomas S. England Photography

The Atlanta interior design community has always had close ties to Dallas-based Dwell with Dignity. But this year those collaborations are picking up momentum. In November, AmericasMart teamed up with HGTV host and Atlanta Magazine’s HOME columnist Egypt Sherrod, Westside retailer and artist Steve McKenzie, and blogger Dena Stormer (Hearts & Sharts) to equip a three-bedroom apartment for a single mom and her two children. Five more local projects are in the works. “When I was asked to participate in the Dwell with Dignity project, it was an unequivocal yes,” Sherrod says. “I absolutely adore what they are doing for families.”

DWD is a joint effort by interior designers, industry vendors, and volunteers, who furnish, decorate, and stock (down to filling the refrigerator) homes for deserving families who are struggling with homelessness and poverty. “People in our industry understand the value of your surroundings,” says Kim Turner, a professional designer who is vice president and director of the organization. “We’re creating a new normal for these children, who are sometimes able to have their first playdates or birthday parties ever.”

Top Atlanta stores and showrooms have offered support, including Ainsworth-Noah, Currey & Company, Codarus, Nandina Home & Design, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The organization’s most immediate need is permanent storage space in
Atlanta, says Turner.

This article originally appeared in our Winter 2015 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

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