PROJECTS

Brendan’s Project

I was so fortunate to be given an opportunity to create two rooms for Room to Dream: A LEGO room for Brendan’s unbelievable collection and his bedroom, which he had not slept in for several years. I initially sat down with Brendan to go over all his wants and needs. Brendan was very sure about what he liked and did not like, so understanding his vision came pretty quickly. Brendan requested a Zen space for his bedroom but wanted a few funky, cool pieces that would make it a hip place for him and his friends to hang out. Brendan is an unbelievable spirit. When we asked what he wanted to do with his games and toys that were a little too young for him now, he simply said we should give them to Children’s Hospital for the other kids. I feel honored to be given the opportunity to create a space for such a wonderful young man.

Managed By

Gail O’Rourke, Room to Dream Board Member and Owner of White Wood Kitchens

The Bedroom:

The bedroom had not been used for a while and had become a place where everything settled. We wanted to provide different zones for him like reading, study and lounging. A professional organizer,Standolyn Robertson of Things in Place came in to help create storage organization solutions for Brendan and the family. DiSipio Design & Construction installed pull down stairs to the attic as well as a custom daybed, closet doors and all the finishing work for the LEGO room. We really wanted to give Brendan several comfortable places to sit and hang out, so in his reading area nestled in the corner, is a super cool bubble chair. His headboard is a custom upholstered headboard donated by Crimson Upholstering which allowed for a soft place to sit back and relax. A daybed area in front of the TV gives another zone for him and his friends to hang out. We were lucky enough to have Ray Bachand of 60Nobscot Design make a custom bedside table that really sets the Zen feeling for the room. Debi Gaudet of ANYHUE painted a simple desk in a bold stripe which hopefully will make school work a bit more fun.

The LEGO Room:

This room houses all of Brendan’s unbelievable creations. We wanted to really highlight them and create another area for Brendan to lounge and continue to create more unbelievable LEGO’s. The walls were painted a deep blue with white IKEA shelving to make the colors of the LEGO’s pop. The existing seating area was reupholstered and new custom pillows donated by Ray Harris ltd. allowed for comfort along the back wall of the seating area.

The Reveal:

We all waited in anticipation for Brendan to arrive with Mom and Dad. When he did arrive he was ready to see his new digs right away. His face and expression was everything we hoped it would be. He loved everything and immediately started exploring all the different areas in the room. My favorite moment was seeing him lounging on his bed, hands up and behind his neck…a moment of pure ZEN! We received a text later that day from his mom that Brendan had not left his room.

Special Thanks

We would like to thank all of the volunteers as well as the donors below for being a part of this Dream Team!

Aronson Insurance

Ana Donuhue Interiors

DiSipio Design & Construction

Michael J. Lee Photography

Ray Bachand of 60 Nobscott

Frantic Framers

Reliable Fabrics, Inc.

Crimson Upholstering/ The Fabric Showroom

Raymond Harris ltd.

Debi Gaudet of AnyHue

Wolfers Lighting

Standolyn Robertson of Things in Place

Gabriela Burgman of Claiming Space

Karen Buschini of In Its Place Organizing

Lorraine J. Fine of The Mess Fairy

Leslie Huikko of Nicely Done Organizing

Ben Iacono of Organize-n-Simplify IT

Lynn Maichle of Sustainable Organizing

Allison Schnipper of Professional Organizing Services

Elesheva Soloff of Soloff Space Solutions

Heidi Solomon of POSH / Professional Organizing Services by Heidi