Housing Works’ Design on a Dime Raises 1.1 Million

The tally is in, and last week’s Design on a Dime by Housing Works raised 1.1 million dollars for the organization. The proceeds of the fundraiser will go towards the organization’s Jefferson Avenue Residence and the new Hull Street Residence in Brooklyn. Both residences are a testament to the organization’s commitment to helping those people living with HIV/AIDS, providing shelter and a supportive environment.

This year marked the 9th-annual Design on a Dime featuring vignettes with donated furnishings as well as a star-studded guest list. A record-breaking 62 vignettes were designed by such leading names as Huniford by James Huniford and Patrick James Harris as well as this year’s event co-chairs: Yetta Banks, Evette Rios, Sabrina Soto, and Genevieve Gorder. “I remember as a college student living just down the street from the 17th Street Housing Works,” says Gorder, an HGTV design star and Valspar Paint representative. “It was all I could really afford. Having the chance to give back to them is like coming full circle.”

The event also gives designers the chance to flex their creative muscles. Popular booths included Harry Heissmann’s outlandish space modeled after the bedroom in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. From spacey bedspreads to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, the vignette was definitely one of a kind. Larry Ruhl’s deconstructed space for High Falls Mercantile also caught a lot of attention. Designers and enthusiasts alike showed their support come sale time—yet another example of the community’s generosity.