Divine Design

It's hard to imagine what it would be like to have to run for your life?leaving everything you know and love behind?and escape to another country. Thankfully, many who know this horror have found Matthew House, a shelter for refugees. These innocent people, forced to flee their homes and communities, have faced physical, mental, and emotional trauma, and confronted terrifying obstacles during their escape from persecution and war. Matthew House is the vision of executive director Anne Woolger-Bell, and is "home" for those traumatized and seeking asylum. The Matthew House community becomes their new, caring family and, even when residents find employment and permanent accommodations, they return to the warmth, care, and friendship they found while there. As a physical place, Matthew House is an old, two story, semi-detached downtown house that has seen better days. They are always at capacity with 12 refugee 'residents' and often have more people at mealtimes with volunteers and former residents who come back to visit and to help. Anne has asked Candice to create a serene and welcoming environment, and that means making over the shabby and dysfunctional living and dining room. Right now the layout is awkward and there is a hodge-podge of worn out furniture in the dull and dreary space. But Candice has a beautiful plan to increase the capacity of the main living space and create a warm and inviting area that will welcome newcomers and become the heart of the home.

Too often we hear about trouble with teenagers so Candice is thrilled to meet 13-year-old Nicholas. He's a great student and role model for his 8-year-old twin brothers and makes his parents proud in so many ways. Natalie and Guy have taught Nick that if you want something you should work for it so he's become quite the entrepreneur! He's the go-to guy in their neighborhood for yard work, pet walking, car washing, errands, babysitting, and has also volunteered where he's learned some contracting and mechanical skills that he puts to good use. He really loves gadgets and wouldn't think to ask Mom and Dad for an expensive remote control car or the DJ equipment that he loves. He's such a hard-working and responsible kid that they want to do something special for him. They know he'd love a more 'grown up' bedroom, and a little more distance from his brothers would be nice. Since his Grandma moved, he's had his eye on a space downstairs. But the florals and pink and granny furniture is NOT what he has in mind. If his parents are ready to let him move to the basement, Candice is SO ready to give Nicholas an incredibly cool space that will blow his mind!

Martin and Emily are newlyweds and new homeowners starting their life together in an 80-year-old house. They were thrilled to be able to buy their first home, but since moving in, all they do is work! They leave together for work in the morning, Emily to teach at a nursery school and Martin to his job in promotions, and when they get home, 'house' work takes over evenings and weekends. The first thing they did was paint over all the bold orange and dark green walls, and they've added some touches of their own, but for all their hard work, the house feels drab and unfinished. Their tiny kitchen is open to the dining room, which could be perfect for entertaining over casual meals with friends, but it's far from the cozy and inviting space they're working toward. The peachy cabinetry, dingy looking countertops, poor lighting, and old backsplash are really putting a damper on their fun. So Martin and Emily have asked Candice to help give their kitchen a facelift and update the space to suit their personalities, lifestyle, and budget.

Hazel and Jude are one dynamic duo! As busy as life gets with careers, 10 year old twins, coaching the kids sports teams, and finding time for family activities, they don't shy away from a challenge. They bought their home six years ago, and, with an attitude of 'how hard can it be?' they spent 18 months renovating ? on their own! As it turns out, Jude has amazing skills and really loves the work. Hazel's learned a lot too, but Jude can build anything. He has the talent, he has the tools, but, he has a problem-- finishing. They have a large, basement that could be perfect for a family room, but with so many projects 'almost' finished, Hazel's reluctant to start anything new. Right now, the awkward unfinished basement is just 'dumping ground storage' and a place for Jude's tools. What Hazel would really like is a cozy place for the kids to be able to hang out with friends, do their homework, and watch TV. And, since she and Jude are both expert sewers, Hazel would love an organized space to enjoy sewing and be able to leave a project on the go without cluttering up the dining room. But Hazel is determined that what gets started gets completely finished! So she's counting on Candice to create a space that is functional, fabulous-- and finished! Whether that inspires Jude to finish projects in the rest of the house, remains to be seen!

When Nuala won the chance to compete in an adventure race with a world-class racer, she had no idea that David would be more than an expert guide. But, after 12 hours, 3 flat tires, hypothermia and lots of granola bars, they finished the race - and 9 months later they were engaged. After getting married, they decided to completely renovate their 1926 - built home. Updating and upgrading everything, they also added 14 feet to the back of the house for a huge new kitchen on the main floor and a brand new master bedroom upstairs. They've incorporated an existing room into the new space, complete with the old fireplace and stained glass windows that flank it, and also created a cathedral-like ceiling and wall of windows. They've been living with Nuala's parents and managing construction for ages and are starting to get discouraged. As they get closer to moving into their home, they can't imagine what to do with their blank slate of a bedroom. They want to combine their love of the outdoors with the new modern interior, but say they're athletes, not artists, so they really need some creative help. Candice is ready to take over and give them a beautiful, finished, retreat to enjoy.

Not long after they married, Eugenia and Gerardo left their home in Mexico for new adventures. Within a few years, they became parents to Maricela and Daniel and had a home in a neighborhood where they've built lasting friendships. They've treasured the many trips back home to visit family, and the kids have really embraced their Mexican heritage. Maricela loves Mexican folk dance and cooking traditional dishes with Eugenia, which really helps keep the Mexican flavor alive! They have friends nearby, also from Mexico, who have become like family, and parties mean the same foods and drinks, music and dancing that they all love. After an extensive home renovation, there is more space to enjoy their get-togethers but the one room that could be party central still isn't finished. It's mostly used for storage, and even with a couch and television, it's not comfortable for watching TV, and it's definitely not the place for a party. Eugenia and Maricela are taking matters into their own hands. They want a place that has the color and energy of their favorite cantina in Mexico ? perfect for sharing good food, fun, and dancing ? lots of dancing! So they've asked Candice to help them plan for the perfect fiesta. Arriba!

Yolande and Huy loved their life in New York until a perfect job opportunity brought them and their two young daughters closer to family. After 6 years of renovating the tiny apartment they were growing out of, they were thrilled to find a huge house that didn't need anything but furniture and them. But after living there for a year, they've found that the lower level room where they should be able to work, play and spend time together is freezing cold, and so large that they can't figure out how to make it functional. What's certain is they don't want it to be dominated by kid clutter when it could be a great tv/play/sew/work and entertainment space. They've asked Candice to warm things up and create a multi-purpose space with high style.