MOORESVILLE - If Tuesday night's ReStore ReStyle 2011 Design Challenge accomplished one thing, it proved there are some incredible finds at Our Towns Habitat for Humanity's thrift stores in Mooresville and Cornelius - from sofas and easy chairs to building materials and lighting. The unusual competition, held at the Mooresville ReStore off I-77 Exit 36, challenged seven interior designers to create rooms using only items they found at the two ReStores. Competitors included Joan Inglis (who created a childrens' playroom), Stephanie Welborne (bathroom), Jamie McNeilis (living room), Becky Charles (library), Rhonda Kramer (dining room), Cindy Lazes (potting shed) and Michelle Lane (home office). The results were impressive. Designers restored or painted items, or used them as-is, as in the two arm chairs in excellent condition that Ms. McNeilis found for her office. In some cases, they built furniture from materials they found. Ms. Kramer won both Judge's Choice Best Room for her dining room, which included a dining room table fashioned from a wooden door, painted black and inlaid with black Plexiglas, and a bench made of a decorative wooden bed frame. Designers also were asked to use a "mystery object" - a light fixture with a simple glass globe - in any way they wanted except as a light. Ms. Kramer also won an award for that creation, in which she painted the globe silver and arranged it with salvaged dinner plates into a decorative wall clock. An honorable mention to Ms. Lane's office. And guests at the event voted for a "People's Choice" award, which went to Ms. Inglis's child's playroom. FUNDS FOR WOMEN OF NASCAR HOUSE More than 250 people attended Tuesday's event, eyeing the room layouts, designs and creations of the seven designers. The ReStore ReStyle 2011 Design Challenge was co-hosted by Women of NASCAR and Lake Norman Homebuilder's Association. The event raised money for a future Women of NASCAR Habitat house. Before Tuesday's event, Women of NASCAR had raised about half of the $71,000 they'll need to start a house, according to the group's Michelle Gilliland, wife of NASCAR driver David Gilliland. She said she was amazed to see what the designers had found. "The first time I came into the store I was shocked at much they had," she said. Over the weekend, Habitat volunteers constructed seven small rooms (no larger than 12 feet by 12 feet) in the center of the store, once home to a Staples office supply store. Designers have the task of painting, furnishing and decorating each space in a different kind of room. They're competing for prizes including Judge's Choice Best Room, People's Choice Best Room, Most Creative and the room that includes the best "mystery object." Ms. Gilliland was among the design challenge's judges. Others included Brian McLeod of Lowes Corp., who sits on the local Habitat for Humanity Board; ,Jennifer Bradley, of Trend & Design Strategy; and Shawna Robinson, creator of the Happy Chair and a former NASCAR driver. As Ms. Robinson scoped out the various rooms Tuesday, she said the event helped show how a little creative can turn ReStore finds into fine design. "It's a great idea. It shows how to utilize what you find here. ... I love the creative aspect of it," she said. Designers said they checked back regularly over about a 10-day period for new items in the Cornelius and Mooresville ReStores. Ms. McNeilis said it required "just going to the store every day to see what inventory they have coming in." Her favorite finds? A pair of arm chairs and an area rug. All the items will be up for sale in the coming weeks after the designer rooms are taken down. WANT TO GO? The ReStore/ReStyle 2011 Design Challenge rooms are on display this week at the Mooresville ReStore, in the former Staples, 121 Norman Station Blvd., off I-77 Exit 36. For more information, see www.ourtownshabitat.org. View slideshow of designs. RELATED LINKS June 6, 2011,"Habitat hands designers a challenge: ReStore ReStyle"
Designers Rise To ReStore's 'ReStyle' Challenge
