As many of you know, our firm recently celebrated its 20^th year in business. When brainstorming ways to commemorate this milestone, we decided that we wanted to give back to the Houston community in some way. We are so thankful for the support our business has received over the past 20 years. “Paying it forward” seemed to be the most appropriate way to show our gratitude.

We reached out to Houston Habitat for Humanity to see if they might have an opportunity available for us, and were thrilled when they said they had the perfect project in mind! Shakaon Jenkins, a single mother of two, would soon be closing on her home and HHFH suggested we help “design” the home’s interiors. What made the project even more special was that the Jenkins family was the latest recipient of a House that Ching Built. Since 2013, former Houston Dynamo player, Brian Ching, has been fundraising money to sponsor the building of Habitat for Humanity homes, and Mrs. Jenkins and her family were the third recipients of this generous initiative.

From the first time we spoke with Mrs. Jenkins to discuss her vision for their home, we knew we had been paired with someone incredibly special. After considering her likes, dislikes, and dreams for the interiors, we went to work on a “design plan.” Below are some photos of the home on the day we first visited to get a feel for the space and what furnishings and accessories we would need to make it “home” for the Jenkins.  As you can see, we had a nice, blank canvas to work with!

FIRST SITE VISIT

STAFF WORK DAY

A few weeks after our initial site visit, the entire Lucas/Eilers team prepared for our official “Work Day” to implement our plans. We split into groups – half of us designing and shopping for furnishings, art, and accessories, and the other half of us painting at the house. We chose colors based on Mrs. Jenkins’ preferences, as well as the preferences of her children. To keep the space bright but cozy, we used warm tones on one accent wall in the living room, the master bedroom, and the son’s bedroom. This allowed us to make a large visual impact in each room without overwhelming the space. For the daughter’s room, we painted all four walls a soft lavender color, which is her favorite.

We were so thankful to have the help of Kiley Jackson’s dad, Tommy, with painting the walls – we could not have done it without him!

HOME DEDICATION

Once construction on a Habitat for Humanity home is completed, a Home Dedication is held for all those who contributed to the project to gather together and welcome the new family. The celebration included a home tour (where we got to see the special mural in the garage painted by one of the Houston Dyanmo players), speeches from many of the home’s sponsors as well as the President of HHFH, and a special thank you from Mrs. Jenkins herself. She is such a gracious person, and her speech was very touching. At the end of the ceremony, the family, sponsors, and HHFH employees particpated in a ribbon cutting.

FINAL INSTALLATION

Due to excessive summer downpours in Houston, our final installation was postponed until September. Since we had already purchased and ordered all the items needed for the home, we were concerned about storage, receiving and installation. Thankfully, the generous people at White Glove Storage and Delivery saw a post about our project with HHFH on Facebook and reached out to offer their services – free of charge!!

They offered to not only store our items, but deliver and install them as well. We could not have been more thrilled to have this taken care of for us, and we cannot thank White Glove enough for their generosity and expertise! If you are in the Houston, Austin, or Dallas area, be sure to look them up for all your storage and delivery needs!

Thank you to Houston Habitat for Humanity for allowing us to be part of such a special project. And thank you to the Jenkins family for your kindness and graciousness. It was truly a joy to work on this project for you all, and we hope your home is filled with wonderful memories, laughter and love for years to come!

 “We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.” – Winston Churchill