Wisconsin Flooring Firm Builds a Local Legacy of Giving Back
Floor360 has made its makeovers for nonprofit groups central to its work and the local design community
When staff members at Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center in Milwaukee met with the local interior designers making over their space this year, they said the center’s bedrooms were a top priority. The building housing the emergency shelter for homeless youths had gotten plenty of wear and tear. In the bedrooms, the carpeting was dingy and the paint was peeling. The pros volunteering with the local Design for a Difference program would fix that.
“A lot of our young people aren’t used to having a bed that isn’t a mattress on the floor,” says Audra O’Connell, executive director of Walker’s Point. “They’re not used to being able to sit down and eat dinner together or do a project together, so we just really felt like whatever [the design] was, we wanted it to be calming. We wanted it to feel the way a home should feel.”
“A lot of our young people aren’t used to having a bed that isn’t a mattress on the floor,” says Audra O’Connell, executive director of Walker’s Point. “They’re not used to being able to sit down and eat dinner together or do a project together, so we just really felt like whatever [the design] was, we wanted it to be calming. We wanted it to feel the way a home should feel.”
A bedroom at the Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center in Milwaukee before the makeover
The center’s makeover was completed in October. Now the Walker’s Point bedrooms are bright and welcoming.
The charity makeover was a first for the Design for a Difference team in Milwaukee. But the business behind the volunteer effort in that city — Wisconsin flooring firm Floor360 — has been building a reputation for giving and for bringing the local design community together for more than five years.
Design for a Difference is a community-based, design-driven program through which volunteers do makeovers for charities in the U.S. and Canada. Floor360’s group is the largest Design for a Difference group in the country.
Floor360 became a Design for a Difference sponsor in 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin, where its first showroom is located. After it opened a new location in Milwaukee, it helped launch Design for a Difference there too. This year it sponsored (along with its media partners) charity makeovers in both cities — for Walker’s Point in Milwaukee and for the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in Madison.
The flooring firm has made the makeovers, done annually, and related events a central pillar of its business. Company executives say it’s a model that other firms should consider if they’re looking to harness the power of design to improve their communities.
The charity makeover was a first for the Design for a Difference team in Milwaukee. But the business behind the volunteer effort in that city — Wisconsin flooring firm Floor360 — has been building a reputation for giving and for bringing the local design community together for more than five years.
Design for a Difference is a community-based, design-driven program through which volunteers do makeovers for charities in the U.S. and Canada. Floor360’s group is the largest Design for a Difference group in the country.
Floor360 became a Design for a Difference sponsor in 2015 in Madison, Wisconsin, where its first showroom is located. After it opened a new location in Milwaukee, it helped launch Design for a Difference there too. This year it sponsored (along with its media partners) charity makeovers in both cities — for Walker’s Point in Milwaukee and for the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in Madison.
The flooring firm has made the makeovers, done annually, and related events a central pillar of its business. Company executives say it’s a model that other firms should consider if they’re looking to harness the power of design to improve their communities.
Pros volunteering with Design for a Difference made over the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in Madison, Wisconsin, this year. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
Engaging With and Connecting the Local Design Community
Bob Tobe, Floor360’s owner and CEO, first presented Design for a Difference to his team at the suggestion of his fellow advisory board members at the International Design Guild.
“The first year was very scary, because we looked at charities and chose one to support, but we had not yet enlisted designers or found out what kind of community support we would get, so we didn’t know if we would have one person sign up, or 10, or what,” Tobe says.
As it turned out, more than a dozen designers volunteered to help after Floor360 hosted an informational event in its Madison showroom. Initially, there was some concern about the logistics of 14 or 15 designers all working together on one space.
Once the professionals decided on a color scheme and a loose theme for that year’s nonprofit — a daycare and respite center for families in crisis — they split into teams and tackled different sections of the building. Designer Cathy Driftmier of Driftmier Design says that when they reconvened to present their designs, something clicked: “We kind of knew then that we were onto something special.”
For this year’s Design for a Difference makeovers, 50 designers in Madison and 13 in Milwaukee offered their talents. In terms of goods and labor, more than $700,000 and more than $20,000 worth were donated in each city, respectively.
Engaging With and Connecting the Local Design Community
Bob Tobe, Floor360’s owner and CEO, first presented Design for a Difference to his team at the suggestion of his fellow advisory board members at the International Design Guild.
“The first year was very scary, because we looked at charities and chose one to support, but we had not yet enlisted designers or found out what kind of community support we would get, so we didn’t know if we would have one person sign up, or 10, or what,” Tobe says.
As it turned out, more than a dozen designers volunteered to help after Floor360 hosted an informational event in its Madison showroom. Initially, there was some concern about the logistics of 14 or 15 designers all working together on one space.
Once the professionals decided on a color scheme and a loose theme for that year’s nonprofit — a daycare and respite center for families in crisis — they split into teams and tackled different sections of the building. Designer Cathy Driftmier of Driftmier Design says that when they reconvened to present their designs, something clicked: “We kind of knew then that we were onto something special.”
For this year’s Design for a Difference makeovers, 50 designers in Madison and 13 in Milwaukee offered their talents. In terms of goods and labor, more than $700,000 and more than $20,000 worth were donated in each city, respectively.
Offices at Madison’s Wil-Mar center before the makeover
Offices at the Wil-Mar center after the makeover. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
Aside from giving designers a chance to put their creativity to good use, the program has forged new connections among professionals who may have previously seen one another as competition. Team members get to work on spaces they typically wouldn’t have otherwise and for clients in need of special design solutions. Nearly every designer who’s joined the cause has returned year after year, says Angela Skalitzky, Madison project manager for Design for a Difference and Floor360’s vice president of sales and design.
“When you connect with someone over the emotional response that you have to what comes of these makeovers,” Skalitzky says, “that’s a bond that is so much stronger than any networking relationship.”
Aside from giving designers a chance to put their creativity to good use, the program has forged new connections among professionals who may have previously seen one another as competition. Team members get to work on spaces they typically wouldn’t have otherwise and for clients in need of special design solutions. Nearly every designer who’s joined the cause has returned year after year, says Angela Skalitzky, Madison project manager for Design for a Difference and Floor360’s vice president of sales and design.
“When you connect with someone over the emotional response that you have to what comes of these makeovers,” Skalitzky says, “that’s a bond that is so much stronger than any networking relationship.”
A storage space at Wil-Mar before the makeover
The Wil-Mar storage space was converted into a small meeting room in the makeover. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
The pros have joined forces year-round to find new avenues for raising funds and collecting donations for the makeovers. A summer rummage sale, for instance — stocked with items designers donate that are left over from home staging projects or canceled client orders — raises thousands.
“After the first year, I knew this was something I wanted to do forever,” Tara Buedding, owner of The Happy Home Organizer, says. “If I could do this work every day and not have to worry about making money, I would. Seeing the faces of the people getting this gift on reveal day makes my heart so happy.”
The pros have joined forces year-round to find new avenues for raising funds and collecting donations for the makeovers. A summer rummage sale, for instance — stocked with items designers donate that are left over from home staging projects or canceled client orders — raises thousands.
“After the first year, I knew this was something I wanted to do forever,” Tara Buedding, owner of The Happy Home Organizer, says. “If I could do this work every day and not have to worry about making money, I would. Seeing the faces of the people getting this gift on reveal day makes my heart so happy.”
A common space at the Walker’s Point center in Milwaukee before the makeover
The same common space at Walker’s Point after the makeover
A Thoughtful Impact
As the nonprofit makeover recipients typically put their funding toward programs and services instead of decor, their spaces tend to be neglected, often furnished with a mishmash of pieces that people donate after cleaning out their basements or garages. Because of this, having access to a team of designers can be especially meaningful.
“You forget how your surroundings can really affect you,” Skalitzky says.
At the Walker’s Point center, the Floor360 team installed the luxury vinyl flooring shown here; it’s easy to clean and can stand up to heavy foot traffic. Features were designed to be gender-neutral, and storage was added that allows staffers to keep donated goods organized.
A Thoughtful Impact
As the nonprofit makeover recipients typically put their funding toward programs and services instead of decor, their spaces tend to be neglected, often furnished with a mishmash of pieces that people donate after cleaning out their basements or garages. Because of this, having access to a team of designers can be especially meaningful.
“You forget how your surroundings can really affect you,” Skalitzky says.
At the Walker’s Point center, the Floor360 team installed the luxury vinyl flooring shown here; it’s easy to clean and can stand up to heavy foot traffic. Features were designed to be gender-neutral, and storage was added that allows staffers to keep donated goods organized.
The Wil-Mar center before the makeover
The Wil-Mar center after the makeover. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
In Madison, this year’s designers made a special effort to partner with local artists and incorporate custom work throughout the remodeled Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center as a nod to the city’s bohemian character.
Old posters from the area’s signature Fête de Marquette festival decorate the walls, along with colorful cow paintings to honor the region’s claim to dairy fame. In the hallway shown here, an installation of an artful tangle of trombones, trumpets and other brass instruments hangs from the ceiling.
“Who, other than a bunch of designers, would have come up with stuff like that?” the center’s executive director, Gary Kallas, says. “Not my group — we’d still be arguing over what color the stairs should be.”
Kallas and Walker’s Point executive director O’Connell say they’ve already seen a difference in the moods of people they serve since the completion of the makeovers. Seniors in a yoga class at the Wil-Mar center have told Kallas they want to come to class more often. Teens at Walker’s Point love their new hangout spaces. Staffers have reported feeling happier to go to work, O’Connell says, now that they a fresh space created for their organization’s needs.
“Each one of [the makeovers] has been so different, but it’s such wonderful, thoughtful design and you can tell right away that [the recipients] notice that,” says Skalitzky, who’s also on the Madison design team. “They can see that we translated it based on what we heard from them, not just with what we could find or what we had in our heads before we even met them. It’s that we really found out who they are, what they needed, and how we could make it feel better but also function better for them.”
Why We Gravitate Toward Beauty in Design
In Madison, this year’s designers made a special effort to partner with local artists and incorporate custom work throughout the remodeled Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center as a nod to the city’s bohemian character.
Old posters from the area’s signature Fête de Marquette festival decorate the walls, along with colorful cow paintings to honor the region’s claim to dairy fame. In the hallway shown here, an installation of an artful tangle of trombones, trumpets and other brass instruments hangs from the ceiling.
“Who, other than a bunch of designers, would have come up with stuff like that?” the center’s executive director, Gary Kallas, says. “Not my group — we’d still be arguing over what color the stairs should be.”
Kallas and Walker’s Point executive director O’Connell say they’ve already seen a difference in the moods of people they serve since the completion of the makeovers. Seniors in a yoga class at the Wil-Mar center have told Kallas they want to come to class more often. Teens at Walker’s Point love their new hangout spaces. Staffers have reported feeling happier to go to work, O’Connell says, now that they a fresh space created for their organization’s needs.
“Each one of [the makeovers] has been so different, but it’s such wonderful, thoughtful design and you can tell right away that [the recipients] notice that,” says Skalitzky, who’s also on the Madison design team. “They can see that we translated it based on what we heard from them, not just with what we could find or what we had in our heads before we even met them. It’s that we really found out who they are, what they needed, and how we could make it feel better but also function better for them.”
Why We Gravitate Toward Beauty in Design
A youth space at the Wil-Mar center before the makeover
The same youth space at Wil-Mar after the makeover. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
Inspiring Other Businesses and Communities
Tobe encourages other design firms interested in expanding their charitable work to start small. Designers in any of the dozen or so cities where Design for a Difference programs have been established could join those efforts or the efforts of similar organizations. Those who work elsewhere could start their own programs or find another local cause where a designer’s eye could come in handy.
By partnering with local media organizations such as the Madison NBC affiliate and a regional magazine, Floor360 has been able to get exposure for both its work and the nonprofits’. Once word spread, other local businesses and volunteers wanted to get involved as well.
“Don’t be afraid to go ask for help, because what we all found is that rarely do we ever get turned down,” he says.
Building a program as comprehensive as Floor360’s requires a significant investment in time and money, Tobe says. Nominations of nonprofits start getting narrowed down in January each year, planning kicks off with a designer event in the spring, and the transformation takes place over two busy weeks in October. Skalitzky estimates that Design for a Difference-related projects now take up about two-thirds of her workload.
Even so, Tobe, Skalitzky and the designers they work with say it’s worth the effort on multiple levels. “We didn’t do it to help our business, but it’s one of those pay-it-forward things. Since that year we first did it, our business has skyrocketed,” Tobe says. “It impacts your entire culture, what you stand for, your credibility in the community.”
Inspiring Other Businesses and Communities
Tobe encourages other design firms interested in expanding their charitable work to start small. Designers in any of the dozen or so cities where Design for a Difference programs have been established could join those efforts or the efforts of similar organizations. Those who work elsewhere could start their own programs or find another local cause where a designer’s eye could come in handy.
By partnering with local media organizations such as the Madison NBC affiliate and a regional magazine, Floor360 has been able to get exposure for both its work and the nonprofits’. Once word spread, other local businesses and volunteers wanted to get involved as well.
“Don’t be afraid to go ask for help, because what we all found is that rarely do we ever get turned down,” he says.
Building a program as comprehensive as Floor360’s requires a significant investment in time and money, Tobe says. Nominations of nonprofits start getting narrowed down in January each year, planning kicks off with a designer event in the spring, and the transformation takes place over two busy weeks in October. Skalitzky estimates that Design for a Difference-related projects now take up about two-thirds of her workload.
Even so, Tobe, Skalitzky and the designers they work with say it’s worth the effort on multiple levels. “We didn’t do it to help our business, but it’s one of those pay-it-forward things. Since that year we first did it, our business has skyrocketed,” Tobe says. “It impacts your entire culture, what you stand for, your credibility in the community.”
Reveal day at Wil-Mar in Madison. Photo by Shalicia Johnson of ArrowStar Photography
Veteran designers say that even after being involved in Design for a Difference projects for years, they’re still surprised when reveal day comes and tears stream down not only the makeover recipients’ faces but also their own.
“It’s way different than giving somebody some money, saying ‘Here’s a check for this,’” Tobe says. “To be able to use your God-given talents, what you’re constantly working on being better at, to help others is really meaningful.”
More on Houzz
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Veteran designers say that even after being involved in Design for a Difference projects for years, they’re still surprised when reveal day comes and tears stream down not only the makeover recipients’ faces but also their own.
“It’s way different than giving somebody some money, saying ‘Here’s a check for this,’” Tobe says. “To be able to use your God-given talents, what you’re constantly working on being better at, to help others is really meaningful.”
More on Houzz
The Healing Power of a Revamped Room
In the Face of Disaster, Architects Are Redesigning Their Role