Launching in Spring 2025, Stony Brook Project Design will invite interior design professionals to participate in an extraordinary opportunity to give their time, lend their talent, and provide furnishings and finishes to create a permanent show house at the new Ronald McDonald House in Stony Brook.
The new Ronald McDonald House in Stony Brook will be a home away from home for families receiving critical care at Stony Brook Children’s, Suffolk County’s only children’s hospital. Featuring 30 private bedrooms with ensuite, communal kitchens, home-cooked meals, a fitness center, playrooms, and more, the Ronald McDonald House in Suffolk County will allow families to stay together during a pediatric medical crisis.
Building a Permanent Show House
In 2013-2014, over 60 designers set to renovate the 74 spaces inside the 45,000 sq ft. Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park in what was called Project Design Phase I & II. Built in 1986, the Ronald McDonald House was showing its age and needed a refreshed look and feel, fit to serve the hundreds of families living there every year.
Project Design was a tremendous collaboration between the design community and RMHC New York Metro. Everything in the House was donated: from the furnishings to the wallpaper to the pillows. To date, Project Design is RMHC New York Metro’s largest in-kind donation, totaling over $5 million.
The Power of Design
Lisa Kravet, who serves on the RMHC New York Metro Board of Directors and serves as chair of the Stony Brook Building Committee said:
“Design can change lives and we knew eleven years ago that this project would be life changing. What we didn’t realize was that it would be so impactful for all involved. We continue to hear from the members of the interior design community that participated that this was the most meaningful project that they have undertaken in their entire careers.
Lisa and Cary Kravet are partners at Kravet Inc., a global design and textiles company. They have found that the power of design has impacted families in the most amazing ways. Bright, cheerful spaces have the power to uplift families in their darkest hour. Calm and soothing spaces have the ability to bring families together to process emotions.
Stony Brook Project Design Launch Party
On November 7, 2024, RMHC hosted a Project Design Lauch Party with about 100 interior design professionals in attendance. Hosted at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom in Roslyn, the event brought together past, and present designers interested in volunteering their time and talents for a great cause.
Stony Brook Project Design will launch in 2025 with New York Cottages & Gardens as well as Hampton Cottages & Gardens as our official media sponsors. Under Marianne Howatson’s leadership, we will work together to highlight the incredibly generous contributions from the design community.
To learn more about Project Design, please email [email protected]