In collaboration with Venus Williams, French design house Roche Bobois made Miami women’s shelter Lotus House a beautiful place to be.
Venus Williams and Julien Bigan at Overtown women’s shelter Lotus House.
The power of good design is a palpable one, albeit a luxury not everyone can afford. In an effort to bring beautiful furnishings to those who deserve it most, French design house Roche Bobois teamed up with tennis star Venus Williams to outfit the Lotus House, a women’s shelter that has been supporting Miami’s homeless women and children for the past 10 years.
“Whether you’re very rich or very poor, to come home and find yourself surrounded by beautiful furniture gives you a sense of inspiration. That is what Roche Bobois does for them,” explains Julien Bigan, US communications director for Roche Bobois.
Located in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, Lotus House has been providing health and wellness services, housing, job training, and personal support to hundreds of women and children since it opened its doors in 2006, after being founded by President and Executive Director Constance Collins in 2004.
To furnish the shelter’s 35 apartments, dining areas, common spaces, and offices, Roche Bobois donated an extensive selection of new items from previous collections, from chairs to area rugs and bedroom furniture. Along with his team, Bigan personally hand-delivered and placed many of the items throughout the shelter. “Julien was one of the individuals who came to help literally move furniture— and it was a hot day,” remembers Collins. “Sleeves rolled up, right in the middle of it. That’s pretty impressive.”
It proved to be a fulfilling day of personal exchange and creative inspiration as residents involved themselves in the design process. Says Bigan of the experience, “The intention was to respect the owner of the space, the residents. When we were doing the donations, we said, ‘How do you feel about this?’”
To cap the event, Williams, who is also owner of the design firm V Starr Interiors, made a personal appearance with her mother, touring and getting to know the shelter with Collins, and closing the afternoon with an inspirational speech. “She gave a talk that was very heartfelt to the women in the shelter,” recalls Collins. “To have a woman of her stature visit, share, and speak one on one, it’s extraordinary. Her speech was very inspirational, about how perseverance against all the odds was so critical in her achieving success and how believing in herself was a strong motivating force.”
The reactions of the residents upon seeing their new apartments reflected Roche Bobois’s and Williams’s common objective. “All I heard repeatedly was, ‘This feels like home,’” recounts Collins. “There’s something really nurturing about living in a shelter and then having this group of people who care about you descend upon it, and flood you with furniture and rugs and lamps and chairs and couches and goodwill. That was very uplifting for the shelter as a whole. I have nothing but gratitude.” Lotus House, 217 NW 15th St., Miami, 305-438-0556