Each year, Housing Works hosts the premiere interior design shopping benefit, Design on a Dime in New York – where all funds from donated goods sold go towards new housing developments for formerly homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. During this remarkable annual event, over 50 of the most prestigious interior designers are invited to design vignettes full of interior goodies that are up for grabs for all attendees, all at truly discounted price points. This year marked the organization’s 10th annual event and I was privileged enough to get to attend and shop around with my mom.
The bubbly was flowing, the guests were immaculately dressed, the music was pumping and we had a blast. We marveled at all of beautifully put together rooms, the most exquisite in furniture and finishings, and even picked up a few goodies for ourselves. Although, I am still kicking myself for not getting this beautiful, bohemian-style canvas outdoor umbrella – even if I had no use for it, I still can’t get how it moved off my mind. The day after the opening night, Design on a Dime – which took place at the Metropolitan Pavilion was open to the public with prices dramatically slashed and good Lord, do I love a good deal.
The most impressive part was surprisingly not all the glitz and glamour that the evening attracted but that this year the benefit pulled in a whopping $1.1 Million which will help build 30 new homes for formerly homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. I feel so connected to the work that Housing Works does and I’ll always find ways to support this incredible organization.
If it’s not with Design on a Dime, their bookstores, Buy the Bag or their fantastic thrift stores, then with their Open Air Street Fair that’s coming up just this weekend. The block party and shopping bazaar will take place this Sunday, June 1st from 10AM – 5PM on Crosby Street in the heart of SoHo. There will be live music, bike tune-ups, story time for the kiddies, books, records, and CDs for $1 each and finds from Housing Work’s SoHo location, including $5 vintage tees – uh, hell yeah. Find out more about this weekend’s Open Air Street Fair here. And to support all the wondrous initiatives that Housing Works pulls off time and time again, you can log onto their website here, for all Housing Works events, auctions and store locations.
Until next year you can make it next year, check out my DOAD 2014 wrap up video I put together above. Enjoy!