“Everyone deserves the dignity of home.” This poignant quote perfectly encompasses why we’re so passionate about working with the Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco.
For the past 30 years, this program has served the homeless youth of San Francisco with emergency shelters, education programs and transitional living facilities.
This year, we were thrilled and honored to make over one of Larkin Street’s youth residences in San Francisco.
Located in the Outer Richmond neighborhood, the building has 4 floors (and a roofdeck!) devoted to the 18-24 year olds who live here. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, this space (including 2 living rooms, 2 study rooms, 2 kitchens, a laundry room, a gym and a roof deck) got a complete makeover over the course of two days thanks to 2 teams of over 40 Pottery Barn associates.
Take a look at the total transformation, below!
BEFORE: The building had a stunning roofdeck (That view!) that was in good shape, but just needed a little love.
AFTER: A new dining set, some succulents and other warm weather plants did just the trick.
AFTER: This team also painted lattices bright white to add a little privacy to the sides of the roofdeck, while still preserving the view.
BEFORE: The third floor living space had one random pink wall and poor lighting.
AFTER: A coat of fresh paint, a new chandelier, our cozy and comfy Turner Sectional and other personal Pottery Barn touches turned this room into a chic, Southwest-inspired living space.
BEFORE: The kitchen needed some help, too. Blue paint and a lack of communal space made the room feel disorganized and dingy, despite all the natural light.
AFTER: A navy blue chalkboard wall contrasts beautifully with a coat of crisp white paint, while our expandable Banks Dining Table provides plenty of seating.
BEFORE: We wanted to turn this third floor homework room into a space with sleek, adult style that would encourage good study habits and create a warm, quiet space to work.
AFTER: This Pottery Barn Kids Teepee makes for the perfect reading nook, too!
BEFORE: Downstairs, this living space needed some help, too.
AFTER: It’s amazing what color can do! This accent wall of Sherwin-Williams Naval brought the room to life.
BEFORE: Like the study room upstairs, this room had plenty of natural light.
AFTER: White curtains filter the light just a little bit, and make this corner a cozy spot to read or catch up on homework.
We all had an amazing couple of days volunteering for these inspiring members of our community. We couldn’t be more proud to support such a wonderful organization and group of people.
So amazing! Thank you so much to PotteryBarn and its generous, hard-working employees. Everyone is so pleased with how you were able to transform our building into a cozy, welcoming home.
You are so welcome! We love seeing how happy everyone was with the new space 🙂
I worked at another Larkin Street Transitional Living House that Pottery Barn so kindly gave a makeover to a few years ago and I can’t even describe the difference it makes in the lives of the youth and the staff! I remember the residents saying “I can’t wait to get my own place so I can make it look like this!” Most transitional living programs function from housewares that people want to get rid of and usually for good reason as there is no way a non-profit can afford this type of makeover! What Pottery Barn is doing brings joy into these programs and changes the vibe for the better. As a former staff member I can also say that it made coming to work more enjoyable, especially when you spend so much time in the space. Thank you Pottery Barn for being so awesome and generous!!!
Thank you for your hard efforts too! We’re thrilled to be able to support such a wonderful cause and wonderful people.
great job
Dear Makeover Takeover Team,
WOW!
First, I want to say thank you for all of your time, energy and efforts to take on this wonderful project!
Larkin Street is near and dear to both HL and me. I began volunteering at their first location which was located on Larkin St. around 1980! Later, HL actually came with me one evening to help the kids with an art project; it was a very memorable evening, and he too was hooked. We remained very involved for many years and I continue to support them in other ways.
As we all know, our homes are extremely important and truly sets the tone of our lives.
You have warmed many hearts and you should be very proud of making a difference in the lives of the LS family!!
Most appreciative and grateful,
Warm regards,
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was our pleasure and honor to makeover such an important space for such wonderful people.
Just a heads up, the organization name is Larkin Street Youth Services, not Larkin Street Youth Center. If there’s any way you could update the blog post, it would be much appreciated! Thank you for all the wonderful things Pottery Barn does for Larkin Street and the community!!
Thanks Kathleen! We’ve made the change 🙂
Thank you!