Habitat Chic

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity celebrates their 100^th home with Habitat Chic, an all-star design competition featuring two of the interior design industry’s biggest personalities. HGTV Design Star competitor Jason Champion and “Chic on the Cheap” author Mark Dalton will face an “iron-chef ” style competition as they design using donated items and furnishings from Habitat’s ReStore to completely decorate each home as the clock ticks toward a quickly approaching deadline. Each designer will have 24 hours, 1,100 square feet of living space and a limited budget to decorate two Habitat homes with style. 

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a hands-on, ecumenical, nondiscriminatory, housing ministry, http://manateehabitat.org/.

OPENING NIGHT PREMIERE PARTY

On Saturday, November 14 from 7:00-10:00 p.m., hundreds of people will converge in Habitat’s Washington Park Neighborhood to get a first-hand glimpse at the unveiling of the two design challenge homes.  The $50 per person ticket price benefits Manatee Habitat and includes light bites, drinks, music and mingling with the designers.  A reality television-type short video of the design challenge will debut, followed by tours of the two Habitat homes with the designers and soon-to-be homeowners.

Tickets can be purchased by phone, mail or in person at:

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity    
1201 6th Ave. W., Suite 318
Bradenton, FL 34205
phone: (941) 748-9100, ext. 202  fax: (941) 748-9110   
email: habitatchic@manateehabitat.org  
www.manateehabitat.org/habitatchic

TOUR OF HOMES

For three days, November 15, 20 and 21, 2009 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm each day, the completed homes will be open to the public during a special Tour of Homes.  For a $10 donation to Manatee Habitat, participants will view the homes and have the option to attend special home-related workshops.

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS

Jason Champion is a full service designer, stylist, television personality, and writer with 15 years of experience in the design field. Jason has accrued several awards and accolades for his expertise. He has also been recognized in prestigious publications that include The New York Times, Washington Post, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful. During the summer of 2009 Jason showcased his talent on television as a contestant on HGTV’s popular series Design Star.

Mark Dalton is an interior designer who, after 21 years working the high end residential market, came up with a design concept that brings good design to everyone.  Hailed as “Chic on the Cheap” in a Herald-Tribune feature, Mark published “Chic on the Cheap Ringling Park,” a how-to book on his concept.  He writes a monthly column for Living Out East & On The Bay magazine and advances Chic on the Cheap’s mission of “crossing economic lines to bring beauty and comfort to all who desire it” at his firm Mark Dalton, Inc.

 MANATEE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

The Manatee County Habitat for Humanity Affiliate was chartered in the summer of 1994, as a result of a friendly spin-off from the Manasota (Sarasota) Affiliate. Since then, Manatee County Habitat for Humanity has built 97 homes with the help of donors, families and volunteers.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Manatee County Habitat for Humanity has built simple, decent houses with the help of homeowner (partner) families. Habitat for Humanity houses are sold to partner families for no profit and financed with affordable, interest-free loans that are financed by Habitat, http://www.manateehabitat.org/.

DONATIONS

ReStore is a retail outlet that accepts new and used donated materials to resell to the general public – items like: windows, doors, lumber, floor tiles, dinette sets, chairs, beds, stoves, fridges, housewares, artwork, patio sets and more. Proceeds from ReStore sales are used to build more Habitat for Humanity homes in Manatee County. In addition, by collecting these perfectly good items, the ReStore helps keep tons of usable materials out of the local landfill.

The store is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday and accepts cash, credit and debit cards (Address: 1227 Hardin Ave., Tallevast, FL 34243). ReStore offers free pickup for donations that can be arranged in advance for a convenient date and time by calling (941) 355-7082.