The teen center at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in Morris Heights recently got a major glow-up after being featured on the NBC home renovation show, “George to the Rescue.”
The teen center at the Frederic R. & Margaret Coudert Clubhouse serves 125 young people ages 13 to 18 each day, with programming to support their social, academic and creative growth. But the bland-looking teen center, with mostly office-style furnishings, was lacking a spark.
In the episode that aired May 2 and is now streaming online, Oliphant said the center was “a little stuck in the past — but it’s got potential.”
Under his guidance, it received not just a new coat of paint but an extensive renovation from floor to ceiling.
Oliphant collaborated with high-end furniture company Perigold, SilverLining General Contracting, New York City-based interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins, who sits on the Kips Bay Board of Trustees, and numerous other partners who donated labor and materials to the extensive renovation.
In designing the space, Jenkins said he chose a “roots and raindrops” theme that served as a metaphor for students’ deeply rooted identities and potential.
“The interior design’s visual language is a quiet reminder that we must plant these remarkable young people in joyful community environments, and water them with rich opportunities that support their growth towards excellence,“ said Jenkins in a statement sent to the Bronx Times.
The show took the audience through the process as he and clubhouse Program Director Brittany Icaza selected deep, rich colors and textures and durable materials that could withstand lots of wear and tear.
Jenkins also commissioned original artwork representing students’ potential future careers and created custom furniture with built-in chargers and a dramatic chandelier.
“This is finally gonna feel like this is theirs,” Icaza said on the show.
‘Relaxation and peace’
Club leaders said during the show that many youth members have trouble at home, come from families in poverty and rely on the club as a safe place to go after school.
Now, after the makeover, the teen center now reflects the positivity that existed behind its doors.
Kids and staff alike screamed and gasped during the big reveal, which showed their center transformed with special details that would belong in any trendy coffeeshop or cocktail bar.
“This is beautiful! I would’ve never thought we’d have a space like this,” one student said in the episode.
Through thoughtful choices, the space went from an uninspiring and office-like to promoting “relaxation and peace,” as another student put it.
“Design is at its best when it tells a story and serves a purpose,” said Nancy Soriano, head of editorial and partnerships at Perigold, in a statement sent to the Bronx Times. “Through this collaboration, we’re honored to help create an environment that nurtures imagination, connection, and a true sense of belonging.”
As an additional surprise on the big day, singer Ciara and NFL star Russell Wilson donated $1 million to the club through their Why Not You Foundation — and showed up in person to present the check.
On ‘George to the Rescue,” Oliphant always works with people going through hard times. For instance, he has created a fully accessible home for a dad who became paralyzed in a ski accident and planned a comfortable and calming space for a single mom battling both cancer and multiple sclerosis.
But in working with the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, Oliphant took on the mission to uplift the hundreds of kids who pass through its doors for years to come.
“Everyone who comes here — why can’t they be the next great leader?” he said on the show. “It all starts here, and it’s about building them up and giving them a place where they feel safe and supported.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
