At Yates Desygn, we believe an intentional environment can shape far more than how a space looks. It can influence how people feel, how they function, and how they move forward. For the second time, Yates Desygn was honored to participate in Dwell with Dignity’s The Studio, bringing our creative eye to an organization that aligns so closely with our values and lifts up the community through design.
Formerly known as Thrift Studio, the month-long pop-up brings together designers, artists, donors, and brands to create shoppable vignettes filled with donated home furnishings and decor, with every purchase helping fund thoughtfully designed homes for families in need.
A Vignette Built Around Story
One of the most compelling aspects of The Studio is that designers are given the freedom to create without a traditional client. That creative openness gave the Yates team room to explore something a little unexpected: maximalism through a Yates lens.
Rather than designing around a named client, the team built the space around a fictional one: a well-traveled single man whose home had been shaped by objects gathered over time.
“It’s a lot of little mementos that truly reflect the curated element of this space. It’s not like it was decorated. It was collected.”
That idea became the heart of the room. The space feels layered, personal, and slightly unexpected, with global references, art, books, and objects that make it feel lived in rather than staged.
Finding the Through Line
Like many creative processes, the concept did not arrive fully formed.
Georgina Valenzuela and Dustin Ward shared that the team’s initial warehouse visit was a little more instinctive than strategic, with pieces being pulled before the full narrative had revealed itself. For the 2026 Studio vignette, the team focused on sourcing as much as possible from the generously donated goods in the Dwell warehouse, allowing the design to take shape from the spirit of the event itself.
The direction became clearer once the team began editing and refining, and especially once one bold piece of art became the anchor for the room.
“This painting was our starting off point, and we managed to incorporate the red into a still very Yates color palette.”
As that single piece of art began to guide the palette and mood, it also sparked the design narrative behind the Yates Gentleman’s Pied-à-Terre.
That artwork helped shape the palette and personality of the vignette, proving that a stronger, bolder note could still sit comfortably within the Yates Desygn point of view when handled with intention.
Layering the Unexpected
Once the foundation was in place, the room evolved through layering.
Books, accessories, art, and tabletop details were used to build depth and reinforce the story of someone who had collected pieces over time. The team also played with contrast, introducing softer, more feminine touches into a space with a more masculine foundation.
Layered with objects and art, the vignette was designed to welcome visitors into a richly decorated environment that felt collected, expressive, and inviting. That balance is part of what makes the vignette feel so successful. It’s layered and expressive, but still feels clear, cohesive, and livable.
Designed with Real Life in Mind
What makes The Studio especially meaningful is that even its most editorial moments connect back to something practical.
The Yates team was thoughtful about selecting pieces that felt flexible and realistic, not just dramatic for display. That matters in the context of Dwell with Dignity’s broader mission, where donated furnishings and decor support real homes and real families.
Founded in 2009 by interior designer Lisa Robison, Dwell with Dignity was launched to create welcoming and safe home environments for families in need.
“It’s oftentimes the people who can least afford good design who can benefit most from it.”
Fifteen years later, Dwell with Dignity has grown into a thriving organization that helps many families each year create homes that support dignity, stability, and a stronger sense of possibility.
Beyond the Vignette: Designing a Real Home
Yates Desygn’s involvement with Dwell with Dignity extended beyond The Studio floor this year. As with The Studio, this was also the second time the team took part in Dwell’s Family Projects, where designers transform real homes for families in need.
The project Yates worked on was for an all-female household: a mother and her two daughters. The team spent an entire day in their space, making beds, hanging art, organizing rooms, and attending to all the small things that make a home feel lived in and loved.
One small but meaningful touch came from the younger daughter’s love of reading. With a collection of her own books alongside donated ones, the team worked to make that corner of her space feel personal and considered, a reflection of who she already was. It is that attention to the individual that sits at the core of Dwell with Dignity’s Family Projects, empowering families to lead their best lives in a safe, functional, and beautiful environment.
A Community Effort
The Studio would not exist without the generosity of the Dallas design community.
In 2011, Dwell with Dignity tapped into the Dallas design community, calling on local talent to create vignettes for a pop-up shopping destination filled with stylish home furnishings, art, and decor, all donated to the cause.
From the Benjamin Moore paint on the walls to the furnishings, decor, and materials installed throughout each vignette, the event is powered by donated product, creative labor, and long-standing partnerships. Teresa Charnock, Executive Director of Dwell with Dignity, described the process as one that takes months of coordination and brings together designers, vendors, and supporters at every stage.
Lisa Robison spoke about that community as one of the things she is most proud of after 15 years of Dwell with Dignity, not only because they understand the mission, but because of the generosity and support that continues to make the work possible.
That spirit of collaboration is also what makes Yates Desygn’s involvement feel so aligned. The Studio is not just about creating a beautiful room. It is about bringing design, generosity, and purpose together in a way that has real impact.
Design in Service of Something Bigger
For Yates Desygn, participating in The Studio is about more than creating a vignette that looks good on opening night. It is about contributing to a model where design can do something meaningful.
This year’s vignette is expressive, layered, and unmistakably Yates. But more than that, it reflects a shared belief that great design can tell a story, build connection, and help create spaces that feel deeply human.
The 2026 Studio opening party was a huge success, drawing a crowd from across the design community and Dallas society. With every item in every vignette available for purchase, opening night raised a record-breaking $145,000 in support of Dwell with Dignity’s mission.
The Studio is open April 10 through May 9, 2026, in the Dallas Design District, with every purchase supporting Dwell with Dignity’s life-changing work. It is a chance to experience great design, support an important mission, and see what can happen when creativity is put in service of something bigger.
At Yates Desygn, we believe that being part of a community means being involved in it. We were honored to be among the designers of The Studio and are excited for Dwell’s future.