Portland-based Consulting and Interior Design company, designWELL studios donated its time and services to brighten the home of a young local girl battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

UPDATE: Stella is now a healthy college student as of 2019! GO STELLA!

Nine-year-old Stella Monteverde-Cakebread was diagnosed with AML on February 1, 2010. When Michelle Bexelius, owner of designWELL studios, heard of Stella’s plight, she contacted the Monteverde-Cakebread family and offered them complimentary environmental wellness assessment.

By doing something as simple as repainting Stella’s bedroom using high-quality non-VOC paints and primers (Dick’s Color Center and Pratt & Lambert), Bexelius is proving that ecoHealthy can also be ecoBeautiful. “There is always an alternative [to unhealthy products]; you just have to pick your priorities and know what to look for,” she explains.

Michelle checked the electromagnetic frequency (EMF) levels, moved Stella’s bed, and checked for lead in the windowsills. On the advice of designWELL studios, the family is also getting new, healthy mattresses, pillows and bedding thanks to (Eclectic Home), sustainable cork floors (Eco Haus) and custom designed textiles (cool cotton). The bedroom was cleared of clutter, the stuffed animals were minimized and the space was organized to create a harmonious haven.

We also want her room to resonate with her style making it fun for an almost 9 year old and her 4 year old sister to call their own. Michelle designed curtains and a duvet cover and pillow to brighten the room. Melamine furniture and plastic storage containers were replaced with solid wood pieces to improve the indoor air quality.

It will be a bright moment when Stella sees her room for the first time. We will be there smiling too knowing we helped improve the health of her room so a little girl can heal and grow up and fulfill her dreams.