Daren Todd: Joyful function

Daren Todd is a Portland-based artist and the founder of Art Larger Than Me, a thriving creative firm focused on community engagement, teaching, and the creation of captivating public art works, installations, and private commissions. Daren's artistic style blends abstract geometry and graphic representation, resulting in cohesive and vibrant pieces, often on a larger scale.

A man in his studio is painting. Around him on the walls are more paintings. The desk is full of artistic supplies.

Nurture feelings of safety and pride

This single occupancy room is envisioned as part of a transitional housing apartment community. Designed with trauma-informed principles, it prioritizes well-being, healing, and self-expression by creating a personal oasis to nurture feelings of safety and privacy combined with joy and pride. The efficient use of space, soft furnishings and earth tones create a cocoon-like space to relax, recharge and sleep well. Fresh paint and textiles can be updated to reflect each resident's unique tastes.

A desk on the back wall with a painted chair in front of it and a painted cabinet above. To the left is a bed with gray and pink bedding. Above the bed is another painted cabinet. To the left of a desk is a bookcase.

A view of a bed placed by a window half covered with blinds. A chair in the front and the cabinets over the bed are painted in yellow, pink and green.

A bathroom corner with a sink and a pink basket underneath. A white cart is placed to the left of the sink, filled with bathroom accessories.

A view of the room from the window full of white furniture with wooden accents in the storage boxes, stools and a chair.

A working corner with a desk with a painted cupboard above. On the left wall is a white bookcase filled with books.

Comfortable, calm and personalized

By incorporating personal touches, this temporary space has been transformed into a place of pride, suitable for fulfilling daily needs and more.

Small living spaces benefit from multi-functional furniture, such as a table that can be used for socializing, eating, or even as a mini office. To create a sense of spaciousness, this design maximizes vertical space. A combination of hanging cabinets, shelves, and peg boards create a multi-functional storage system.

By placing belongings in boxes or drawers under the bed, the room feels less cluttered, making it easier to focus and relax. Additionally, painting untreated wood furniture with a unique design adds a touch of personality. The cabinets can be repainted to suit different style preferences over time.

Curtains are an excellent solution to separate the room into distinct areas for different activities such as sleeping and working. They also help to dampen sound, adding a sense of calm and privacy from sound pollution or noisy neighbors.

Creating a home-base that is nurturing, joyful and safe can create opportunity to welcome others in and begin to build connection and community.

*IKEA U.S. is in year three of our partnership with Family Promise, a national nonprofit that works with low-income families and families facing homelessness to achieve sustainable independence through prevention programs, emergency shelter, and stabilization. These room setting designs were created with input from individuals with lived experience of homelessness from the Family Promise network.

Learn more about Family Promise

Explore more collaborations

A storage is on the wall and there is painting of chanterelles on a green and blue background. There is a gray sofa in front of them with a green coffee table full of toys.

A view of a bed in a room with a blue lighting. There are hanging cut curtains above the bed creating calm atmosphere.

A kitchen with a black and white kitchen island in the middle and a nest of lamps hanging above. The walls have sections painted in yellow and blue.

A kitchen with wooden panel doors and a shelving unit above seen from the front. There is a black cart to the left with boxes.

A room with all the furniture and accessories in pink. A desk with a chair is by the window to the right and a shelving unit to the left and back of the image.

A storage unit mounted on the wall painted like a fireplace with a mirror above it, boxes underneath and a potted plant to the right.

A storage unit painted in turquoise and pink full of documents and jars is standing by the yellow wall. There is a white table with a book on it and a little stool painted in green and turquoise with pink dots.