The “Roots & Raindrops” Teen Clubhouse

Project Details

Location — New York City, NY

Press — NBC’s George To The Rescue and The Today Show

Photography — Andrew Frasz

The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club essentially serves as a symbolic garden for gifted young minds to be planted, watered, and grown to achieve excellence. It is a haven from dangerous and destructive forces outside, and a place where kids feel safe, nurtured, and encouraged to reach higher, further, and faster for their dreams.

In keeping with the charity’s overall mission, board of trustees member Corey Damen Jenkins’ interior design plan for the club’s new teen lounge is conceived as a sanctuary where heritage, creativity, and personal growth come together in a visually dynamic environment. Inspired by the metaphor of roots—both in nature and in African American cultural philosophy—the space celebrates the idea that strength, identity, and resilience begin beneath the surface. A velvet wall mural treatment by Arte (shown right), rendered in expressive, interlacing lines, evokes the organic movement of underground root systems. This visual language becomes a quiet reminder to young people that what develops “unseen in the dark” ultimately supports their most powerful growth above ground.  

The soaring, two-story room is broken down into several zones to improve functionality and promote healthy social interaction, including two spacious lounge areas, a bodega, a tech bar, a gaming space, a sensory corner, a bistro-styled study area, and more. The furnishings further the roots concept of grounding and stability: sculptural seating anchors the room with soft, carved silhouettes, while new patterned flooring motifs mimic the irregularity of soil and earth. Newly paneled walls cleverly contain dry-erase boards, where both staff and club members alike can draw, post news, write notes and share announcements.  Provocative portraits created by award-winning, Bronx-based artist Antonio Pulgarin, inspires viewers to reflect on life’s trajectory. A dramatic chandelier, with cascading faceted shades of glass, resembles raindrops drawing the eye upward while symbolically connecting sky to soil—aspiration to foundation. Natural wood tones layered in with jewel-toned textiles, and oversized 8-foot trees reinforce the sense of lineage and connection to the land.

Designed as both a communal hub and a retreat, the lounge provides teenagers a place to gather, create, and recharge. Every detail reflects the deeper message embedded in the concept: when your roots are strong, your possibilities are limitless.

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