A PROJECT to turn two houses into a home for young people at risk of homelessness has been given a ‘grand design’ by a Darwen interiors business.

MyVinterior was the first to come forward offering its services when Nightsafe, the Blackburn charity that supports young people facing or at risk of becoming homeless, launched their Anchor Avenue project.

Nightsafe was donated a pair of semi-detached houses in Darwen in exchange for a peppercorn rent by a generous benefactor after they had become surplus to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s needs.

The property will provide stylish living for five young people who Nightsafe have been supporting, and a member of support staff.

Heather German, co-owner of MyVinterior with her husband Philip, said they were delighted to be part of the project and have offered a full design, build and installation service free of charge.

She said: “We have visited the site quite a few times and created 3D models of the building and shown how the two houses could look inside.

"We are also designing one of the bedrooms completely, as a guide to how the others should be finished.”

Heather feels charities like Nightsafe are needed these days more than ever.

She said: “While the young people who will be moving into Anchor Avenue will be given a great new start by Nightsafe we can’t allow others to fall to the wayside and ignore their plight.

"It’s too easy to look the other way and expect others to take the strain.

“So, seeing Nightsafe offer such an amazing service for the community and struggling youngsters hit a chord with MyVinterior.

“As a teenager or when you are in your early 20s, you can’t always manage what life throws at you.

"You need support, and this is what Nightsafe brings to the table – somewhere to rest, take comfort and be given help on the journey to a better life.”

MyVinterior was launched in January 2020 – just before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.

Heather said: “I have always liked interior design and have helped out many friends and family in the past and have moved houses quite a lot ourselves, constantly changing the interiors.

“I set up an Instagram account to showcase my work which led to us professionally offering design services to others.

“Over the years, I had collected many unusual antiques from various sources and used these to furnish the houses and make each room unique and so came the name MyVinterior or My Vintage Interior.”

While Heather and Philip operate their all-embracing service to within a 30-mile radius of East Lancashire, they also offer online design-only service to clients across the world conducting business meetings on Zoom.

Heather said: “We offer a 360-degrees service where once we know a client’s requirements we hand back a fully completed project.

"So, for a design, build and installation project we work with the client to create perfect rooms, order furniture and furnishings on their behalf and build them ready for installation day.”

She added: “Working with Nightsafe has made us think about how we could get involved in other projects that would benefit both the organisation and ourselves.”