ABC Makeover to Feature Kansas Home Decor Store Circa Home Furniture

Furniture World Magazine

Circa Home Furniture announced it will be a featured local business in a new episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The popular ABC series with Ty Pennington transforms the lives of homeowners and their families across the nation by essentially demolishing and rebuilding a home in a period of less than a week to the cheers and tears of onlookers and audience members. The episode - slated to run on Feb. 10 - showcases local Marine Daniel Gilyeat and his family. Gilyeat - a single father - recently returned from a tour in Iraq where he sustained serious injuries that forced the amputation of a leg. One of the chief concerns of the show's producers was to make the home more accessible for Gilyeat. As an amputee, moving around the home in its original state was not only awkward, but in some ways impossible, because of the multiple levels in his home and narrow doorways. Team members for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" created a home that would address Gilyeat's needs as well as become a sanctuary for the family. But in addition to being accessible, the home had to be stylish. Enter Circa and Michelle Bruning. Circa Home Furniture is one of several local businesses who donated time, services and merchandise to the television program. Michelle Bruning, owner of the local emporium specializing in global décor, gave more than $20,000 worth of merchandise to decorate and furnish the new home in Kansas City, Kan. "It was a shocking phone call - when the designer asked for my help," Bruning said. "But I knew that when they approached me about the show, I wanted to be a part." Bruning called the project "exhilarating," and said it would be a lifelong memory, even after more than five years in business. "Part of the fun of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the whole demolition and rebuild within a few short days aspect," Bruning said. "But as a designer, the other half of the fun comes from how they decorate the spaces. It's the best of home shows - homebuilding and renovation as well as decorating. And it brings a tear to your eye at the end." Eduardo Xol, the show's designer and lifestyle specialist contacted Bruning in early November, just as the project began. He found the store after an Internet search landed him at Circa's Web site. Within just two days, Xol was in the store, complete with decorating ideas for the new home - the concept being a home infused with a globally eclectic style. He created each room after careful planning, as well as numerous discussions with Gilyeat, who already had a global, cultural interest. Bruning, who was also a world traveler and cultural enthusiast, knew she could deliver on Xol's promises to create a home rich in global ambience. "When I first learned of the project - well, after the original shock and excitement wore off - I helped Eduardo find pieces that I had in the store that would be ideal for the family," Bruning said. "Because there are pieces here that are one-of-a-kind, we were able to come up with a collection of furniture that was not only functional for a young family, but unique and beautiful as well." Bruning's store essentially furnished the family's entire new home, including donations of a sofa, chairs, tables, beds and more. She also gave Xol free reign inside of the store for decorative accessories. "Part of what makes a house a true home is imbibing it with a style," Bruning said. "Because Circa Home Furniture specializes in those off-the-beaten-path pieces and accessories, building a style that's not the same as the house around the corner is easy. With a family like the Gilyeats - kids, friends and extended family all over the house - style has to be practical as well as personal. We gave them both." Bruning provided Xol with Asian- and world-accented pieces from the Circa collection in all sorts of kid- and family-friendly materials. "You can't break a hardwood table very easily," joked Bruning. "And when you have kids, low-maintenance meeting high-style takes on a whole new meaning. Another great thing about the décor is that certain items can become an instant heirloom or conversation piece. I hope the family can cherish the pieces in future generations." Bruning also said that the show tugged at her heart strings as much as her design sensibilities. Gilyeat's story was an inspiration to her as not only a hero, but a father. "I wanted to give something back to this father," Bruning said. "I am a new mom, and I understand what it means to want the best for your children. He has worked so hard defending his country. I just hope that we can make his - and his family's - lives a little easier with this makeover." About Circa Home Furniture: Circa Home Furniture began in December 2002 as an adventurous endeavor from owner Michelle Bruning. With a focus on affordable, one-of-a-kind pieces from around the world, the store fulfills a niche in Kansas City to provide ethnically eclectic pieces and home décor unavailable in the area. With a love of travel and adventure, Bruning has created an oasis of beauty in the heart of Overland Park. Known most notably for its concentration of ethnic antiques from Asia, particularly China and India, the store also sells upholstered furniture, accessories, bedding and linens, casegoods, artwork and reproductions of English and French chairs and sofas. More information about Circa Home Furniture is available at its Web site, www.circahomefurniture.com. Circa is located at 87th and Antioch in Overland Park, Kan. More information about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the Gilyeat home may be found at www.kmbc.com.