Michael Graves Design Monthly Delight Feature: Meet Valerie

Sometimes when tragedy strikes, we are left with dreading a particular day on the calendar each year. It becomes an anniversary in which we do not look forward to, and sigh that it is here again. We are relieved when the day is over and are reprieved to not have to think about the particular event, until another three hundred sixty-five days rolls around.

This occurred every year, on the anniversary of my motor vehicle accident that left me an incomplete quadriplegic. Almost twenty-five years ago, at the age of seventeen, I was a passenger in a tragic car accident. The day was April 25, 2000. I broke my neck in three places and was paralyzed from the neck down. Instead of going off to college, I went to a rehabilitation center in another state, because they specialized in spinal cord injuries. 

I had to not only re-learn how to walk, but I had to learn simple tasks again like using the restroom, getting dressed, sitting up out of bed, standing up from sitting down, and doing chores like putting away clothes. These tasks were daunting, but I was determined to become independent. Since I was an inpatient at this rehabilitation facility for almost a year, it was important that my room didn’t look like that of a hospital, but instead a fun dorm room. I remember plastering photo collages on my walls and placing a colorful floral comforter on my hospital bed. Living with a spinal cord injury has been a challenge, and on April 25th of each year, I am reminded of the daily challenges I face. This was until, of course, I was presented with an exciting opportunity. 

I am a busy mom of three children, a researcher at Stony Brook University, and the children’s book author of Violet’s Victory. Violet’s Victory is about different abilities, adaptive sports equipment, and inclusivity. I travel frequently to schools conducting author visits and presenting on different abilities and advocacy. Part of my advocacy was trying to represent women with different abilities in the media and community. I became part of HumanKind Casting, which is a talent agency focused on diversity and representation.

HumanKind Casting’s founder, Kristie Raymond, reached out to me with this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When I was waiting at the school bus stop with my youngest child, Kristie told me that I was selected to be the talent for a Michael Graves and Pottery Barn photoshoot. I was going to be a model for the Pottery Barn and Michael Graves collaboration?! I felt so honored to be a part of this shoot and so humbled to be representing people with different abilities. I flew out to California from New York, and had the time of my life. 

When I arrived at the Williams Sonoma Headquarters, it was no surprise how nice and accommodating everyone was. Every detail was thought of to make everything accessible and comfortable for me. My favorites parts of the photoshoot were having my own green room with wardrobe, hair, and make up. I also loved doing the actual photoshoot and trying to perfect the poses needed to reflect functionality of the different pieces. It was really neat to see my photos on the camera in between takes. I also had the most amazing woman Rachael helping me the entire day. I remember telling Rob Van Varick, Chief Design Officer at Michael Graves, that it was the anniversary day of my accident. I had almost forgotten the impact of the day due to the incredible experience I was having. This could be a new narrative for me. A day of adaptability and change. 

 

The Michael Graves and Pottery Barn collaboration is not only important to me because I adore Pottery Barn and have their furniture, linens, and pillows all over my home, but this collaboration made the beautiful designs I have always loved, fully accessible for not only me, but millions of others. It is not only gorgeous, but functional and necessary for independence. My favorite collection is the Michael Graves Farmhouse Collection. I love the built-in bench in front of the canopy bed where I can easily dress and put on my socks and shoes. It enables me to stand from a sitting position- something that I struggled with at rehab. The storage space under the bench is an extra bonus because I can store lidded baskets filled with additional shoes and accessories. I also love the dresser because it has such a creative design for someone with a mobility impairment. The one-handed drawer pulls make the dresser drawers easy for me to open and put clothes away, without having to struggle. In addition, the front grab rails blend right in with the appealing design but are indeed quite essential and useful. Belongings and jewelry can easily roll off a dresser, creating a risk for someone with a mobility impairment by bending down and risking a fall. The raised edge on this dresser prevents anything from rolling off, and I truly appreciate the thought that went into this functional design. Adaptive designs are important to me because of my daily challenges, and they facilitate my independence, which is so dire to me. 

 

Back when I was in the hospital and then when I was back home, it was hard to use and navigate the furniture around me. The hospital furniture was not attractive, and my home furniture was not adaptive. This Michael Graves and Pottery Barn Collaboration meshes what I need most- a stunning look blended with accessibility. It stands for my mission of spreading awareness on inclusivity. And finally, it changed the narrative to a date that I now look forward to, and creates a new, positive, story for me to tell. April 25th is now the day that I had a life-changing opportunity to help redefine the functionality of furniture for all. 

Even being a small part of this project means a lot to me because it touches upon the disability advocacy that I stand for. In addition, my accident anniversary day is now replaced with my photoshoot day for the most important furniture collaboration created- the Michael Graves and Pottery Barn Collections.