Visitors to next month’s Ideal Home Show will be able to see the impact a furnished, safe space can make to families rebuilding their lives after domestic abuse.
The show has partnered with Furnishing Futures, the charity dedicated to transforming empty social housing into safe, furnished, trauma-informed homes for women and children escaping domestic abuse.
The room will feature in the exhibition’s Ideal Home. Furniture from the show and onsite fundraising will be also be donated to the charity.
The installation will bring to life the charity’s work, highlighting that furniture poverty affects more than 14m people in the UK. Less than 2% of social housing is provided furnished, even with flooring or white goods, leaving many vulnerable families in empty properties with bare floors, no beds, and no essential items. For women and children fleeing domestic abuse, this can compound trauma, worsen financial hardship, and hinder their ability to rebuild their lives.
At the same time, an estimated 22m pieces of furniture are sent to landfill each year, many in new or as‑new condition. Furnishing Futures bridges this gap by rescuing high‑quality furniture and homewares from the interiors industry and repurposing them to create safe, comfortable, fully furnished homes for survivors who need them most.
‘Furniture poverty is devastating, especially for women and children rebuilding their lives after domestic abuse. With support from partners like the Ideal Home Show, we can create healing homes that help families feel valued, secure, and ready for a fresh start. We’re delighted to be working together to drive awareness and make a tangible difference,’ says Emily Wheeler, Furnishing Futures ceo and founder.
