Lowe's to donate $50K to winner of Facebook design contest

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe's is asking its Facebook fans to vote on their favorite design in the 2012 Lowe’s Designer Challenge and help one of the nation's top lifestyle experts win $50,000 for the charity of their choice. Elaine Griffin, Danny Seo and Marcela Valladolid designed spring vignettes using Lowe’s latest line of outdoor living products for spring and summer entertaining.



Their designs will be featured on the Lowe’s Facebook page through June 6, and fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite space. Lowe’s will donate a total of $100,000 to charity as part of the challenge. Each designer’s charity of choice will receive a $25,000 donation, and the designer with the most Facebook votes will receive an additional $25,000.



Griffin, a contributing editor for Better Homes and Gardens and author of “Design Rules: The Insider's Guide to Becoming Your Own Decorator,” featured the theme “L’Orangeire NYC.” She was designing on behalf of Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, which addresses many critical needs of children, adolescents and young adults in New York.



Seo, an environmental lifestylist who is the author of eight bestselling books and Today Show contributor, created a Modern Lux Outdoor Sit In Theatre. He designed for the Yum-o! organization, a nonprofit created by Rachael Ray that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids and funding cooking education and scholarships.



Marcela Valladolid, the author of two best-selling cookbooks and host of her own Food Network show, “Mexican Made Easy,” highlighted the colors and textures of Baja in her vignette. Her charity, Olivewood Gardens, provides science-based environmental education and hands-on gardening and cooking lessons to students and families from underserved communities.