Remodeling the most overlooked room in the house

Karen Wood is a single mother who suffers from a condition that has debilitated half her body and limits her movement. Unfortunately, the bathroom in her home was unfinished. This made it very difficult for Karen to take care of her daughter, who has autism. Making things even worse, the bathroom began to get mold which aggravated her daughter’s asthma. UMN Freedom by design took on the project to complete the bathroom and help give Karen and her daughter a healthier and easier lifestyle.

We held a design charrette where design students came together to come up with the most appropriate design for Karen’s bathroom. Karen joined us during the design charrette to choose her favorite designs and give us final approval. There was a lot to be done in Karen’s bathroom during the build days. Freedom by design volunteers tiled and grouted the walls, sanded and painted the drywall, and installed grab bars for ease of use. The work we did on Karen’s bathroom will hopefully greatly improve Karen’s life and allow her to feel much more comfortable in her own home. The bathroom was completely transformed and ended up looking great.