It's hard to put into words how incredible it is to see the impact Olivia's Big Splash Bathroom Giveaway has on so many people, especially us. And we are beyond thankful for the generous donations and help from our Schloegel village. We COULD NOT accomplish this alone.
Linda Wagar with Fox4 Problem Solvers put together a beautiful story on Lottie's bathroom.
This year's recipient, Lottie Ireland, couldn't easily be moved in her home. Her parents had purchased the ranch home, hoping it would make life easier for Lottie, but homes just aren't built for people with special needs. Lottie was born with TBCK syndrome, a rare neurogenetic degenerative disease that causes intellectual and physical disabilities and seizures. This means she depends on care from her family, and she often utilizes a chair for mobility. One of Lottie's very favorite things is to take baths! We knew we needed to create a bathroom for Lottie to not only enjoy her baths but that would also be safer to get her in and out.
Olivia's Big Splash Bath Giveaway
This year we had the honor of renaming our program to Olivia's Big Splash Bath Giveaway, and the Olivia Bloomfield Foundation was instrumental in helping improve the Ireland's home for Lottie. In those first meetings, we quickly learned that the one bathroom in their home wasn't big enough for Lottie's needs. We also found the carpet and small doorways made it nearly impossible to move Lottie in her chair, and as she grows, carrying her will become more difficult than it already is.
Designing a New Bathroom
Kelly Summers and Leslie Hatfield put their heads together to come up with several options for the Irelands, one of which was adding a completely new bathroom to the home, which is the design they chose. Then Kelly worked with them to design it from the ground up. Check out our construction post to see some of the design details.
Construction
Ryan Waters and Jeff Penrose managed the construction of the project. They loved getting to work with the Irelands and did a phenomenal job!
Kelly and Lindsay Brungardt went the extra mile and hung the wallpaper.
The New Bathroom
The new bathroom is not only beautiful; it's perfectly functional for Lottie. The vanity is sloped so Lottie can be wheeled right up to the sink. The faucet is a pull-out, similar to a kitchen but made for the bathroom. Now they can bring the faucet to Lottie to wash her hands!
There were a lot of discussions about what type of structure would work best for Lottie and her family. They talked about a wheel-in shower and a walk-in tub. The walk-in tub would be amazing, but it needs to drain before you can open it fully. That means Lottie could get cold and not ideal for her little sister. Ultimately they landed on a standard tub so Lottie's siblings can use it too! We made it accessible thanks to the Molly Bather donation from the Olivia Bloomfield Foundation. The tub/shower combo has a faucet and two shower heads, one on a slide bar, to make bathing Lottie even easier.
Kelly and Katie Ireland designed the bathroom in a boho theme with white bath tile and a printed tile in the niche. The floors are a larger format, porcelain gray. Beautiful natural white oak cabinetry is the perfect backdrop for the matte black hardware and fixtures.
A New Bedroom
Thanks again to our partnership with the Olivia Bloomfield Foundation and Kelly's never-ending drive to leave Lottie with a beautiful room; we also redid Lottie and her little sister's bedroom. Kelly carried the boho them into the room with sunny shades of orange, pink, and mustard yellow. Lottie also got a bed upgrade. She previously had a house structure bed which was perfect when she was smaller. Getting her into the small doorway has become increasingly difficult as she's grown. The new raise/lower bed arrived at the perfect time.
Not only did we redo her bedroom, but we were able to install new engineered hardwoods throughout the Ireland home. New floors and widened doorways allow the family to move Lottie freely through her own home!
New Closets
Finally, Lottie's parents need plenty of storage for Lottie's treatments and food. Their home didn't have a great space for that. At the end of the bathroom, we added a walk-in closet just for Lottie. In the bedroom, we added closet organizers for her Little sister. They just make life a little easier.
Extreme Generosity
We say it often, but it's so true. Without our AMAZING trade partners and vendors, we could not do this or any of our projects. So many of them generously donated to make Lottie's bedroom, bathroom, and more happen. A special thanks to each of them!
- The Olivia Bloomfield Foundation
- Air Care Heating & Cooling - HVAC work in the new bathroom
- Apex Tile - all tile work in the bathroom
- California Closets - two closet systems
- Central Surfaces - the quartz countertop
- Crown Cabinetry - the vanity & Upjohn cabinet
- Ferguson Enterprises - bathtub
- Grandview Winnelson - all plumbing fixtures, grab bars, & towel holders
- Inception Plumbing - all plumbing for the bathroom
- Jason Wright Electric - all electrical for the bathroom
- Kansas City Millwork - doors, baseboard, casing, & shoe
- Koala Insulation - insulation for the bathroom addition
- Lee Drywall & Plaster - drywall in the new bathroom
- Matthew Anderson Photography - donated the beautiful photos
- McCray Lumber - all lumber for a new bathroom & ramp
- Norman's Termite & Pest Control - termite treatment
- ProSource of Lee's Summit - all tile & grout for the bathroom
- R & S Painting, LLC - all paint & painting in the bathroom
- SVB Wood Floors - all new engineered hardwoods throughout the home
- Vaught Roofing - roof work for new bathroom
Stay tuned. We've already started phase 2 at the Ireland home. The Olivia Bloomfield Foundation and McCray Lumber generously donated all the materials to build a ramp into the Ireland home.