2017 WINNER: Susan Bloyer of St. Louis Park
Nobody likes to tell their neighbors: “I have the ugliest bathroom in the west Metro.”
“That’s not exactly an honor,” says Susan Bloyer, of St. Louis Park, winner of last year’s Operation Rescue Room contest. “But you don’t always have your dream house when you’re on a budget. We did the best we could when we bought the house, and there was one particular element of it that had not been done well.”
And that was the home’s only bathroom.
Bloyer lived with it for several years. The un-even fixtures. The hole in the wall-tiles leading to water damage. The broken towel racks. The un-finished bathtub. The out-of-date toilet and sink. And the color that just never worked for her. It took time, but she saved money to remodel the room and with the $1,000 cash prize from winning Operation Rescue Room, she finally had the budget to make it happen. “It’s more than 100 percent better now,” Bloyer says. “I’m much happier with it now.” The wall damage is fixed. The room looks new again. And it’s been modernized with a dual-flush toilet and water-conserving shower head. “I’m sure in 10 years it will look dated again, but that’s life,” Bloyer says. For now, she says she’s glad she submitted to the contest and recommends others do as well. “Get over your embarrassment and just do it,” she says.