Renovations unveiled at the Ronald McDonald House of SWFL

FORT MYERS, Fla.- More than 20 designers and contractors donated their time and effort into completing the Ronald McDonald House of Southwest Florida’s $1.75 million renovation.

The 20-year-old Ronald McDonald house located in south Fort Myers serves as a home for families of hospitalized children and was in need of a major upgrade.

The new foyer features butterfly artwork, representing the transition of families with children who are ill.

“It’s like walking into a living room,” said Laura Ragain, executive director of the Ronald McDonald house. “It’s beautiful, it’s spacious, it’s warm.”

The dining room and kitchen, where volunteers cook meals for the families, boast a clean new look.

Each family room also has a theme and are quite different from the old rooms.

“There’s a beautiful thread throughout the house for the design that’s in the home now,” said interior designer Suzanne Costa.

Costa designed the foyer and recruited other professionals to donate their ideas, materials, and workmanship.

“I kind of look at it as a spiritual thread and it just has a flow and a beautiful energy,” Costa said.

Even the staff offices and community living room have been redone. The goal is to provide a setting that soothes the minds and feelings of parents and siblings of sick kids.

“Each room is very thoughtful in every detail and the families will undoubtedly be very comfortable here,” Ragain said.

Most of the funds for the renovation were donated. The Ronald McDonald House of Southwest Florida is only the second in the U.S. to be renovated.

Families will move into the new and improved home on Friday.