By Shawn Hogendorf

Staff Writer

Barb Kuester of Prior Lake had a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to be part of an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team consisting of more than 200 skilled volunteers who built a 5,600-square- foot dream home in six days.Barb Kuester of Prior Lake runs an
interior design company called
Simply Interiors from her home.
(Photo by Shawn Hogendorf)

“I always wondered how they get these jobs done,” Kuester said. “Beyond wanting to volunteer and offer my skills to someone who could use them, I wanted to see how this happens.”

Kuester’s cousin, John Heinecke, a painting contractor for TJB Homes based in Blaine, called Kuester when he heard about the job and asked if she wanted to be a part of the project.

Kuester owns and operates an interior design company called Simply Interiors based in Prior Lake. She has been doing interior design for 13 years. Kuester said she does more than just painting in her job.

“But this wasn’t about my decorating,” she said. “It was about helping.”

Kuester said the mood on the project site was chaotic with all the volunteers doing their thing, but there was also an overriding theme of kindness.

“It was overwhelming,” she said. “There was a sense of empowerment. Everyone was very professional and respectful of each other. It was clear we were on a mission.”

Kuester said the feeling was different than the feeling that comes on a normal deadline.

“It really wasn’t stressful,” she said.

ABC will air an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25 to reveal the show’s biggest dream home to date for a Minnetonka family that has been torn apart by tragedy yet come together through hope.The “Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition” camera crew films the
process of building a 5,600-square-
foot dream home in Minnetonka.
The home was built in six days last
August. The show will air on ABC
at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25. (Submitted
photo)

One year ago, the Swensons were a family of three.

Within a year, Erik and Vicki Swenson of Minnetonka welcomed home a set of twins and a newborn baby and adopted four nieces and nephews ranging in ages from 6 to 12 years old into their three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home.

On Sept. 22, 2006, the adopted children’s mother was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend who she’d had a restraining order against. She was lying in bed with her oldest daughter next to her. Her ex-boyfriend also killed a friend staying at the home. Police found her boys cowering in a closet in fear after being awoken by the sound of gun shots.

A few years prior to losing their mother, the children lost their father in a fatal car crash.

“These kids had their dad killed in a car crash and their mother taken from them by a murderer,” Kuester said as she held back her tears while telling the story. “To do something like this for these kids and for Vicki and her family was to give them a sense of hope, a hope that people still have good in their hearts.

“These children still have a path to go down after all the tragedy they have experienced in their young lives,” Kuester said. “They could go down the path thinking life stinks or… they can see there’s some hope.”

Kuester agreed to take time out of her busy life to paint from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on a Sunday.

After volunteering for 12 hours, it was hard to leave the house because it wasn’t perfect yet, she said. The show’s designers asked if anyone wanted to come back Monday morning to work from 3 to 6 a.m. to touch up the job.

Kuester pushed her Monday appointments back a day and returned to the Minnetonka home to finish what she started.

“By Tuesday I was dragging,” Kuester said. “You’re physically tired, but there was a sense of adrenaline knowing that you can get this huge job done and the family will love it.”

After painting on Sunday night, a candlelight vigil was held in recognition of battered women.

During the emotional vigil, Kuester said as she looked into the house all lit up as night had fallen, all she could see was the hot-pink bedroom that was designed for one of the little girls.

“It just warmed my heart to see the room that was designed specially for her,” Kuester said.

Though Kuester admits that being a part of the process was amazing, she said her favorite part of the job hasn’t come yet.

“It will probably be when I am bawling my eyes out while watching the program,” Kuester said. “I haven’t seen the family’s reaction yet. I wasn’t able to take time off to go to the ‘Move the Bus Day.’ I can’t wait to see how happy the family is and the children’s reaction when they see their bedrooms.”

ABC’s the Minnetonka “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” airs at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25.

 Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at (952) 345-6374 or shogendorf@swpub.com.