Brody is a loving 9 year old boy who has an undiagnosed NeuroMuscular/Regressive disorder. He is nonverbal, has a feeding tube, cecostomy tube, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and an immune system disorder. On our first home visit, we learned that Brody is very attached to his bedroom and is meticulous about his bedroom area being clean. With this in mind, we knew changing his bedroom would not bring joy, it would only cause confusion and concern. Instead, the family was interested in us closing in their back patio to make it into a sunroom. They had recently moved from a home that had a sunroom and were aware of how beneficial sitting in hot, indirect sunlight was for his pain and behaviors until they no longer had that option. Brody’s doctors and physical therapist agreed the indirect sunlight from a sunroom was very beneficial for Brody’s pain management which in turn decreases his self harming behaviors.
The goal for this project was to create the perfect sensory sunroom retreat for Brody. We were able to accomplish this by closing in the covered porch. Once this was completed, the design team of Interior Design Students from Cape Fear Community College selected materials to provide Brody with different textures and different sensory options to meet his needs. A leather couch was chosen along with two different therapy swings used for different types for sensory stimulation. A knot pillow, colored bubble lamp, weighted vest, and a squeeze canoe were all selected as options for Brody.
Here are some pictures of Brody’s porch before:
Brody loves his new sunroom and even chose to go straight to the sunroom after two recent surgeries he had. He loves the swing and the squeeze canoe mixed with the warm heat of the sun allowing his pain to be better managed in conjunction with his sensory needs.
Here are some after pictures of Brody’s Sunroom:
A huge thanks to the Interior Design Students from Cape Fear Community College: Brianna Lovins, Tess Luman, and Kara Kube. They were wonderful in researching all the best items to meet Brody’s unique needs while still making the space look stylish and inviting! Way to go ladies. Another special thanks to Southern Exposure Sunrooms for making the sunroom enclosure happen and working hard right after Hurricane Dorian to get it done in a short time frame! This project would not have been possible without the generosity of Little Chapel on the Boardwalk, whose grant funded a majority of the project.
