Graciela Torres was speechless at the sight of her renovated kitchen with its new cupboards, countertops and appliances.

The 52-year-old Indio woman instead burst into tears and hugged her 23-year-old daughter, Adriana, whose essay in September won the family the second annual Indio Marriott Home Makeover.

“I have no words to explain how happy I am,” Graciela Torres said in Spanish during the big reveal Oct. 29.

The Torres family house in the 83-100 block of Emerald Avenue received renovations worth $85,000 over 13 days, said Danny Young, director of engineering at the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort and Spa.

It was done mostly through donated labor and materials from the city, Marriott volunteers, and at least 10 Coachella Valley business contractors, Young said.

“It is a lot of work, but knowing you are doing it for someone who needs it is awesome,” Young said.

One of the home's biggest problems was a lack of insulation that caused it to overheat like a sauna during the summer.

Volunteers replaced a faulty central air conditioning system and put insulation in the ceilings and walls throughout the home. They also added a new roof and tan exterior, as well as three flat-screen televisions, new kitchen appliances and new furniture, including sofas and beds, Young said.

The Marriott properties spent at least $25,000 for building materials, and several local building contractors donated materials and labor. For example, C&M Building Materials contributed sheet rock, Young said.

The city spent $12,000 from city housing rehabilitation funds for the windows, a central air conditioning system and the stucco on the walls, said Jeremy Frey, city housing rehabilitation specialist.

Sixty-five volunteers participated in the renovations. Desert Springs JW Marriott employee Moureen Holcomb volunteered nine days at the Torres residence, helping with demolition, cleanup and running parts back and forth.

“To see the family's reaction is what we all worked for,” said Holcomb, 48, of Indio.

During the renovations, the Torres family stayed for free at the Marriott Shadow Ridge Villas in Palm Desert.

On Oct. 29, Adriana Torres, her mother, nephew Lionel, 5, and brothers Gabino, 16, and Carlos, 14, cut the blue tape at the front door of their house.

“This is unbelievable,” Adriana Torres said after walking in. “I never imagined that this house could be so beautiful.”

As she wiped her tears, Graciela Torres received a hug from her new friend Dahlia Alvarez, 63, of Indio. The Alvarez family received the home makeover last year.

“I just wanted to be here when she saw it,” Alvarez said.

“I know that she is very, very happy.”

Plans for the next Indio Marriott Home Makeover will be determined by the Marriott Business Council and the city of Indio at a later date, Frey said.

“We look forward to this project,” Frey said. “It is worth seeing the reactions of these people right before the holidays.”