Life, Styled
Accessible and Universal Homes are sweeping the home design industry! People are catching on to the IMMENSE VALUE of a home designed to make life easier. With all the challenges that life brings, the way you live in your home doesn’t have to be one. The techniques of Accessible and Universal Design can create greater ease and comfort right into your daily life before potential challenges become an issue.
Jenny Pippin of Pippin Home Designs learned the value of these remarkable forms of design firsthand while beginning her career in the 80s. In a nearly fatal car accident, Jenny’s back was broken, and she required a whole body cast for four months. She quickly learned her home did not accommodate a person with physical disabilities. Her bedroom required passage through a narrow hallway with a sharp 90-degree turn, which prevented a stretcher from gaining access to her bed. She was forced to rent a hospital bed and place it in the living room. Once she healed from the body cast, she found her kitchen cabinets were too high to reach without pain, bending over to unload the dishwasher was a struggle, and her bathroom was too tricky to navigate while wearing a back brace.
This experience inspired her to incorporate accessibility into each of her home designs, finding creative and beautiful solutions to potential future challenges and inevitable life changes.
Physical abilities can shift abruptly, as in the case of Jenny’s accident, but they also shift gradually in the continuous process of aging.
Things to consider for your home when planning for the future:
- Are you planning to retire and age in place in your home?
- Will your home still function for you when you retire?
- What if you suddenly require a wheelchair, crutches, walker, or body cast?
- What if one of your loved ones experiences any of these challenges?
- Will they be able to visit you?
What is Accessible Design?
Accessibility in home design is a term coined in 1990 with the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessible Design intends to meet the functional limitations of people with disabilities and other physical challenges, be they short-term or permanent.
Statistics on the disabled:
Data collected in 2018 by the CDC showed that 61 million adults in the United States live with some form of disability. That’s 26% of the population or 1 in 4 adults. Another statistic shows that 2.8 million kids aged 5-15 also have a disability. What these numbers show is the likelihood that we are all living with the need to accommodate someone with limitations in life.
What is Universal Design?
Universal Design is a broader concept using techniques that take into consideration EVERY possible challenge and limitation in life. A Universal Home is designed with spaces and products that are readily usable by all people; healthy and ill, able-bodied and physically challenged, young and old, tall and short, male, female, and everything in between.
Universal Design is inclusive design!
Regardless of individual abilities or circumstances, Universal Design empowers homeowners and their visitors to carry out routine household activities with ease and without the need for adaptation.
Concepts of Accessible and Universal Design:
Equitable Use:
These homes consider people with diverse abilities. They are designed to be accessible, appealing, and accommodating of all people at all ages.
Intuitive Appliances:
Intuitive and straightforward appliances include right- and left-handed usability, easy-to-use fixtures, low physical effort required for operation, minimized hazards, appropriate space for approach and use, and located at proper heights for the intended users.
Solutions to Aging:
Design solutions to many common aging challenges can extend your quality of life far into the future.
Visitability:
Design plays a big role in how comfortable others feel in your home. Homeowners may not initially believe their home needs to be accessible; however, visiting family and friends with additional needs should be considered.
Beauty and Function Unite
A functional home is a beautiful home. Skilled Residential Design Specialists and Interior Designers can create stunningly gorgeous accessible homes that enhance aesthetics with intelligent design.
There are countless creative aspects to Accessible and Universal Design. The following are a few of the most popular:
Modified Appliances
Simple modifications to appliances can turn a mediocre kitchen into a showpiece. Cooktops with front-mounted controls eliminate the need to reach over a hot burner to adjust the heat. Raised dishwashers, washers, or dryers minimize the need to bend over. Refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers with drawers, as opposed to traditional doors, provide easier access to the items inside.
Modified Cabinets
Drawers, as opposed to traditional cabinets, eliminate the need to bend down and dig through to find items. Touch latch cabinets are easy to open without the need for grasping.
Kitchen Countertop Adjustments
Modifications to countertop heights, making them slightly taller or lower to accommodate the height of inhabitants, is a simple adjustment that significantly enhances the usability of a kitchen. A seated prep work area in the kitchen can provide comfort for anyone who doesn’t want to be on their feet for long periods while cooking. Rounded corners and countertops reduce the incidence of bumps and bruises.
Bathroom Shower Modifications
Curbless showers eliminate the need to step over a threshold, making wheelchair or walker accessibility beautiful and straightforward. Single shower handle valves are easy to turn on and adjust the temperature. Shower and bathtub valves can be intentionally designed at heights appropriate for the specific occupants of the home.
Bathroom Sink Modifications
A roll under sink that can be accented with cabinet doors is a beautiful and functional option for making a bathroom wheelchair accessible. Raised vanities reduce the amount of bending necessary to use the sink. Wall-mounted vanities open up more floor space and can also be more accessible for people with wheelchairs.
Cost of Accessibility
Accessible and Universal homes are NOT necessarily more expensive than standard homes; they’re just smarter! Many elements are simply about placement or product selection. Incorporating these forms of intelligent design increases the value of your home and offers long-term cost savings.
Incorporating elements of ease into the plans for your home before it’s built is the best option for long-term comfort and usability. However, if you’re renovating your current home into your forever home, working with a skilled and forward-thinking designer can help you make wise decisions for the best ways to ease into your long-term homelife.
Greenbrook DesignRecycling old styles with a modern twist is a phenomenal way to honor the past while creating the future. Nostalgia is a valuable part of the creative process, especially in designing homes, our little personal factory of memories. So, don’t be afraid to try out some of these forgotten interior design styles that are making a comeback. It’s nice to freshen up your whole concept and take a little walk through a time capsule. Let your creativity fly in the limbo of styles, and wonder what else will be new soon.
Walker WoodworkingWe all have an idea of what our dream home would look like, after all, that is what places like Houzz and Pinterest are for, right? You wish you could have those little personalized spaces and upscale feel in your home that makes it stand out from the ordinary. Sometimes we believe that the home we envision is far too luxurious for our budget, but that is not true. But with a little creative thinking, anything is possible! There are many ways to stretch a budget through good planning and a few helpful tricks that can give you the luxury you desire without breaking the bank. Let’s explore the various ways to achieve designing a luxury home on a budget and bring your dreams to life.
Greenbrook DesignThese products usually come in refillable, recyclable, or compostable packaging and containers. Some have no packaging at all if you buy them from your local health food stores. You can also switch to more sustainable cleaning products, such as vinegar and hot water. For toilet paper, look for options with compostable packaging. You can also switch to a bidet to achieve complete waste-free status.
Being eco-friendly is at the heart of minimalism. If you want to adopt this light, sustainable, and freeing lifestyle, making eco-minimalist changes in your bathroom is a great first step. For more tips on achieving an elevated lifestyle, visit us here at Greenbrook Design.
Walker Woodworking As one of the most used areas in the home for our intimate needs, the bathroom should be designed as a place of refuge and relaxation from the cares and stresses of life. This means that it should reflect your personality in every way, from color to pattern; everything should make it a place you enjoy using, rather than just serving a purpose. Design details matter, and with traditional rules being replaced with out-of-the-box thinking, it is easier than ever to accomplish this task. You deserve to have a well-functioning and lovely bathroom that is designed with you in mind. Designing a bathroom should be all about you!
Greenbrook Design It’s hard to believe that the farmhouse style has only recently become so popular, thanks to its warm colors and romantic charm. It was once a haven for those seeking to escape city life and return to simpler times. Nowadays, farmhouse design is about elegant simplicity in every piece of furniture. Whether you live in a bungalow or a mansion, incorporating modern farmhouse design into your home is easier than ever. Here are some tips to help you get started.
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