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.
Walker WoodworkingYou love your home, but there are some areas that are no longer working for you, if they ever did at all. You have made the big decision to renovate your kitchen, to give yourself the space you have always envisioned, but it feels overwhelming. How do you know which layout will work best for you? Which style best represents you, and what wood type will pair perfectly with certain colors? The kitchen can be a more difficult renovation because it involves multiple facets, such as plumbing and electrical. Adding in the appliances, lighting, and cabinets decisions can be enough to make your head spin. Planning is a critical part of a kitchen renovation, making it a key area of focus, which is why an experienced designer can help you accomplish your dreams on time and on budget.
James Martin Vanities has not disappointed us but provided many of our clients with a bathroom vanity that suited their unique needs, and the shorter lead times have allowed them to get the upgrades they needed within their timeframe. Our goal will always remain to provide our clients with the best possible products that fit their project, whether that is a custom, semi-custom, or predone option like the James Martin Vanity. We are here to assist you in finding the vanity that works for you, which is why we offer a variety of options. Are you ready for a change? Come visit our showroom where we have multiple vanities available for you to browse, and if you like one, you can take it home with you.
Walker Woodworking The kitchen sink has often been used to describe someone who packs everything they can think of when going on a trip, but in reality, it is a vital part of the kitchen and one of the most frequently used elements. It’s how we maintain a clean environment as we wash our hands, food, countertops, and dirty dishes. Our entire meal prep revolves around the sink since it is where most of the food is cut and prepared to be turned into a delicious dish for the family, and all the pots are filled. With so much happening around the sink, and it fulfills many roles, the type you choose is important. It should have the capacity to do everything needed in one easy design, which is why Greenbrook Design is proud to be a dealer for the Galley Workstation, a company that has reinvented the sink. Let’s talk about what it is and why you should choose it for your new kitchen sink.
Home is more than just a place to prepare for the next day, to sleep at night, and to eat your meals. It is a place where memories are made. It is where you can take a break from your routine and do something fun with your family. While everyone enjoys gathering in the kitchen, it is not the most ideal area of the home to play a board game or watch a movie. Many homeowners enjoy the idea of having a separate area where the kids can play, or they can host a Super Bowl party. Carving out a place in the home dedicated to just fun is a great way to enjoy family time without worrying about making a mess. Let’s talk about some ways to build your home for entertainment.
Walker WoodworkingThe kitchen is the center of the home, which means it should be given good consideration when planning its layout. This is especially true when it comes to cabinet design. Closed, glass front, and open shelving are the options available for kitchen cabinets. Open shelving has become a popular choice with homeowners and designers alike due to the elegance and style it brings to the kitchen. Let’s talk about the benefits it can bring to your home and some helpful design tips.
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