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.
Granite, Quartz, Marble, or Quartzite?
These are the top contenders when it comes to selecting the perfect countertop material for your kitchen or bathroom. Each one brings its own strengths, aesthetic appeal, and practical considerations—making the decision both exciting and a bit overwhelming.
Granite is a natural stone known for its durability and unique, one-of-a-kind patterns. Quartz, on the other hand, is an engineered surface that offers a wide range of color options and is prized for its low-maintenance qualities. Marble stands out for its timeless elegance and heat resistance, though it requires more upkeep. Quartzite closely resembles marble in appearance but offers greater durability and easier maintenance.
When making your selection, it’s important to consider factors such as heat and stain resistance, ease of maintenance, and of course, budget. Below, we break down the key differences, pros, and cons of each material to help you determine which surface best suits your lifestyle, design vision, and practical needs.
The kitchen pantry is often one of the most underutilized yet high-potential spaces in the home. While it can easily become a catch-all for clutter, a well-designed pantry is a true hidden gem—capable of transforming the functionality of your kitchen. From storing oversized serving pieces to housing everyday essentials, a thoughtfully planned pantry helps keep countertops clear and mealtime prep more efficient.
Whether you have a compact pull-out pantry, a spacious walk-in, or a dedicated butler’s pantry, innovative organization is key. A well-designed pantry not only maximizes storage but also supports the flow of your kitchen. Below, we’re sharing a few of our favorite design ideas and practical tips to help you better utilize your pantry space—and maybe even inspire your next kitchen upgrade.
Our showroom’s grand opening was the culmination of two years filled with vision, planning, and hard work—a dream brought to life through dedication and passion. Now, as we prepare to celebrate our second anniversary, we find ourselves reflecting on how quickly time has passed. It feels like only yesterday that we opened our doors and welcomed our very first clients into the space we’ve come to love so much.
Join us as we take a walk down memory lane and revisit the milestones, challenges, and moments that brought us to Uptown Shelby. This anniversary isn’t just a celebration of time—it’s a celebration of growth, community, and the relationships we’ve built along the way.
Walker WoodworkingThere is more to color than simply a large selection of hues. Color sends a message and can represent thought and emotion, especially in the world of design. Each year, Pantone announces its choice for the color of the year, a tradition that started in 1999, and designers everywhere eagerly await the news. Classic Blue was this year’s choice of color, a color that represents the future.
As we prepare to close the door on one decade and begin anew, many are filled with anticipation of what the coming year will bring. Blue has always been associated with stability, relaxation, and tranquility, as is seen in nature with the ocean and sky. We understand that hectic schedules and stressful office days generate a need for a place to unwind and completely relax. Here are a few ways to incorporate the color of the year into your home and give it that welcoming environment that will last throughout the coming decade and beyond.
Walker WoodworkingLight is one of nature’s most captivating elements, and its presence has the power to transform a space. In the world of interior design, natural light plays a vital role—not only by enhancing aesthetics but also by elevating the overall atmosphere of a room. It can create dramatic contrasts that bring depth and interest to a space, while also highlighting architectural and design features.
Natural light, when thoughtfully incorporated, makes interiors feel larger, warmer, and more welcoming. At Greenbrook Design, we embrace a design approach known as daylighting—the intentional use of natural light to shape how a space looks and feels throughout the day. It’s one of our favorite tools in the design process.
Here are just a few reasons why we love incorporating natural light into our projects…
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