Artfully Accessible
For this bathroom makeover, accessibility was our number one goal.
This client needed to make some updates to their existing bathroom to accommodate their changing accessibility needs. These projects are always very important to us – as life and needs change, your space should change too. Everyone’s home should be just that; a place where you can be truly comfortable, where all of your needs are met, and your quality of life is at its best. Accessibility is a beautiful thing, and we wanted this space to reflect that in every way!
As you can see from the before pictures, this bathroom has always been truly unique! From the custom wallpaper to the gorgeous terrarium along the back wall, the homeowner has always taken pride in this space. However, with their changing accessibility needs, it was time for an update! The biggest issue in this space was the toilet and shower areas. For the shower, the tub made it very difficult, requiring the client to take a huge step to get in and out which was neither safe nor doable for them. Next, the toilet area was tucked between the shower and the wall – this limited space made it difficult to impossible to fit a walker or any other aides. Another issue was the wrap around vanity. While it wasn’t a huge problem, it still limited valuable floor space, and therefore limiting accessibility with the use of mobility aids. After identifying the main issues, we got to work reconfiguring the space. For the shower, we decided to take out the tub completely – having span the majority of the back wall. This client loved their terrarium (and so did we!) so we wanted to leave that as is.
We needed to create a walk-in shower which required us to lower the subfloor several inches. By having the shower floor flush with the rest of the space, it is now much easier to get in and out of the shower using any aides necessary, while also leaving space for a chair. We also relocated the shower valve and handheld to a feature tower making them much easier to reach and use from a sitting position along with create a feature point along the terrarium wall. Next, we moved the toilet so it was no longer in a tight space, allowing easier access. Finally, we reduced the size of the vanity, allowing for more usable floor space.
While accessibility was our number one goal for this space, this bathroom turned out to be a truly beautiful space. There were a lot of very important layout and design details and every inch mattered when it came down to the tiles, custom glass door, lighting and finishing stain and paints. Overall, we were able to hit every mark of function and design!