Quality Home Remodeling with Universal Design

I was recently contacted by a woman who was desperate to upgrade her aging parent’s home.  Her initial idea was to simply replace the flooring and gut and remodel the master bathroom.  After visiting with her and her parents it became apparent that what she really wanted was a nice place for her parents to grow old that would be comfortable and safe.  They didn’t have the money to do a quality home remodel for the entire house but wanted to start with the master bedroom and then maybe do a kitchen remodel the following year.  The Bellevue, WA rambler with a basement lended itself to an “aging in place home”, for an older couple, given some fairly minor renovations.  The entry had two concrete steps and a pair of three foot doors.  So converting the entry steps into a ramp would be easy and the existing entry door provided ample room for a wheelchair or other mobility assistance.  The first thing that the bedroom would need remodeled is to widen the door from a standard 30” door to a 36” door for greater accessibility.  The existing bathroom layout was woefully lacking.  It was 9’ across by 6’ wide with a shower on one end, a toilet on the other and a vanity in between.  There wasn’t enough room to change your mind let alone turn around in a wheelchair.  The only way to create an accessible bathroom was to borrow some space from the adjacent closets.  This extra space made it possible to layout the bathroom with proper clearances to allow for wheelchair and walker access.  Then it’s just a matter of installing accessible fixtures like a curb-less shower, accessible vanity and toilet.  The flooring selected should provide good grip like a smaller tile with wider sanded grout lines.  Grab bars should be installed in specific locations to allow greater safety and independence for the older couple.  This new bathroom might have the functionality of an institutional facility but it can still look elegant and project the sensibilities and tastes of the home owner.  Quality home remodeling with an eye on universal design isn’t just for older couples.  Everyone has grandparents or friends or relatives with special needs.  Quality home remodeling that uses universal design concepts will serve the owners for a longer time, potentially increase the resale value of the remodel due to more accessibility and ultimately provide a more comfortable living environment.