Accessible Bathroom Without Institutional Look
While a husband and wife in Bainbridge Island, Wash., were looking for a more accessible home a few years ago, they contacted designer Molly McCabe to get her input on the best choice that needed the least amount of work. She assessed which portions of the properties could be accessible to the husband, who is a full-time wheelchair user, and determined future work that would need to be completed. Once they found their ideal home, they hired McCabe, owner of McCabe by Design, to transform the primary bath into an aesthetic accessible bathroom that would serve both the husband in the wheelchair and the wife as his primary caregiver.
“The primary objective was to make the key amenities accessible to the wheelchair user and provide plenty of storage for towels, toiletries and other supplies,” said the designer. “A secondary objective was to make the colors and materials complementary with the furnishings throughout the house to maintain a cohesive look.”
A Primary Bath Within Reach
The former space had an awkward linen closet on one of the walls that one had to walk around to access the shower, and the toilet was in an inaccessible water closet. The built-in tub was bulky and hard to get in and out of, and the vanities were not wheelchair friendly.
McCabe, who specializes in design for accessibility, health, wellness and sustainability, has developed a questionnaire regarding accessible design needs for her clients, which she says brings up a lot of things they may not have considered.
In the new space, the tub and shower were replaced with a role-in shower featuring a hand-held showerhead, accessible valves, grab bars and a pole the husband uses to transfer from his mechanical wheelchair to the one he uses to bathe.
The dark-stained cherry vanities on either side of the accessible bathroom are almost identical, with his featuring a roll-up sink and hers with additional storage and a charging station. His wheelchair is outfitted with a power lift, which makes it easier for him to reach the faucet, the kelvin button on the mirror and the hand towel. The power lift also allowed McCabe to specify standard-height countertops since the husband does not require a lower elevation.
The toilet area, no longer in an enclosed space, is outfitted with grab bars for use while sitting or standing, as the husband can be stand up for a short amount of time with his leg braces. According to the designer, it took a few iterations to find a toilet seat with the right fit. The original bidet-style model was repurposed for the wife’s office bathroom.
McCabe and her clients selected three different porcelain tiles in four sizes for the bathroom floor. The intricate pattern in taupe, red/brown and green provides visual interest and traction. The easy-to-maintain engineered quartz countertops are impermeable, lending themselves to better overall hygiene and less bacteria growth.
The single-lever faucets require less dexterity to operate, and because it is easier to mix the hold and cold water in one lever, there is less of a chance of scalding one’s hands. For the electric mirrors, the clients originally chose the baseline model, but when they learned about the multiple kelvin levels in the next step up, those chose that instead. According to McCabe, they wanted stronger light for grooming and lower illumination for bathing, so the lighting is all dimmable – a level for every task.
Anything but Clinical
Accessibility was the first order of business in this primary bath, but the couple did not want it to look institutional. McCabe achieved this goal by choosing natural-looking materials and avoiding chemical-based products like vinyl flooring. The color palette also mimics nature with its various shades of greens and browns, and it coordinates with the furnishings and finishes in other rooms in the home.
“With any project, going with high durability and low-maintenance products is a win-win since they look great for a long time,” said the designer.
A fun fact on this project is that McCabe transformed a hall bath in the new house for the husband and wife to use while the renovations were taking place in the primary. She specified a barn door for the wider doorway, which is now being used for the doorway between the primary bedroom and bath.
“The goal of this project was to give the husband as much independence and dignity as possible, but we often forget that there is a caregiver who also needs to be considered,” said McCabe. “By giving these things to her husband, his wife gains peace of mind, knowing that he is able to perform daily grooming tasks safely on his own.”
—By Chelsie Butler, KBB executive editor
