Universal and Accessible Guest Bath – Dream Home 2021 Room Reveal

Hello! I’m thrilled to share the Universal and Accessible Guest Bath – the first completely finished space in the LMDS Dream Home 2021 project. I shared the beginnings of the plan a couple of weeks ago and why I wanted to create a home that could serve all physical needs presently and in the future. The guest wing of the house has two bedrooms each with its own private ensuite bathroom. Since the house is all one story, it only makes sense that it be fully accessible to anyone regardless of physical requirements. This doesn’t mean it can’t also be beautiful. No institutional spaces here! There is a full list of resources below for everything I used in this space.

I’m going to point out some of the choices made to make this bathroom fully usable and comfortable for someone in a wheelchair.

• The vanity top is about 33IN H, slightly lower than the usual 36 inches, but still a comfortable height for someone who is standing.
• The width between the cabinets is 36 W, a comfortable width for a wheelchair
• Below the sink is a “sink shroud” (what a terrible name – sink “snood” would be cuter!) which covers the pipes when a space is visually open such as this. But, its main purposes is to protect the legs of someone sitting at the vanity from rough plumbing and hot pipes.
• The sink faucet has levers which are easier to use for someone experiencing hand pain or mobility issues (think arthritis, etc).

• The mirrored pocket door is 36IN W.

• The toilet is ADA (American’s With Disability Act) compliant.
• The grab bars are mounted at appropriate heights and distances from the toilet. Their finish and style matches the rest of the hardware in the room. (Note the rods on the left mounted on the tiled wall are towel rods. Never confuse towel rods with grab bars)
• There is room to the side of the toilet for the wheelchair and a helper if needed.

The basket on the left is meant to be for laundry and is easily moveable. The waste basket is meant to be a custom made basket using the wallpaper.

• The shower opening is just under 36IN W, which will accommodate a wheelchair.
• The shower dimensions are 63IN x 65IN, which provides sufficient turning ratio for a chair with a helper.
• The floor tile in the shower is clearly different than the main floor tile which makes the transition very clear for someone who might have vision issues.
• The grab bar is for an added hand-hold even though there is no threshold.

A little overhead view.

As I’ve said previously, I am not a certified aging in place specialist (CAPS) and have not had recent and formal full training in universal design, aside from studying it on a broad level in design school, so I may have missed something. But I have been doing the research for this virtual project and believe that it all just makes good common sense for a universal and accessible bath.

• From the US Government, the 2020 ADA Standards
• From ReThink Access – a great visual guide to measurements and dimensions based on the ADA standards.

And now, to the pretty parts!

Resources – Universal and Accessible Guest Bath

Wallpaper: * Scalamandre Catwalk in Nordic Blue

(*To the Trade Only – I am happy to provide information and sales on this item.)

Paint: Benjamin Moore #827 Lake Placid

Main Floor Tile: Tilebar Delancey Starwood Blue 8×8 Matte Porcelain Tile

Shower Floor Tile: Granite State Tile Porcelain Hexa Deep Navy Matte

Shower Wall Tile: Tilebar Brushed Stone Carrara Marble Tile 

Counter and Shower Surfaces: Caesarstone Pure White 1141

Hardware: Brizo finish Brilliance Luxe Gold

(Pin for future reference)

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