Zach Gibson/Upright Creative Co.
As people’s lives change over time, there comes a need for safety everywhere – even in seemingly mundane places such as bathrooms. A homeowner, however, might worry that making their bathroom more accessible could compromise their desired design.
But an accessible bathroom project in Westerville defies those odds and earned homeowner Wendy Heiligmann’s aesthetic approval along the way. Without it, her 99-year-old mother, Phyllis Young, would’ve had to leave her home behind.
Home is where the heart is
Zach Gibson/Upright Creative Co.
Nicholson Builders, a Columbus-based remodeling company, completed the bathroom remodel for Heiligmann and Young. The renovation enabled her to continue living with and receiving care from her daughter.
Young lives on the first floor of the home, where the hallway provided too little functionality as she aged. It included a recess in the wall for a washer and dryer unit and already featured a powder room.
For the project, design consultant Doug Lugar and interior designer Gina Compora reconfigured the space to maximize its utility. They added a full bathtub and relocated the laundry machines to the floor above. By combining the powder room with the existing bathroom, the bathroom now sits only a few feet away from Young’s bedroom.
“We’re increasing the value of the home… and didn’t compromise the space in a negative way,” Lugar says.
“It looks like it’s always been there,” Compora adds.
Blueprints for the bathroom
Zach Gibson/Upright Creative Co.
The process began with an initial consultation. At this step, Compora went through a checklist with Heiligmann, asking for her selections on details such as colors and finishes.
Compora also pitched ideas such as retractable grab bars, floating vanities and toilet seats adjusted for height in order to both maximize and blend in accessibility features.
“What a lot of people talk about is that they don't want their bathroom to look like a hospital,” Compora says. “They still want the design along with the function.”
Some of the most common decisions revolve around shower drains. Lugar says his favorite is the linear option, which Heiligmann chose. In this installment, the floor slopes downward to drain water at the front of the shower. It also allows more freedom to choose the size and arrangement of the shower floor’s tiles.
Other changes included widening entrance doors to accommodate mobility equipment, laying non-slip flooring and removing the elevated curb at the shower’s entrance.
“It's possible to kind of eliminate that caregiver role and provide a more private setting,” Lugar says.
For the bathroom’s color palette, Heiligmann went with stainless steel fixtures, neutral tiling and brightly-colored surfaces to keep the look timeless. Compora says this reflects a broader shift as homeowners move away from bold trends and add accents in smaller ways, such as colorful hand towels.
Zach Gibson/Upright Creative Co.
Zach Gibson/Upright Creative Co.
An universal necessity
Most of all, Lugar believes accessible bathrooms should matter to every homeowner. More people benefit from them than just older clients, such as those with injuries, disabilities and other guests.
“Everybody needs an accessible bathroom, even if only for a few weeks,” Lugar says. “I always bring up, ‘Is there a chance that a friend or an aging parent might use this bathroom when they're visiting?’”
Lugar views his work as a means to conserve a homeowner’s lifestyle throughout any arising challenges. By treating bathroom accessibility as an investment, homeowners can enjoy their home to its fullest potential.
“They are not interested in going into a care facility,” Lugar says. “We’re building an accessible bathroom for them because they want to stay in the house as long as they can.”
Evan Che Stefanik is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
