Universal Design, Aging in Place Bathroom Remodel in Mpls.

Project Summary

The need for Universal Design is becoming more and more common and needed in our aging, society of increasing life longevity. This project is a perfect example of what can be done in a custom thoughtful remodel to turn an unsafe bathroom into a comfortable, beautiful, and secure oasis.

In this particular case, our client wanted to stay in the home she has lived in for decades. No surprise, most adults over 65 say they do too. But this 1920's home was not constructed with the principles of Universal or Aging-in-Place design concepts, which is true with most homes on the market these days.

She also suffers from macular degeneration, which affects central vision. As is the case with senior clients dealing with vision issues, we needed to pay close attention to lighting and color that would give her peripheral vision cues.

We chose a high-contrast color scheme in the design to make navigating the room easier and safer. In addition, every wall and contact point, such as the towel racks and TP dispenser also doubles as a grab bar to address fall prevention, which is a huge issue with the elderly.

existing conditions before the remdel

Before the Remodel

BEFORE: The existing bath was falling apart.

As you can see the original pink plastic tile, dated tub, and tiny vanity, and no storage, typical of homes in the 1920's, also limited access through a single narrow entry. And, take note of the typical non-privacy window, which was in pretty bad shape, and very close to her neighbor's side entrance. Nothing like having to choose privacy over natural light—or the reverse. Now she has both the daylight she needs to use the bathroom and the privacy we all want. Because this was an older home built with 2 x 6 floor joists we needed to bolster the carrying load under the new bathtub with additional structural support.

Widow enjoys new bath and walk-in tubs

After

14" x 5" Tiffany Ava Glass. Contains 342 Pieces of Tiffany Glass and is the inspiration for the bathroom color design.

Light was the inspiration for this project. When we first met with Dorothy, the homeowner, she brought out this beautiful little Tiffany style lamp that she just loved and wanted to see the mosaic of colors used in the design. You will see the same colors in the ceiling light and in the glass tile treatment on the walls surrounding the entire bathroom.

To enlarge the bathroom for improved navigation and additional storage we had to remove a small closet. We used that change to design an elevated cabinet to showcase the lamp that was the foundation for the entire design.

To gain more space for the custom vanity, and to increase the ease of use the toilet was relocated next to the new walk-in tub, and an adjacent closet outside the bathroom was sacrificed. The vanity was designed, again with contrasting materials, at a raised height for ease of use. An additional cabinet was added in the corner with a raised platform to tie in and showcase the Tiffany lamp.

AFTER: Wainscoting walls set 12x12" marble with decorative glass; Wainscoting walls set 12x12" marble with decorative glass band 3" and top with marble chair rail. Tub deck surround set 12x12" marble and 13.5" glass band running around all three walls top with marble chair rail.

AFTER: Custom vanity with 24" deep drawers, deco toe kick, flat panel doors, painted in Magnolia True White MAG00.

AFTER: We also added lighting to the hallway to make sure Dorothy could navigate the hallway safely.

In order to get the tub in the bathroom we had to cut into the opposite wall. That gave Dorothy an idea. She saw this as an opportunity to bring even more light into the area and asked if we could design something like a window in that wall. He did better than that. Master carpenter Mark Arntzen created a memorabilia shelf with a clear glass backing. Now Dorothy has a more light in a dark hallway and a showcase for a tribute to her late husband who was a physics professor at St. Thomas.