Bathroom Design Before:
Creating a bathroom that will grow with you as you age.
When planning a major bathroom renovation, it is important to consider functionality both for today and for the future. Be it from natural aging, an unexpected accident or taking in an elderly relative; at some point, most individuals find themselves in the position where an accessible bathroom is necessary. Often, this requires last minute bathroom re-designs that are both costly and unattractive.
Today, homeowners are learning to plan ahead and are looking for ways to plan their bathroom renovations so that their bathrooms are functional now and can easily be updated into accessible rooms without sacrificing style. With a little planning and fore-thought, we can create a bathroom that is ready to change with us as our seasons of life change; that will leave us comfortable even in the event we get a curve-ball thrown at us. Beautiful today and remaining so – all ready for tomorrow.
Bathroom Design After: Stylishly Accessible
One of the biggest things to consider when planning a bathroom with accessibility in mind is the shower base. An Accessible Design shower base from Fleurco gives you plenty of options. An overhead shower with a hand-held option and glass shower doors make a beautiful bathroom. In the future, simply remove the glass doors, install a shower seat and handrails and you have an accessible shower stall that still looks lovely. The shower bases offer a drain that is level with the floor for easy entry and a textured floor to help prevent slipping. High quality, single piece construction with a fiberglass reinforced bottom ensures your bathroom will remain functional for many years.
Layout is also another important aspect to consider. Ensure that your layout is designed to provide adequate room to move between the sink, toilet and shower areas. A design that offers enough space for a wheelchair to maneuver not only offers future accessibility but it also provides a clean, open space for today.
Text by Betty Barkman, Photos Provided by Fleurco, As Seen in Canadian Home Trends Magazine
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The bathroom looks great! Much more space and just the right amount of safety bars installed. Thanks for posting.
You could also consider installing a wet room, they also provide a safe, stylish and comfortable environment. The use of grab bars and the removal of the glass has definitely made a great improvement!
These are some great tips – and they’re all really achievable. It’s really great these days to see how many options are actually available to those who have disabilities when it comes to bathrooms and independence. One of the things my husband was actually most alarmed about when his health started to initially deteriorate, was the bathroom and his own independence. He didn’t want to have to rely on others too much, and still wanted to be able to bathe himself and such. I was originally sceptical of how achievable this was and thought we’d have to go against his wishes and install a load of hoists and things to help him get in and out of the bath and shower. But nowadays with all that’s available – this is certainly not the case! There are so many wonderful options these days, from showers with seats, to slide in baths – it really is absolutely amazing! I believe the home my husband is currently in has an accessible bath from Gainsborough (I’m 98% sure that’s the company anyway) – and he loves it because he has his all important independence! Equipment like this really does make all the difference, and it’s fantastic to see so many wonderful options out there nowadays, and it’s so great to read articles like this that show people that.