Absolutely wheelchair access is appropriate. I'd put the kitchen across the left rear and up the rear right. MB up the left side to the front. Study/guest to the right front. A necessary compromise. Reduce the front entrance to 40" single door.

@dan1888 Not sure if this is what you meant...

The MB is 15x22 which might be excessive.

The next size down (around windows) would make it 15x17.

This rough sketch has the bathroom near the master and the kitchen in the bump out area stacked behind the dining and living room.

@Susan Neat! Thank you! I didn't even think of the kitchen there. Without all the windows, it has much more room for upper cabs.

You’re welcome…hopefully it can work when it’s drawn to scale. I found the ADA accessible bathroom layout earlier today, but closed the tab and then I couldn’t find it again…I think the measurements were 9’5” x 7’3”. Hopefully there’s enough room to fit the W/D beside it. The master bedroom had to shrink a bit to have the bathroom adjacent to it, but that seemed a better option. Hopefully it works for ADA accessibility/compliance. Best wishes!

@Mrs Pete

Such great questions! Thank you! Ok, bear with me and my unbroken-in laptop as I answer...

-Yes, breezeway is becoming a must, really, especially because there is a river below on the left/East side of the house (with the trees) which will be very cooling in the heat! It will also provide access to one/both back doors to the gardens which are to the right/West. Northern light will come in the front door, and the back door faces South. The land is flat towards the gardens, but an incline on the East down to the river.

-Yes, the windows are proving tricky to maneuver walls and kitchen cabinets around...but it will be a somewhat dark house when the skylights go, so I should probably keep them. There are no real privacy concerns, we're mostly alone in the woods! There is one neighbor who can see the front of the ADU from the road.

-The back door questions are also tricky, because she is showing signs of dementia, and might have a tendency to wander, so the less doors to watch the better, especially since the two current ADU back doors both lead to steps to the river, yikes! But I will check into the info you gave about the home health requirements. Also, future residents of the ADU might appreciate a back door...and it would be ideal for a bulky walker

-She suffers from kidney failure along with the possible mental decline, and she's 81 now, so you are right, I guess a wheelchair is unlikely, I'm so silly...

-Sitting spots beside a window is a good thought to mull over, I was thinking one with a view of the gardens near the front door, maybe, and trying to plan where the auxiliary wall heaters will be placed, she's usually cold.

-Yes, stove must stay, hah, my husband put his foot down there! But in reality will not be used much...there is a furnace and wall heaters also.

-Yes, one bathroom is fine. I did ask if she wanted a bathtub, but she preferred a shower. Need to add a seat...built in maybe?

-Re: the stacked laundry, so funny! No worries, we're all over 5'9''!

-Her bedroom right now has an old fashioned 'double' bed, a large armoire, two 'highboy' dressers, a loveseat, a blanket chest and a vanity table. Whew! Mostly, I think she likes to have her clothes and accoutrements around her, so that's her reason for a large room. Her furniture is probably adequate for storage, but they won't let you build a bedroom without a closet! She does spend a lot of time in there, takes many naps and uses her loveseat to read.

-She has a ton of furniture, mostly antiques, which she firmly believes to be valuable and would not give up, there are multiple pieces to perform each function, so we can work around each room's measurements. We do have plenty of storage in the outbuildings, so we plan to just rotate things as wanted.

-As for the second room, an overnight guest is very unlikely, but if it happens, it would be a single adult. No little ones! If it ever becomes necessary, it will be nice to have a spot for one of us to stay close by. Again, mostly requested to house furniture...she likes to see her things.

-No crafts or other storage needs, just a few decorative collections, like figurines. Whatever empty wall we end up with, I plan to do a photo gallery with all her old sepia photographs.

-Kitchen-wise, she has many dish sets and serving items to store, but has no culinary inclinations. A simple space will be best. Meals will be just as you said, she'll prepare breakfast and lunch, and I cook in the evenings.

-Dining table was drawn by helpful Houzzer Susan! Mother's table is oval with four chairs and removable leaves, it might be better used round.

Inspo Pic

I found the bathroom layout…it was offered up as an option on a Houzz thread. Yes, my rough sketch was just trying to see if the measurements/layout could work. Love the inspiration photo for a breezeway…the range could go on the left wall in kitchen if you wanted a doorway to the breezeway. Smaller appliances would provide more counter space. Just noticed I drew the bedroom door hinge on the wrong side…door should open on long wall.

Even if a wheelchair isn’t needed, a walker might be. OR another person might need to assist your mother. That is why additional space in certain areas…near (or in ) a shower, near the sink or near the toilet is always valuable.

Not a design pro, but an RN who worked in an independent living retirement condo community. Definitely have your architect include aging in place/universal design practices. You can also read up on home safety and dementia since you mention some cognitive decline in the thread. Anticipate the use of some kind of mobility aid eventually and likely the presence of an in home care giver (may need that second bedroom to house a caregiver).

Good lighting, level transitions between areas (no throw rugs-known trip and fall hazard), kitchen storage at an accessible height (drawers are usually preferred vs overhead cabinet storage) and easy to clean surfaces, and a moveable shower bench-not built in are all key. I'd make the woodstove non-functional if it can't be removed since you mention cognition issues though it certainly is still a bad hazard if one falls into it (?drywall around it).

@Susan

That's super helpful, thank you!! I'm totally saving that to show him. Trying to think through which room would be best to put in the little annex area, if we have an exterior door...maybe I should start looking at appliances?

Drawing out a new floorplan now to see if ADA bathroom fits...

@ptreckel

Such a good point, I remember helping someone in a cramped bathroom, not fun!

@tlynn1960

Great ideas, I'm taking so many notes! So a moveable shower seat is preferable, interesting, certainly cheaper! If the cognitive issues become worse, we'll definitely have to rethink certain elements in the home.

I have just realized I could add a gate to the breezeway river steps, that might prevent future accidents, and make a back door doable.

does MIL require (or do you think she will down the road?) handicapped access? If so, you will have to abide by certain codes. You will need someone who is familiar w/these to draw up the actual plans.

If all you want is a shower w/handrails, or a flip up shower seat, maybe a curbless shower, that's fine. (Just make sure you get a pro Tile setter who is familiar w/these codes while forming the shower)

Anything more entailed will require a pro in ADA/ADU homes.

@Beth H. :

Do you mean handicapped access to the shower from a wheelchair? Umm, no wheelchair in the foreseeable future, but a walker maybe. It does seem wise to make it age in place appropriate since we are starting from scratch though.

I will ask our consultant about hiring someone qualified!

you could do a curbless shower regardless, it just makes it easy to transition if someone needs a walker down the road. there is no curb to step over

this one has the pulldown seat

or you could just get a teak bench

Such great questions!

Glad to get you thinking!
Yes, breezeway is becoming a must

I do think it's the best way to connect to the main house. As such, you really need to keep the area that's now the bathroom "open" to the breezeway ... otherwise, what's the point?

The land is flat towards the gardens

So you could have doors /patios on any side.

The back door questions are also tricky, because she is showing signs of dementia

That's scary. Is it possible to wire a doorbell into your house so that when she opens the door, you know?

She suffers from kidney failure along with the possible mental decline, and she's 81 now, so you are right, I guess a wheelchair is unlikely, I'm so silly...

Kidney failure is scary stuff ... how does that stack up against potential wheelchair use?

Yes, stove must stay

And it stays in place. Okay.

Yes, one bathroom is fine. I did ask if she wanted a bathtub, but she preferred a shower. Need to add a seat...built in maybe?

Practical.
-Her bedroom right now has an old fashioned 'double' bed, a large armoire, two 'highboy' dressers, a loveseat, a blanket chest and a vanity table. Whew! Mostly, I think she likes to have her clothes and accoutrements around her, so that's her reason for a large room.

I get it. She's spent a lifetime accumulating these items, and she doesn't want to get rid of them.

-She has a ton of furniture, mostly antiques, which she firmly believes to be valuable and would not give up, there are multiple pieces to perform each function, so we can work around each room's measurements. We do have plenty of storage in the outbuildings, so we plan to just rotate things as wanted.

Yeah, some things are valuable antiques, but a whole lot more is just old. If she can't use everything she has, it makes perfect sense to store it rather than push her to get rid of things.

As for the second room, an overnight guest is very unlikely, but if it happens, it would be a single adult. No little ones!

So there goes the bunk room ... but I don't get the need for a second bedroom if no one will spend the night. What's the rationale?
-No crafts or other storage needs, just a few decorative collections, like figurines.

So you probably want space for a glass cabinet or shelves. Could any of this go into the plethora of bedroom furniture?

Whatever empty wall we end up with, I plan to do a photo gallery with all her old sepia photographs.

If memory issue are a reality, this is a good idea.

-Kitchen-wise, she has many dish sets and serving items to store, but has no culinary inclinations. A simple space will be best. Meals will be just as you said, she'll prepare breakfast and lunch, and I cook in the evenings.

Could she be convinced to downsize to one set of dishes? It's just realistic.

Good lighting, level transitions between areas (no throw rugs-known trip and fall hazard)

Yes, pay attention to lighting.

And try to keep the floor one consistent material. As my grandmother neared 100, her #1 problem was changes in flooring. I can't tell you how many times the transition from linoleum in the kitchen to carpet in the family room threw her to the ground.

My mother lives in an apartment on the side of my brother's house; it's 27 x 27, so a touch smaller than your proposed project. I'm sharing her floorplan -- not because I think you could copy it -- but as an example of what's possible. Sorry the resolution isn't so great. I sketched it up on the computer.

What works about this plan:

- Note we have an exterior door on the left ... this opens onto a small stoop, and my mom has parking right outside.

- We also have an exterior door on the right ... this opens into the breezeway, which leads to the main house. I don't think any of the plans for your project are paying enough attention to the breezeway door, but a connection to the main house is essential.

- Good-sized bedroom with two closets ... they actually have sliding doors, but my house program doesn't have sliding doors.

- BTW, that's a queen-sized bed. At one point my sister and I shared this bedroom, and we had two twins ... along with that large dresser on the left-side wall.

- The bathroom opens off the bedroom BUT is also available to guests ... without cutting through the bedroom. In reality, the bathroom is more spacious than it appears here ... I'm not IN the house to measure, and I sketched it from memory. Looking at it again, I'm sure the kitchen comes down a little lower /cuts into the dining area, which I've drawn a little larger than it really is ... that's where I messed up the bathroom space.

- The washer/dryer is very close to the bedroom, and that linen tower next to the washer/dryer holds more than you'd believe.

- We have cabinets above the washer/dryer ... so no windows by the bathroom sink. I've always disliked that this space is dark.

- The cabinet next to the toilet used to be a tiny sink ... but it always leaked, and my mom had it removed. Now it's just a little cabinet for setting down clothes while she's in the shower. And she stores cleaning products underneath. It was an unnecessary sink, and no one misses it.

- The kitchen is pretty small -- if I could add space anywhere, I'd put it in the kitchen. In real life, the kitchen has another cabinet next to the dishwasher, but I couldn't make it fit in my drawing.

- The huge fireplace in the living room is a space-hog, and we don't have a good spot for a TV. My grandmother, who drew up this plan /built this apartment probably never even considered a TV.

- I didn't put it in, but my mom has a large, low dresser on the left-side wall next to the exterior door. It gives her a lot of storage, and it serves as a set-down spot for purses, etc.

I hope this gives you some ideas. It's a small apartment that's been serving our family in various ways since the 1970s. My mom's enjoying living in the apartment; she says she can clean the whole place in an hour, and her utility bills are next to nothing.

@Beth H. :

Love the pull-down seat! I didn't even know those existed, that's going on my list!

@Mrs Pete

Currently trying to rework the space to include a door, and also take into account the ada guidelines for handicapped bathrooms...might have to relocate washer/dryer to the kitchen area.

I also considered putting bathroom by the current back door and kitchenette into the annex area, but it doesn't seem like it will fit.

Doctors say she'll probably continue in this slowed down walking state until the end, so I'm thinking wheelchair usage will be minimal. We have her wear a watch which tracks her movements, but a doorbell wouldn't hurt!

Yes, I also questioned the need for a second room, I think it's furniture related again, she really likes her furniture groupings and maybe they reassure her. It also may be comforting to think that family might visit. I'm not opposed though, it could come in handy for a temporary caregiver, and 1000sq ft is large enough to accommodate it.

I am going to intervene with the serving ware hoarding though! I agree one set per 80-year-old woman is plenty! She was brought up to be a gracious hostess, and I will have to work to convince her that parties of 16 minor nobles casually dropping by for supper are over!

Yes! Glass fronted curio cabinets! Less to dust!

We were thinking LPV? For the whole ADU

This little house plan is great! Thank you! I'm going to go over it in detail, see what I can use...

Thats exactly what we are aiming for, a place for the whole family's changes of life, that can be used indefinitely.

Love the pull-down seat! I didn't even know those existed, that's going on my list!

Those are great. My mom had one in her last house /before she moved into the little apartment next to my brother's house, and it was good for my stepfather, who had limited mobility.

Currently trying to rework the space to include a door,

I think a door to the main house is 100% necessary

and also take into account the ada guidelines for handicapped bathrooms

It's essential that the bathroom is done right. She'll use it multiple times a day, and it's a high-accident area.

We have her wear a watch which tracks her movements

That's brilliant.

Yes, I also questioned the need for a second room, I think it's furniture related again, she really likes her furniture groupings and maybe they reassure her.

I get that she needs to keep "her old life", but I'd push to get rid of that second room. Your space is limited, and if you get rid of it, the other rooms can be larger. Could she identify the "must keep" furniture to be worked into fewer rooms?

Remember that the breezeway can be "a room" too -- ours is enclosed on both ends with glass doors /is comfortable summer and winter. Could the breezeway be her second room?

We were thinking LPV? For the whole ADU

Excepting the shower, perfect.
This little house plan is great! Thank you! I'm going to go over it in detail, see what I can use...

I'm glad you like it. It's worked for our family for decades, and it's something my grandmother drew on graph paper.

Here’s a link to an article on universal bathroom design…very informative! https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-ways-to-age-proof-your-bathroom-stsetivw-vs~60576589