A Barrier-Free Master Bathroom With a Luxurious Feel
This Maryland remodel offers ideas for designing an accessible bathroom that’s elegant too
Anne Colby
June 25, 2018
Houzz Senior Editor
Photos by Anice Hoachlander
Master Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A semi-retired couple whose children are grown
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Carnemark Design + Build
This couple living in a two-story home were ready to transition to first-floor living. The husband had been diagnosed with a debilitating illness that would gradually limit his mobility and require the use of a wheelchair. The homeowners decided to stay in their Bethesda, Maryland, residence and relocate their master suite downstairs. They turned to designer Jonas Carnemark, whose design-build firm had done previous work for them, to make their ground floor more accessible and to turn their downstairs en suite bathroom into a barrier-free master bath.
Carnemark’s aim was to design a space that felt like a luxurious retreat rather than a nurse’s station. The homeowners were budget-conscious, so the designer also focused on providing value in the selection of materials and features.
The bathroom has won several awards, including the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s 2018 award for universal design.
Highlights of the Accessible Bathroom
Master Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A semi-retired couple whose children are grown
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters)
Designer: Carnemark Design + Build
This couple living in a two-story home were ready to transition to first-floor living. The husband had been diagnosed with a debilitating illness that would gradually limit his mobility and require the use of a wheelchair. The homeowners decided to stay in their Bethesda, Maryland, residence and relocate their master suite downstairs. They turned to designer Jonas Carnemark, whose design-build firm had done previous work for them, to make their ground floor more accessible and to turn their downstairs en suite bathroom into a barrier-free master bath.
Carnemark’s aim was to design a space that felt like a luxurious retreat rather than a nurse’s station. The homeowners were budget-conscious, so the designer also focused on providing value in the selection of materials and features.
The bathroom has won several awards, including the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s 2018 award for universal design.
Highlights of the Accessible Bathroom
- Curbless open shower with bench seating, slip-resistant tile and linear drain
- Overhead rain shower head and thermostatic hand shower
- Soaking tub with wide ledge
- Accessible vanity, sink and pullout hand towel rack
- Self-sanitizing bidet-combo toilet
- Sturdy, attractive grab bars
- Low-maintenance LED vanity lighting
A Versatile Bath and Shower for Aging in Place
The standout feature of the bathroom is this handsome wet area, designed to enable the client to roll right in and shower or bathe using the bench seats and grab bars.
Shower and tub. A Hansgrohe Croma rain shower head is mounted on the ceiling, and a Hansgrohe thermostatic hand shower can be used while sitting down. The Kohler Underscore soaking tub has a wide quartz ledge that doubles as a bench. A generous number of chrome grab bars are located in key spots for support.
“This was one of those rare cases where I’ve got a male client who just loves a tub,” Carnemark says. “The grip rails are positioned in such a way that he can get in and out of that tub easily and then get back on his walker or wheelchair.” (The orchid was here just for the photo shoot.)
Pro tip: When shopping for a deep soaking tub, Carnemark says, it isn’t really the depth of the tub that you need to worry about — it’s the height of the overflow drain. In this tub, the overflow is positioned up high near the top edge so the tub fills up higher, he says.
Tiling. The floor and walls are lined with a large-format porcelain tile called On Square, in Lavagna. “We picked it because it had a rich, organic feel,” Carnemark says. “The other feature that we liked is it’s really slip-resistant. We wanted something that had a high coefficient of friction, especially when wet.” The designer says it was well-priced for a porcelain tile, which made a difference in the budget with such a large area to cover. They used an essentially stain-proof epoxy grout and, under the floor tile, a Schluter Ditra membrane to help prevent the tile from cracking.
Pro tip: “Don’t shy away from grab bars. Plan them early,” Carnemark says. “I find that grab bars are like safety belts. You only need them when you need them.”
Bathtub faucet: Concetto, Grohe; grab bars: Purist, Kohler; find more grab bars
The standout feature of the bathroom is this handsome wet area, designed to enable the client to roll right in and shower or bathe using the bench seats and grab bars.
Shower and tub. A Hansgrohe Croma rain shower head is mounted on the ceiling, and a Hansgrohe thermostatic hand shower can be used while sitting down. The Kohler Underscore soaking tub has a wide quartz ledge that doubles as a bench. A generous number of chrome grab bars are located in key spots for support.
“This was one of those rare cases where I’ve got a male client who just loves a tub,” Carnemark says. “The grip rails are positioned in such a way that he can get in and out of that tub easily and then get back on his walker or wheelchair.” (The orchid was here just for the photo shoot.)
Pro tip: When shopping for a deep soaking tub, Carnemark says, it isn’t really the depth of the tub that you need to worry about — it’s the height of the overflow drain. In this tub, the overflow is positioned up high near the top edge so the tub fills up higher, he says.
Tiling. The floor and walls are lined with a large-format porcelain tile called On Square, in Lavagna. “We picked it because it had a rich, organic feel,” Carnemark says. “The other feature that we liked is it’s really slip-resistant. We wanted something that had a high coefficient of friction, especially when wet.” The designer says it was well-priced for a porcelain tile, which made a difference in the budget with such a large area to cover. They used an essentially stain-proof epoxy grout and, under the floor tile, a Schluter Ditra membrane to help prevent the tile from cracking.
Pro tip: “Don’t shy away from grab bars. Plan them early,” Carnemark says. “I find that grab bars are like safety belts. You only need them when you need them.”
Bathtub faucet: Concetto, Grohe; grab bars: Purist, Kohler; find more grab bars
Curtain and drain. A weighted ceiling-height shower curtain and a Schluter linear curb floor drain, pictured, keep water from splashing out of the wet area. The shower floor rises imperceptibly (about one-eighth inch per foot) toward the back bench to direct water toward the curb drain, which is flush with the bathroom floor. This saved some money compared with open showers where the floor is recessed for drainage, Carnemark says, as digging into the floor costs more. The clients have told him the shower area is working well for them.
Design Details That Make a Difference
The vanity, sink and toilet area also are fully accessible.
Vanity and sink. The Oregon pine cabinetry and quartz countertop are shallow-depth for easy reach, and the extended sink basin has room underneath for a wheelchair to roll in. Note the pullout hand-towel racks and hook located under the sink. The couple decided they didn’t need two sinks since they are mostly retired and don’t need to rush through a morning bathroom routine.
Lighting. Modern-looking Sonneman Stiletto sconces with bright LED light flank the roomy Robern mirrored medicine cabinet. An opening in the wall between the sink and the self-sanitizing bidet-combo toilet lets light through.
Pro tip: Bidets are a nice feature to include in a bathroom for aging in place, Carnemark says. They can help with cleanliness and with preventing urinary tract infections.
Cabinetry: Horizons with Trifid doors, DeWils; quartz countertop: Marengo in Suede finish, Silestone; sink: Kohler Ladena; sink faucet: Concetto, Grohe; towel ring: Stillness, Kohler; toilet: Ultramax MS854114SL, Toto; toilet seat: Washlet B200, Toto; browse bidets
The vanity, sink and toilet area also are fully accessible.
Vanity and sink. The Oregon pine cabinetry and quartz countertop are shallow-depth for easy reach, and the extended sink basin has room underneath for a wheelchair to roll in. Note the pullout hand-towel racks and hook located under the sink. The couple decided they didn’t need two sinks since they are mostly retired and don’t need to rush through a morning bathroom routine.
Lighting. Modern-looking Sonneman Stiletto sconces with bright LED light flank the roomy Robern mirrored medicine cabinet. An opening in the wall between the sink and the self-sanitizing bidet-combo toilet lets light through.
Pro tip: Bidets are a nice feature to include in a bathroom for aging in place, Carnemark says. They can help with cleanliness and with preventing urinary tract infections.
Cabinetry: Horizons with Trifid doors, DeWils; quartz countertop: Marengo in Suede finish, Silestone; sink: Kohler Ladena; sink faucet: Concetto, Grohe; towel ring: Stillness, Kohler; toilet: Ultramax MS854114SL, Toto; toilet seat: Washlet B200, Toto; browse bidets
Putting It All Together
From the master bedroom doorway you can see the full length of the bathroom. The vanity, sink, partial wall and toilet are on the left, and a wall mirror, shower and bath are on the right. The shower curtain is next to the tub.
To create this larger bathroom from the existing en suite, the designer borrowed space from a hall bathroom behind it and from the master closet. He widened this doorway from the bedroom to allow for wheelchair access.
From the master bedroom doorway you can see the full length of the bathroom. The vanity, sink, partial wall and toilet are on the left, and a wall mirror, shower and bath are on the right. The shower curtain is next to the tub.
To create this larger bathroom from the existing en suite, the designer borrowed space from a hall bathroom behind it and from the master closet. He widened this doorway from the bedroom to allow for wheelchair access.
Sink (Before)
In the original bathroom, the sink and tiled countertop were to the right of the doorway leading from the bedroom. There was no storage underneath.
In the original bathroom, the sink and tiled countertop were to the right of the doorway leading from the bedroom. There was no storage underneath.
Toilet and Shower (Before)
The door to the shower stall didn’t clear the toilet when opened. The downstairs tub was located in the other bathroom.
The door to the shower stall didn’t clear the toilet when opened. The downstairs tub was located in the other bathroom.
Floor Plan (Before)
On the top left of this “before” plan is the bedroom now being used as a master bedroom. The existing en suite bathroom is top center, and the master closet is below it. A hallway bathroom and a linen closet are just to the right.
On the top left of this “before” plan is the bedroom now being used as a master bedroom. The existing en suite bathroom is top center, and the master closet is below it. A hallway bathroom and a linen closet are just to the right.
Floor Plan (After)
Carnemark reconfigured the area to create the larger master bath and a shallower master closet with a wider doorway. The hall bathroom was demolished and an accessible powder room built where the linen closet, a short hall and part of the master closet had been. The linen closet moved to the left, next to the master bedroom. Carnemark widened doorways throughout to make them wheelchair accessible.
See photos of the remodeled powder room
Your turn: Do you plan to alter your bathroom to be more accessible? Tell us about it in the Comments.
More
How to Future-Proof Your Family Bathroom
What to Look for in a House if You Plan to Age in Place
Find a bathroom designer
Carnemark reconfigured the area to create the larger master bath and a shallower master closet with a wider doorway. The hall bathroom was demolished and an accessible powder room built where the linen closet, a short hall and part of the master closet had been. The linen closet moved to the left, next to the master bedroom. Carnemark widened doorways throughout to make them wheelchair accessible.
See photos of the remodeled powder room
Your turn: Do you plan to alter your bathroom to be more accessible? Tell us about it in the Comments.
More
How to Future-Proof Your Family Bathroom
What to Look for in a House if You Plan to Age in Place
Find a bathroom designer
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Wow, what a nice design for turning two bathrooms into one! It is beautiful and totally usable for everyone. Great job.
My house only has one full bathroom, and the half bath is not nearby. My bathroom was 103" long. It was 61" wide at the entrance, then had the tub enclosure of 32" x 61" running long-wise next to the 61" x 103" rectangle of the room floor.
Here is my stab at wheelchair accessibility done with a prefab, solid surface shower, a room floor drain for insurance, a Toto bidet toilet, a vanity I designed myself, and a new small closet in the wall before you get to the shower. It has Restoration Hardware lighted med cabs with plugs inside, an automatic exhaust fan, either LED or fluorescent lighting, and a radiant cove heater that shines down to heat up the objects in the room for supplemental heating. We did widen the shower area by taking less than a foot from the neighboring bedroom. I will post a couple of photos below. Be sure to click on them to enlarge them (Houzz crops them). I designed the entire space, using advice and ideas I found on Houzz and my own ideas. My regular contractor, Jim Hartman, did all of the work with the assistance of his son, Jacob. You can see all the details Here, in my reveal.