Bathroom of the Week: Classic Style for Aging in Place
A design-build firm uses universal design principles for a bathroom while giving it a traditional look
These homeowners hired a design-build firm to update their primary bathroom with two major objectives. The first was to implement universal design principles so they could age in place there. The second was to give it classic traditional style with a spa-like airiness. Requests like a zero-threshold shower and ample space for turning a wheelchair drove the layout, while the existing trimwork and rich wood in the rest of the house inspired the style.
After: “Our clients wanted a very classic traditional design that would be cohesive with the rest of their home. They also wanted a clean, elevated space that felt like a spa,” designer Tori Dove says. “There is a lot of rich wood in the rest of their home and we brought it in here through the walnut vanity.”
The new layout is much more open, creating the spa-like feel the homeowners desired. Removing the separate toilet room played a big role in that, and now the toilet is wheelchair-accessible. The build team added supports for grab bars in the appropriate places for easy installation later.
The new layout is much more open, creating the spa-like feel the homeowners desired. Removing the separate toilet room played a big role in that, and now the toilet is wheelchair-accessible. The build team added supports for grab bars in the appropriate places for easy installation later.
“Our lead designer, Victoria Lauer, took note of all the beautiful trimwork throughout the house, including chair rails, baseboards and crown moldings, and brought that into this bathroom,” Dove says. Lauer came up with the idea to continue the trimwork pattern she designed for the walls across the vanity wall and integrate the mirrors into it. The mirrors were cut to fit into the pattern.
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The sconces are a combination of lacquered brass and milk glass. “We used a lot of rich accents with the brass on the sconces and drawer pulls, and glass tones including milk glass, frosted glass [on the shower] and smoked glass [on the chandelier],” Dove says.
The countertop and backsplash are quartz with a Calacatta marble look. The faucets are classic polished nickel.
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The countertop and backsplash are quartz with a Calacatta marble look. The faucets are classic polished nickel.
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This photo was taken through double doors that open between the bedroom and bathroom. The designers carefully considered the view upon entering the bathroom. The sightlines lead straight down the open central area of the room to the window.
The light fixture diverges from strictly traditional style. Its design was inspired by midcentury Italian Tronchi suspension lamps that were made of handblown Murano glass. This new version combines clear, amber and smoked glass geometric tubes. The chandelier helps tie the existing modern glass block window in with the traditional room. The Art Deco bench adds a sophisticated touch.
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The light fixture diverges from strictly traditional style. Its design was inspired by midcentury Italian Tronchi suspension lamps that were made of handblown Murano glass. This new version combines clear, amber and smoked glass geometric tubes. The chandelier helps tie the existing modern glass block window in with the traditional room. The Art Deco bench adds a sophisticated touch.
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This view from the window toward the entry provides a good look at the bathroom’s layout. From front to back on the left, there’s a second vanity that is wheelchair-accessible (not shown), the shower, a linen cabinet and a door that leads to the walk-in closet. On the right is the toilet (not shown), a double vanity and another walk-in closet behind it. The designers laid out the space so that it could accommodate a wheelchair’s turning radius.
Before: The shower stall was located off one end of the bathtub. It had a curb, and the opening wasn’t wide enough for a wheelchair. A second vanity was located to the right.
After: Lauer flipped the shower and vanity locations, allowing for a larger shower stall with a wide zero-threshold entry.
The floor tile is a mosaic that mixes marble and limestone. “This tile’s pattern flowed really nicely. But with the way it laid out, it needed something more to work with the room’s layout. We worked with our tile vendor to find this border. It was the perfect color and size,” Dove says. The border adds a pleasing finish around the tile and edges it nicely.
The designers also recommended this floor tile because it was rated for slip-resistant shower use. This meant they could continue it seamlessly into the curbless shower stall. The shower floor slopes toward the drain in the center to prevent water from getting into the rest of the bathroom.
The floor tile is a mosaic that mixes marble and limestone. “This tile’s pattern flowed really nicely. But with the way it laid out, it needed something more to work with the room’s layout. We worked with our tile vendor to find this border. It was the perfect color and size,” Dove says. The border adds a pleasing finish around the tile and edges it nicely.
The designers also recommended this floor tile because it was rated for slip-resistant shower use. This meant they could continue it seamlessly into the curbless shower stall. The shower floor slopes toward the drain in the center to prevent water from getting into the rest of the bathroom.
The second vanity is a wheelchair-accessible height, with clearance to pull up and use the sink. The walnut and the brass pulls match the double vanity across the room. Lauer used a similar strategy of integrating the trimwork and mirrors and mounting the sconces on the mirror.
To the right, the shower enclosure is low-iron frosted glass. The lower the iron, the less of a green cast there is in the glass.
To the right, the shower enclosure is low-iron frosted glass. The lower the iron, the less of a green cast there is in the glass.
The designers placed two towel hooks at the end of the shower stall. They’re far enough from the shower heads that they stay dry. The linen cabinet to the right is walnut to match the vanities.
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The shower measures 4 feet, 11 inches by 6 feet, 3 inches. The bench allows easy access to the handheld shower and controls when seated. The main shower head has a gooseneck so the water reaches someone standing in front of the bench. The walls were blocked to support grab bars for future installation.
The wall tile is 12-by-24-inch digitally printed porcelain. “There’s a transparent effect to it that reminds me of onyx,” Dove says.
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The wall tile is 12-by-24-inch digitally printed porcelain. “There’s a transparent effect to it that reminds me of onyx,” Dove says.
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Floor plans: The existing floor plan is on the left, and the new floor plan is on the right. The biggest changes to the layout were taking down the toilet room enclosure and moving the shower stall. When comparing the bottom portions of these plans, it’s clear how much these changes opened up the floor plan. Not only did this lend the spa-like feel, it allowed room for the wheelchair turning radius.
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Bathroom at a Glance
Location: Franklin, Tennessee
Size: 180 square feet (17 square meters)
Design-build firm: Sebring Design Build
Before: At 185 square feet, the bathroom space was generous. But the layout was chopped up, creating a cramped feeling in parts of the room. There was a toilet room to the right of the vanity, and the shower stall was off the opposite end of the bathtub. (See before-and-after floor plans below.)
The homeowners weren’t interested in having a bathtub, and they wanted the bathroom laid out according to universal design principles. This meant allowing for a turning radius for a wheelchair.
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