Bathroom of the Week: Light, Bright and Wheelchair-Accessible
A design-build firm updates a couple’s primary bathroom with timeless style and universal design
After one of these homeowners underwent an amputation below her knee, the Twin City metro-area primary bathroom she shared with her husband was no longer serving her needs. “The doors to the primary bedroom and bathroom were too narrow for her to fit her wheelchair through, so she’d have to use a walker,” says interior designer Stefanie Cohoe of Che Bella Interiors Design + Remodeling. Their existing setup wasn’t safe, and they were also ready for a new look.
In the design, Cohoe came as close to ADA standards as possible, providing a zero-threshold shower, ample grab bars, a lowered vanity with a pivot mirror, rollout shelves, a high toe kick and enough room for her client to turn 360 degrees in her wheelchair. The new style took the dark and tired space to a light, bright and timeless one.
In the design, Cohoe came as close to ADA standards as possible, providing a zero-threshold shower, ample grab bars, a lowered vanity with a pivot mirror, rollout shelves, a high toe kick and enough room for her client to turn 360 degrees in her wheelchair. The new style took the dark and tired space to a light, bright and timeless one.
After: The design-build firm widened the door openings throughout the primary suite to 36 inches. “Also, the swing on the [existing] bathroom door got in the way,” Cohoe says. “We replaced it with a pocket door so that it can slide away into the wall.”
The vanity is his-and-hers, with her lower countertop on the right. It has ample space for a wheelchair to roll beneath it. Cohoe designed the angled panel under the sink to be removable, which allows access to the plumbing if necessary.
The designer chose pivot mirrors to accommodate a seated position in a wheelchair. “The toe kicks along the cabinets are also 9 inches high. This leaves room for her feet when she’s in her wheelchair,” she says. The lower portion of the linen cabinet has rollout shelves so the wife can easily access her things. The top of the linen closet is the husband’s storage space.
Paint colors: Gossamer Veil (walls) and Pure White (cabinets), Sherwin-Williams
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The vanity is his-and-hers, with her lower countertop on the right. It has ample space for a wheelchair to roll beneath it. Cohoe designed the angled panel under the sink to be removable, which allows access to the plumbing if necessary.
The designer chose pivot mirrors to accommodate a seated position in a wheelchair. “The toe kicks along the cabinets are also 9 inches high. This leaves room for her feet when she’s in her wheelchair,” she says. The lower portion of the linen cabinet has rollout shelves so the wife can easily access her things. The top of the linen closet is the husband’s storage space.
Paint colors: Gossamer Veil (walls) and Pure White (cabinets), Sherwin-Williams
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Before: The homeowners had installed some temporary grab bars, including this PVC pole. “It was very dangerous,” Cohoe says. “She had to use this PVC pole to transfer herself and hop into the shower.”
The bathroom had a large corner tub and angled walls that took up space. It was impossible to turn a wheelchair around in the room. The shower threshold and door width also couldn’t accommodate the chair.
The bathroom had a large corner tub and angled walls that took up space. It was impossible to turn a wheelchair around in the room. The shower threshold and door width also couldn’t accommodate the chair.
After: “The husband is quite tall. So we hung their mirrors and lights in a way that is not symmetrical,” Cohoe says. To meet the couple’s differing needs, his mirror and lights accommodate his height while standing, and hers are lower to accommodate her in a seated position.
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Before: The angled wall of an adjacent closet made the room too narrow for a wheelchair.
After: The designer took out the angled closet walls to expand the bathroom’s footprint into some of the closet’s space. This left 60 inches of clearance, allowing the wheelchair to turn 360 degrees. Look to the first “after” photo to see a reflection of the closet space in the mirror.
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Cohoe placed two grab bars next to the toilet. “It was important to have a vertical bar for when she lowers herself down and a horizontal bar to grab onto to get herself back up,” she says.
As for style, the goal was to make the room transitional and timeless. “We wanted to give it a bright, fresh feel,” Cohoe says. “We also wanted it to have simple background colors that we could put with saturated colors.” Accessories like the floral painting and the green towels bring in color.
As for style, the goal was to make the room transitional and timeless. “We wanted to give it a bright, fresh feel,” Cohoe says. “We also wanted it to have simple background colors that we could put with saturated colors.” Accessories like the floral painting and the green towels bring in color.
The countertops are a light-colored quartz with subtle marble-look veining. The faucet finishes are brushed nickel.
The flooring is ceramic tile with a mottled polished-concrete-like pattern to it. “The color is a greige that feels warm,” Cohoe says. She continued this tile on the walls and used tile for the baseboards. “We didn’t want her to have to worry about water that might splash from the wheelchair onto a wood baseboard,” Cohoe says.
Cohoe also added a hand towel hook underneath the countertop for easy access when the homeowner is seated.
“One thing I realized in hindsight was that we should have placed her faucet to the side of the sink, as it would have been easier to reach,” Cohoe says. The homeowner can reach it just fine where it is, but designers are always looking at lessons they can learn from projects.
“One thing I realized in hindsight was that we should have placed her faucet to the side of the sink, as it would have been easier to reach,” Cohoe says. The homeowner can reach it just fine where it is, but designers are always looking at lessons they can learn from projects.
This photo shows the slanted panel beneath her countertop as well as the tall opening beneath it for her feet.
Before: The existing shower did have grab bars, but it also had a threshold and a door that was too narrow. The shower itself was also narrow and it was difficult to maneuver inside.
After: The new shower is across the room from the toilet. It’s curbless and has a wide door for easy access. The shower floor is composed of 2-by-2-inch mosaic square tiles. “This tile has more texture, which adds grip,” Cohoe says.
The shower has three grab bars, including one that’s part of the handheld shower. This product is made by Delta. Cohoe was also thoughtful about the shower niche, placing it within easy reach of someone in a seated position.
For now, the homeowners opted for a portable teak bench over a built-in model. If their needs change, Cohoe says, they may opt for a more permanent one in the future.
For now, the homeowners opted for a portable teak bench over a built-in model. If their needs change, Cohoe says, they may opt for a more permanent one in the future.
Before: The bathroom is in the top right corner of the plan. The angled wall from the closet is on the left side of the bathroom. Also, the toilet was originally next to the large corner tub.
After: Cleaning up the angled wall and removing the tub left ample room for the wheelchair to turn. The dashed circle on the plan has a 60-inch diameter, which meets ADA standards for turning a wheelchair 360 degrees.
Removing the bathtub allowed the designers to move the toilet into the corner. This made more room for a deeper shower stall with a wider door.
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Removing the bathtub allowed the designers to move the toilet into the corner. This made more room for a deeper shower stall with a wider door.
More on Houzz
Read more bathroom stories
Browse bathroom photos
Find a local general contractor
Shop for your bathroom
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Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Size: 105 square feet (9.8 square meters)
Designer: Stefanie Cohoe of Che Bella Interiors Design + Remodeling
Before: The homeowner’s wheelchair couldn’t fit through the 30-inch doors to the primary bedroom or bathroom. Although she’s mobile with a prosthesis and walker, the couple were thinking not only about safety, but also of a future where she might be in a wheelchair all the time.
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