There are regulations and guidelines for accessible bathrooms and if you need to renovate to change your bathroom you will need to work with these regulations, which unfortunately can be costly. With many of our older homes, passages and doorways were often generous, with access to rooms well thought out. Bedroom doors were hung for privacy, so often latched nearest the wall and opening into the room. Door handles would need to be repositioned in older-style homes as many were fitted higher on the door. Villas' tended to be lower and more accessible, even for children.
As far as aesthetics are within the home, this is pretty logical.
Furniture needs to be higher and not too deep. It needs to fit the person concerned rather than be oversized and it needs to be well balanced - well balanced not only to look at but sturdy in design. If you are trying to get out of a chair and you haven't quite got your own balance or pressure right on the arms of the chair, it should be sturdy enough not to topple over. There are some beautifully designed chairs with this in mind.
By keeping the furniture leggy it gives the illusion of more space.
Finished to the floor gives a bulkier appearance even if the outside measurement is exactly the same. How you finish the chair or sofa also makes a difference to the look and whether it seems more streamlined or bulky.
There are some fantastic furnishings to jazz up a chair that you might feel is too practical.
Cord pulls on blinds and drapes are a must. It is so much easier to draw curtains if they are corded. Lengths of cords do need to be taken into consideration also. If they are too short there is no point in using them, they must be easy to reach. I will also cord tracks if curtains are not easily accessed and with curtains fitted behind furniture it can be very difficult. The solution is easy - cord the tracks if they are able to be corded. Blinds will need the same respect.
Flooring needs to be taken into consideration also. Some flooring finishes are easier to manoeuvre a wheelchair or walking frame on than others.
In the last home I worked on, we used a short pile carpet with a very tight weave and the carpet was glued directly to the floor substrate, which in this case it was concrete. It gave a firmer finish so the carpet didn't move under the strain of the wheels.
A smooth transition between different floor styles is important. Keep the height uniform and there will be less likelihood of tripping or having issues with wheels.
Clear access around furniture is important. Often furniture is oversized or bulky with rooms being too small, so access around furniture becomes difficult. Realistically we need rooms planned well so that traffic flows easily from one part of the room to another. Bedrooms can be particularly difficult with very little room to manoeuvre. A smaller bed may be required with different style furniture to overcome this problem. Also light-weight bedding is probably preferable to heavier bedding. The heavier the bedding the harder it is for people to get in and out of bed. If you have any questions give me a call on 027 602 3298 or drop me a line on terry@terrylobb.com www.terrylobb.com
