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.
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.
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.”