Bathrooms can be dangerous places, just ask astronaut and former senator John Glenn. A couple of years after orbiting the earth, Glenn slipped in his bathroom and received a concussion, causing him to drop out of a senate campaign. He experienced pain, nausea, dizziness and ringing in his ears. Though Glenn was on terra firma, he was foiled by slippery surfaces. Fortunately for us, with a few design changes our bathrooms can be safer, more comfortable, and beautiful as well.
• Grab bars are a quick fix, and come in a variety of styles and finishes. Some designs are multipurpose, such as toilet roll holders or towel rods that are also grab bars. Want color? Some nylon (yes, nylon) grab bars come in decorator hues.
• Toilets: have metamorphosed from the low slung, 14” high style to the “comfort height”, 18”, about the height of a dining room chair.
• Flooring: ceramic tile is a good choice but should be certified “slip resistant.” Small tiles with texture are desirable in the shower. While marble is beautiful it can be hazardous.Various coatings are on the market that make marble less slippery.
• Showers: Curbless designs eliminate tripping.
• Bathtubs: Most accidents occur around baths. Grab bars near and in the tub are important. Step-in baths with little doors are widely advertised as a boon to someone with limited mobility, but they do have drawbacks. One has to sit in the tub while it fills up, then wait while it drains before exiting. If someone is suddenly wheelchair bound, these baths are inaccessible. Kohler has a different take on this type of bath, the “elevance rising wall bath.” It looks more like a very low traditional bath with a seat. Once seated inside you lift the movable wall, then the water cascades in. However, one reviewer got trapped in the tub when she finished her bath. After the water drained out, the “rising wall” would not lower. In any case, one must do research when considering one of these expensive items, which can be well over $10,000.
• Sink area: Many bathroom sinks are uncomfortably low, 30”, about the height of a dining room table. Now it is recommended they be about 34” high, with knee space below. This height sink is easily used by someone standing or sitting.
• Grooming: When you are standing 2’ away from your bathroom sink you are looking at a reflected image that is also two feet away. That means that you are looking at the equivalent of a person 4’ away from you. No wonder it is hard putting on makeup or shaving at the bathroom sink. As a result, I often recommend a separate grooming area that is closer to the mirror, similar to an old fashioned dressing table. The grooming area I designed for a recent client was in the bathroom, and allowed her to put on makeup comfortably seated.
Pamela Heyne, AIA is an architect and designer practicing in St. Michaels, and author of Mirror By Design. Her company is Heyne Design. A forthcoming book on the importance of Julia Child’s kitchen design concepts will be released this fall. pam@heynedesign.com
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