Photo by KS KYUNGOriginally Posted On: https://www.grandmashousediy.com/inspiration-accessible-home/
I’ve said it many times, I firmly believe that a home can work perfectly for whoever lives in it and still be beautiful. But I still believe a home should WORK for you first before beauty though I think both of them can be totally achieved. This is completely true for an accessible home as well, it can be lovely, stylish and work awesomely for everyone in your family and life!
When you or anyone in your family has difficulties with mobility or particular needs for moving around, you need your home to be accessible.
Whether someone in the family is a wheelchair user, uses crutches to get around or needs help with things like sitting and standing, you don’t want your home to make life difficult. However, when you look at accessible home features, such as grab bars, shower seats, or even chairs designed for people with mobility issues, they’re often not particularly stylish. You don’t want your home to look like a nursing home or hospital, but how can you make it both accessible and stylish?
Fortunately, you don’t need to make your home look sterile and out of date. There are ways to make a home that’s accessible for everyone and make sure that it’s stylish too.
Turn Space into a Feature
When you want to make a home accessible, it often means having a little more space to move around. Getting around in a wheelchair, for example, requires a little more space between furniture and preferably wider doorways too. If you need some extra space in your home, turn it into a design feature rather than something you do out of necessity.
Having lots of empty space can help your home look clean and uncluttered, but it doesn’t necessarily mean going for a minimal look. By choosing the right furniture and accessories, you can still put plenty of personality into each room.
Choose the Right Floors
Flooring can be a bigger issue than you might think when decorating an accessible home. Carpeting and rugs could cause an issue for wheelchairs, while floors that are too slippery might be difficult to navigate for anyone who has difficulty walking.
Hard floors are a good choice if you have a wheelchair user in the house, but make sure to find floors that are less likely to be marked by wheels. You might want to consider softer flooring like carpets for someone who isn’t so steady on their feet or could be at risk of falling.
Look for Designs with Accessibility Built In
A lot of furniture and home fixtures made for disabled people isn’t exactly great to look at. However, there are plenty of stylish options to help you make your home more accessible. Some things are built with disabled people in mind, while others just happen to be appropriate for someone with accessibility needs.
If you’re redesigning your bathroom, for example, you can find some great options. Installing a walk-in tub is a good idea for anyone who might have difficulty getting in and out of a traditional tub, and there are some good looking choices. If you need a shower chair, consider something like a wooden bench mounted on the wall, instead of a boring plastic and metal chair.
Other examples include the furniture that you choose for your home. Perhaps you need seating that is easy for you to get up from. You could look at specially-designed recliners and chairs that can be adjusted. Another option is simply to explore what’s out there and find chairs or a sofa that’s a comfortable height for you.
Spend a Little More on Better Materials
When you need to build certain fixtures into your home, it can be worth spending more on the materials. For example, if you need to put bars and rails in your bathroom, consider choosing metal over plastic. It might be more expensive to buy items in chrome or stainless steel compared to plastic, but they will look much better.
See if you can find different colors, too, or just stick to metallic options if you want to keep things looking sleek and clean. A wooden shower bench or an adjustable leather armchair could elevate your home design while keeping it accessible.
Use Smart Technology
Creating a smart home is a great idea for anyone who is physically disabled, and smart devices often look great too. If you’re not too keen on having a lot of tech on display, many items are discreet, and you can easily install them somewhere out of the way.
You can use smart tech to make it easier to do a huge number of things around your home. It can help you turn lights on and off, watch TV and listen to music, do the laundry, and many other things. If you don’t want your smart tech to be too visible, you can hide it away. Even larger appliances can be hidden behind cabinet doors.
Get Custom Items Made
If you want to get your perfect look for your home, you could consider having custom furniture made for your home. This way, it can be created to match your needs and to look great in your home. Of course, custom-made furniture is going to cost you more than ready-made furniture.
However, it’s also often excellent quality and will likely last for many years to come. Not only that, but it’s a great way to get unique items that you won’t see in anyone else’s home. You just need to find a furniture maker that will discuss your needs with you and can make what you’re looking for.
Get Everything the Right Height
One of the things about accessible interior design is that it’s often not really about style. Sometimes you just need something to be the right height or size to make it suitable for your home.
For example, kitchen counters might need to be at the right height for a wheelchair user to be able to cook and use the surfaces. Sometimes finding something that’s the right height is simply a matter of searching and measuring. However, there are also occasions when you might need to have things custom made and installed so that they’re right for your home.
Integrate Accessible Features
Accessible features around your home don’t need to stand out. For example, a grab rail next to your bed could seamlessly blend in with the rest of the decor in the room. Of course, you might not be able to make things invisible, but you can ensure they don’t stand out too much.
Consider choosing colors carefully so that the items you choose are a better fit for their surroundings. You can also try to integrate medical equipment or other necessities using different storage options, whether you use shelving, trolleys, nightstands, or other furniture that helps to make necessities part of the overall design.
Improve on Existing Features
Another way to make your home accessible but keep it stylish is to improve on items you already have. This might mean making stylish items more accessible or making accessible items more stylish.
For example, you could add wheels to a table that’s not quite high enough. You could paint an item that’s designed for disabled people, but that doesn’t look that good. A bit of upcycling and adjustment could go a long way.
Take Inspiration from Others
If you need ideas, you can find plenty of people who are able to provide inspiration for you. Try looking for blog posts and articles where people discuss their experiences with creating stylish and accessible homes. You will discover that everyone has great ideas that you might not have thought of yourself, and that you can try to fit into your own interior design. Other people want their accessible homes to be stylish too.
Making your home accessible doesn’t mean it won’t have any style. It can be suitable for a disabled person and be stylish at the same time.
