HomeMods Details
Pick Drawers, Not Doors The best part about drawers is that they display all your flatware and utensils at once, which allows for easy grabbing. You don’t have to get on your knees and peer into the back of the cabinet to see what’s available. You can also store your larger kitchen items in drawers. Drawers wider than 30 inches can stow plenty of pots and pans.
Make Corners Accessible Blind corner cabinets won’t cut it. Yes, they provide ample storage space, but too often they turn into unofficial junk bins when you tire of getting on all fours to fetch the dish you need. Performing that bend-reach-lift motion also isn’t good for aging backs. Look for corner cabinet bases that effectively eliminate the need for rummaging and reaching. They aren’t all the same, though. You have options, be it a convenient three-drawer base (left) or a traditional Lazy Susan.
Choose Standard Counter-Depth Appliances and Cabinets Without Any Frills Designing an age-proof kitchen isn’t the time to get fancy with decorative legs, ornate refrigerator panels or angled counters. Though these eye-catchers add personality, they can transform your space into an obstacle course. You’re more prone to bump your knees, legs and hips on appliances and cabinetry details that jut out from the counter.
If you don’t want to sacrifice counter space, the next best solution is to tuck the microwave under the counter. Why? For starters, it’s easier to set a heavy plate down below you than it is to lift it above your shoulders. And since spills are more likely when you have to reach up to remove hot food or liquid, having the microwave under the counter also prevents burns.
Keep the Sink Close to the Stove As we age, it’s harder on our arms and backs to carry big pots full of water to and from the cooktop. If any spills on the way, it becomes a slipping hazard. Keep your sink close to your stove, but be sure to leave workspace in between. It defeats the purpose if you’re forced to hold a pot longer than is comfortable because you can’t find a place to set it down. Marquis Fine Cabinetry Where it isn’t possible to have the sink on the same side as the stove (or if the layout won’t work for the way you cook), there’s another option. Place the sink across from the stove, and you’re only 180 degrees and a step or two away. This works well in galley-style kitchens.
Be Aware of Hard-Water Buildup “Always use white grout if you have hard water,” Lecouflé-Vinet says. The reason? Minerals in hard water can cause a white bloom to build up on tiles and grout, and this will be much more visible on dark surfaces. You’ll still need to keep on top of cleaning pale-colored tiles and grout, but the daily buildup will be much less noticeable.
Go With a Hinged Shower Door Shower doors and panels get soaked frequently, so they’ll need cleaning often to prevent mold and limescale buildup. Byrne recommends choosing a hinged shower door as opposed to a sliding or bifold one for an easy-clean bathroom. “A hinged shower door is the best choice, as there are fewer spots for water to linger and mold to form,” she says.
“Storage will keep the endless bottles of lotions and potions every bathroom seems to harbor out of sight, making surfaces quicker to clean,” Byrne says. She suggests choosing a sink with drawers underneath and pairing it with slim, mirrored wall cabinets above. These don’t have to be large to be effective. In fact, she suggests, they just need to be a toilet roll deep to ensure they’re both practical and discreet.
Practicality is key in a bathroom, and your choice of flooring can be crucial to the amount of time you need to spend cleaning it. “Don’t put textured porcelain tiles on the floor, especially if there’s a [toilet] in the bathroom, where people tend to walk with their shoes on,” Josephine Lecouflé-Vinet says. Byrne says: “A joint-free floor will be the most hygienic and easiest to clean. For example, terrazzo or cushion-backed vinyl.”
Choose Wall-Hung Features “Use a wall-hung vanity unit and [toilet] to keep the floor as free as possible,” Rezende says. “It makes it so much easier to clean around the entire area, especially the floor.” “All [fixtures] should be easy to clean,” Byrne says. “Look at the toilet seat: Can you reach all the crevices with a cloth? Streamlined [fixtures] will be easiest to clean.”
Tile Walls for Quick Cleaning To cut down on time spent repainting or cleaning walls, go for a tiled finish rather than paint or wallpaper. “Painted walls can get dirty very quickly in a bathroom,” Ana Rezende says, “but tiled walls are quick and easy to clean with a damp cloth.” This will be particularly useful in areas where hands are frequently brushing against walls, such as near the sink, next to wall-hung towel hooks and around light switches.
Tile Walls for Quick Cleaning To cut down on time spent repainting or cleaning walls, go for a tiled finish rather than paint or wallpaper. “Painted walls can get dirty very quickly in a bathroom,” Ana Rezende says, “but tiled walls are quick and easy to clean with a damp cloth.” This will be particularly useful in areas where hands are frequently brushing against walls, such as near the sink, next to wall-hung towel hooks and around light switches.
CHECK OUT THIS NOTE!!! To stop mold from developing in the first place, Byrne says, a ventilation fan is key. This should be in addition to a window or a skylight that opens. Byrne suggests choosing an inline fan, where the motor is located remotely, out of the room. “An inline fan has a minimal noise level that isn’t as maddening as the din made by conventional fans,” she says.
Frame a View To frame a view and create an outdoor space that draws one in, start by seeing how sightlines align from one space to the next or from windows out to the garden. Site your seating areas or garden focal points on these lines. Use symmetry between the viewer and the seating area — such as trees planted on either side of a path, or parallel hedges — to frame the view.
Main-floor powder room. If the home has more than one story, be sure there is at least a half bath on the main floor that doesn’t require climbing any stairs to reach. Some powder rooms can be quite tiny, so look for a powder room with enough clearance to easily maneuver a walker or wheelchair into the space.
Ample clearance. Look for a home with plenty of clearance in halls and passages if you want to be able to accommodate a wheelchair or walker. In the kitchen, the Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines require at least 60 inches of clearance between opposing cabinets, walls or appliances for U-shaped kitchens; galley or “pass through” kitchens require at least 40 inches of clearance between opposing surfaces.
Drawers and pullouts. Being able to pull out shelves to reach exactly what you need is a huge help, so look for a kitchen with plenty of drawers and pullouts. This is something you can add to a kitchen in the future, but since the cost of kitchen renovations adds up quickly, finding a home with a well-designed kitchen already in place is a huge plus.
Nonslip, comfort flooring. Wood, linoleum, cork or even rubber flooring (which is shown here) are good choices for hardworking rooms. These materials are easier on the joints (and safer for falls) than harder materials such as stone, tile and concrete.
1. Covered, zero-step entry. A well-lighted, step-free approach to the house is essential to allow access for wheelchairs and walkers. Also, look for an entry that is sheltered from the elements and has room for seating both outside and inside the door, for resting or setting down bags.
Windows
Curbless Showers A curbless shower is a great feature for giving your bathroom a sleek, streamlined look, but its benefits go beyond appearances. You’ve likely heard the term “aging in place.” It means designing ways for homeowners to stay in their homes as long as possible. One of the ways to do that is to remove barriers that might cause trips and falls as our mobility decreases. This curbless shower in a Chicago bathroom by JAR Corp has a bench that, when paired with a handheld shower head, allows for showering while sitting down. I always advise clients who opt for this configuration to add support behind the shower wall so they can add grab bars later, even if they don’t need them now. It’s much easier to do during construction than after the fact.
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