Kitchen & Bath Business April 2021 - 33

KBIS 2021

Accessible Design Solutions for All
Making spaces work for everyone at any age and
of any ability was the focus of a universal design
session at KBIS Virtual.
" DESIGNING AN ACCESSIBLE, livable home is just

plain good design. "
That's how Kerrie Kelly, creative director of
Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in Sacramento, Calif.,
began a panel on " Design Solutions for Living
in Place " at the Healthy Living Pavilion at KBIS
Virtual, with Jonas Carnemark, CKD, CLIPP, of
Carnemark design + build and Konst Siematic,
and Jennifer Bertrand, AKBD, CLIPP, of Jennifer Bertrand Design.
" As we know, Living in Place means making
spaces accessible, safe and comfortable not just
for seniors, but for anyone at any age, " said Kelly,
" regardless of physical challenges and multiple
generations living under the same roof. "

She said health is important now more than
ever, and healthy living means clean living. Look
for easy-maintenance materials, holistic design,
biophilic inspiration that incorporates more
green in the living spaces and bringing the outdoors inside.
* Justine Fox: " Color is so central to our experience
of the world and affects us emotionally, " she said.
Political extremism, climate change, virus threats,
economic fears, overwhelming technologies and
job insecurities " feel pretty apocalyptic. Color can
counterbalance all that's going on in the world.
We're turning fear into positivity. " Among her

SPECIAL

SECTION

ated this evolution, with more people working and studying from home
and more generations living in the home. Health and wellness has become
very big, nutrition is becoming a new medicine, people are learning about
all of this and realizing that this is going to stay - and that it's good for
the home. We did a kitchen project for a large family with in-laws where
we focused on targeted storage areas and flow, creating family areas and
zones where everyone can help. "
Kelly turned to Bertrand, who hosts " Military Makeover " on the Lifetime
Channel, and asked about easy ways designers can help homeowners begin
implementing or retrofitting these concepts. Bertrand said designers should
embrace the concept early on.
" You can start small, like putting backing in walls for potential grab bars or
designing a shower with color blocking to create horizon lines, " she added.
" It's OK to retrofit, but it's good to start this conversation now, because it
makes it really easy for the future...anyone can install a zero-threshold shower
at any time. "
Kelly said a lot of discussion about universal design is focused on " design
for the home, not the individual. Nobody likes to hear that they're aging, and
nobody can predict the future, so the house has to accommodate any number
of future possibilities. " For instance, Carnemark said it's always a good idea
to include a shower bench or a place to put a foot up and to consider whether
something is easy to use and easy to maintain - like getting behind a freestanding tub to clean - and if the user can get in and out of it easily.
HELPING CLIENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS

DESIGNING WITH SPECIAL AREAS
AND FUNCTIONS IN MIND

" This has been an evolution, " said Carnemark,
" but it's a perfect storm of things happening
over time...opening up the kitchen and connecting to other areas, an emphasis on quality
over quantity, for instance. COVID has punctu-

KBB

By DIANNE M. POGODA

Bertrand added that a lot of these elements can easily be incorporated by
educating the client about why they are worthwhile. Multigenerational living
is just catching on in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world, she said, so
considering even simple things like multi-zone heating and cooling is going
to be helpful. Building a team of experts - for universal design, technology,
lighting, anything - is good for the whole process and makes a designer look
better to the client.
Helping clients understand that the benefits of an accessible house, just
like energy efficiency, is better for long-term prospects and resale as well.
" Don't wait until the point when you really need the remodeled space,
because that adds a layer of complexity that can be overwhelming, " said Bertrand. " You can avoid that by making smart, intentional decisions throughout
the remodeling process with your client.That way, they're ready for whatever
life throws at them. "
To see the full episode and other KBIS conference programming available
free through the end of 2021, visit nkba.org.


suggestions: Greens help instill a sense of confidence to those living alone and offer a connection
to nature. Softly charred orange also connects to
the earth and spirituality. Blues work well with
other colors, especially the slight peach tint of
plywood furniture, which is still in great use in
European kitchens. Gray has been trending for
a while, but psychologically it's not uplifting. A
slight touch of color that comes through, like lilac
or green-blue undertones, is more positive.
* Phil Pond: The year 2020 permanently changed

the way we live and reprioritized spending. Home
and garden continue to be more important and

must fulfill many needs - leisure, vacation, home
office, school.The outdoor space should be treated
like any other " room, " with considerations including purpose-built lighting, fittings for outdoor
kitchens, outdoor furniture that's comfortable and
weatherproof and TV screens to create an outdoor
theater. These require shelter and temperature
control to enjoy in any climate, year-round. Water
features, from small, solar-operated fountains to
swimming pools, are on the rise.
Finally, people working from home will want to
work outdoors as well and will need appropriate
charging features and shade control for working
on a laptop in the sunshine.

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3/22/21 5:26 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business April 2021

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