Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2020 - 64

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Practice What You Preach
AFTER YEARS OF RECOMMENDING options like grab bars and shower seating
to her clients, Certified Living in Place Professional Barbara S. Roth wanted
to show just how seamlessly these useful features could blend into a bathroom.
The designer, who is principal of NYC-based PS Rossy Design, had seen the
difficulty her parents had experienced when they were at the point that they
needed accessible features in their home but were no longer well enough to
undergo a renovation.Touting these options as a type of planning ahead, Roth
transformed the bathroom of her Roosevelt Island condo from builder grade
to a contemporary space with features for today and tomorrow.
"I decided to renovate my own bath and add as many things to make life
easier, now and going forward, as was practicable,"she explained."Now, when
I come across a client who is hesitant to add things like grab bars, I share my
own story."
While incorporating practicality, Roth kept an eye on aesthetics so that
the Living-in-Place solutions enhance rather than detract from the overall
design. With about 40 square feet of space plus a 3- by 3-ft. entry, her renovation made better use of the area, so the bathroom is more functional. The
original design included a spacious tub with shower and a small vanity. A
shallow, wall-mounted medicine cabinet offered good storage on one side
but tended to allow items to fall into the toilet when doors were open on the
other side. Lighting situated in a recess over the medicine cabinet created
too many shadows.

64
64-65_KBB_0220_UniversalDesign.indd 64

A designer brings accessibility
to her bathroom

ABOVE A self-cleaning toilet

minimizes maintenance, making life easier at any age.

By CARRIE WHITNEY

ADDING ACCESSIBILITY

Roth replaced the tub with a walk-in shower,
which is not curbless but has just a 4-in. lip on the
outside. For safety, she chose matte floor tiles, and
explained that you don't have to be too old to slip
in the shower.
Inside the shower, there is a niche for products,
and the dark flip-up seat and grab bar look stylish
instead of industrial. The grab bar doubles as a
place to hang towels or other items.
The showerhead can be raised and lowered,
making it adaptable to anyone's height. Roth
placed the shower controls on the pony wall
between the vanity and shower so that they are
reachable from the shower seat as well as from
outside the shower.
"No one needs that cold blast [of water] first
thing in the morning," she said.
The low-flow, self-cleaning toilet with Washlet
makes maintenance easy. It lights up when someone approaches, so it is visible at night and eliminates the need for a jarring bright light.

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2/12/20 4:45 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2020

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