Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 26

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Making a Multifamily
House a Home

A designer creates thoughtful spaces for aging
parents moving in with their adult children

FOR PLENTY OF DESIGN AND BUILD FIRMS, the
pandemic has actually resulted in a heavier workload. You have already been inundated with one
of the reasons why, but I'm going to go ahead and
state the obvious. Homeowners spending ample
time in their homes have noticed what they could
improve and finally decided to move forward with
their projects.
In the case of this San Diego renovation, the
clients wanted to add an accessible bathroom and
kitchen space so their parents could move into
what was to become a multigenerational home.
This is another trend driving business in our industry, and when one design/build firm was overwhelmed by their workload, they reached out to
designer Michelle Strausbaugh - with whom they
had networked in the past - to bring the clients'
vision to life.

26
26-27_KBB_0521_UniversalDesign.indd 26

THIS PAGE An elderly couple
moving into an add-on with
their adult children needed an
accessible bathroom for the
father, who has some mobility
issues. The toilet clearance,
sink and shower areas are
wheelchair accessible if necessary in the future. Designer
Michelle Strausbaugh also
installed grab bars, which
are anything but clinical in
appearance. A corner ledge
was included in the shower so
the mother has a convenient
place to shave her legs.

By CHELSIE BUTLER

" I find that designers today are collaborative
and not competitive; when we need something,
we reach out to one another, " said Strausbaugh,
CKBD, CEO of InteriorEcho LLC.
INCORPORATING ACCESSIBILITY
AND AESTHETICS IN THE MASTER BATH

The designer worked with the homeowners to determine the parents' needs,
as they are already familiar with their sense of style, and the husband has
experience building a lot of the exterior structures on their property. Strausbaugh used SketchUp to share 3D renderings with the parents - who were
not local - that reflected the product selection as well.
The father has some mobility issues and may need a wheelchair in the
future, so the bathroom needed to cater to his needs and those of his wife,
who does not have trouble with mobility at this time. In planning ahead, the
designer specified 36-in. doorways and a wall-hung vanity for a wheelchair
to slide under when necessary. A wall-hung cabinet next to the vanity is
accessible to someone standing or seated, as is the horizontal storage niche
in the shower.
Clearance around and grab bars on either side of the comfort-height
toilet follow the National Kitchen & Bath Association guidelines.The zerothreshold shower offers a flip-down seat near the handheld showerhead, as
well as lighting specific to that area that can assist all users.
" As we age, it is harder to see, so in addition to including a layered lighting
plan, I incorporated more contrast in here with the wood cabinets against the
tile floors, " said Strausbaugh, who explained that if the floors and countertop
are the same color, it is easy to miss the countertop edge and drop something
onto the floor.
Their parents were moving from their own home into an add-on with their
children, so although the main goal for this bathroom was accessibility, it was
important to the clients that it not look clinical. As such, the designer selected
some high design elements like the sleek flip-down seat in the shower and

/ MAY-JUNE 2021 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

5/11/21 10:30 PM


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Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021

Table of Contents
Editors Note
NKBA Note
Happenings
Trends
Better Business
Skill Set
NKBA List
NKBA 30s Choice
Universal Design
Solutions
Tech Savvy
Before & After
Balanced Budget
Special Section
What's Hot
Favorites
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 1
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Cover1
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Cover2
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 1
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Table of Contents
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 3
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 4
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 5
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Editors Note
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 7
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - NKBA Note
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 9
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Happenings
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 11
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 12
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 13
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 14
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 15
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Trends
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 17
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 18
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 19
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Better Business
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 21
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Skill Set
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - NKBA List
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - NKBA 30s Choice
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 25
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Universal Design
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 27
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Solutions
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 29
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 30
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 31
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Tech Savvy
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 33
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Before & After
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 35
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Balanced Budget
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 37
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Special Section
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 39
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - What's Hot
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 41
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 42
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 43
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 44
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 45
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 46
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 47
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 48
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 49
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 50
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 51
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 52
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 53
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 54
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 55
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Favorites
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Cover3
Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - Cover4
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