Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020 - 36

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

LEFT There was no compro-

Colorful & Compliant
A bathroom renovation adds beauty & accessibility
A HOMEOWNER HAD GROWN TIRED of the fixtures and finishes in her large
hall bathroom, and more importantly, she had begun having difficulty stepping into her tub. Knowing that she wanted to incorporate more accessible
features while overhauling the aesthetic, she called on Allie Mann, designer
and senior interiors specialist at Case Design in Falls Church, Va.
Mann had previously designed the client's pink kitchen and knew about
her affection for color, as well as her penchant for crystal, so the bathroom
had to have a luxe feel even while being ADA compliant. But it was the tub
that became one of the drivers of the project.

mising on aesthetics in this
bathroom, which combines a
comfort-height vanity and an
ADA-compliant toilet with luxe
crystal elements.

ABOVE The homeowner did
not need to give up bathing
thanks to a walk-in tub that
also provides a safe showering
experience.

Grab bars in multiple locations
and a variety of waterspouts
enhance the function of the
new tub.

ADDING COMFORT & SAFETY

REMOVING BARRIERS

Although the renovation did not require or even allow any changes to the
footprint, Mann widened the doorway and created as much of a zero-threshold entry to the room as possible. She removed the hallway carpet to replace
the marble threshold between the hall and bathroom entry with wood. Now
the entry is as flat as possible considering the shift in flooring type - the carpet
was put back, and the bathroom has new tile flooring.

36
36-37_KBB_0420_UniversalDesign.indd 36

One of the big updates in the fixtures was removing the old alcove tub and replacing it with a
walk-in unit, which Mann was excited to find in
a 60-in. version to completely fill the length of the
available space.The walk-in tub offers a significant
benefit for her client.
"She's able to still have her bathing experience
and not have it be compromised because now she
doesn't have any difficulty getting into the tub,"
explained the designer.
With an inswing door, the tub includes a variety of water experiences, such as a spout, handshower on the deck, a showerhead on a slide bar
and a handheld showerhead, so it works as a
shower too. The tub has built-in grab bars, and
Mann added a vertical one near the tub door door,
as well as a horizontal one between the tub rim
and wall niche.

By CARRIE WHITNEY

Making the bathroom safer started from the
bottom up. The new porcelain tile in a matte
finish provides a less-slippery surface and creates continuity in the home. It is the same tile
used in the kitchen but with a different colorway.
On the shower walls, the identical tile received
a polished finish.
In addition to grab bars around the tub, Mann
included them at the toilet. She said her client was

/ APRIL 2020 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

3/24/20 9:20 PM

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.NKBA.org http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020