mosby accessible bath 01

A Kirkwood, MO couple needed to remodel their condo bathroom to be easily accessible for the husband in his power chair. They also wanted it to be attractive as well as functional, and would this type of bathroom be possible for less than $50,000?

mosby accessible bath 02 before

The original bathroom had become an obstacle course. The shower was too small for a power chair, and the low threshold was a barrier. The tub was becoming increasingly cumbersome to use. Across from this was a standard vanity with no leg room for a chair.

mosby accessible bath 03

The most logical design option to create more space and efficiency in their bathroom was to relocate all of the plumbing to one wall, as shown above. The room was dismantled down to the stud walls and concrete floors so the plumbing could be moved. That plumbing relocation comprised roughly 30% of the project budget.

Of interest is the American Standard toilet (above right) outfitted with a bidet seat with remote control operation. Learn more about the seat here.

mosby accessible bath 04 before

The old vanity (above) was not accessible, and it (along with the toilet) being located on the opposite side of the room ate up valuable floor space. Another easy-access space saver was removing the door to the bathroom and creating a slightly larger framed opening with no door. The bathroom being located at the end of a hall affords it privacy, and in the photo above, the linen closet for the bathroom can be seen to the left, and remains in place.

mosby accessible bath 05

The new wall-mounted sink leaves open space below for a chair to tuck underneath and conveniently access the sink. The large mirror is a tilt model so whether standing or sitting, the reflection is at the perfect angle.

Take note of the bathroom flooring. The main flooring is a matte white hexagon mosaic tile with a subtle retro feel. The shower floor is a cobalt blue mini tile, which also repeats on the sink’s backsplash. The flooring, in conjunction with the glossy grey onyx shower surround, gray wall paint and white fixtures is what gives the room a stylish and sophisticated air.

mosby accessible bath 07

The barrier-free, walk-in shower has two impressive accessibility features. The first feature is the shower faucet panel which incorporates a hand held shower, a rainfall head and 8 adjustable nozzles in one convenient, temperature-controlled package.  Also note that the grab bar shown above left doubles as a caddy!

mosby accessible bath 06

The second shower feature is a full body dryer in the opposite corner. This ingenious dryer gently and thoroughly dries a body in 2-3 minutes even while seated in a chair. Learn more about the product here.

What kept this project well under the client’s budget limit is the use of items “off the shelf” from places like Home Depot, Amazon and Overtsock.com. Standard items in the hands of a good designer with a deep understanding of accessibility needs can create magic!

See more photos of this accessible master bathroom in Kirkwood, MO.

For your St. Louis accessible remodeling needs, look to Mosby Building Arts who have Certified Aging In-Place Specialists and a Universal Design Certified Professional on the design and consultation team. See a portfolio of some of their accessible remodeling projects.

To get started on making your home easier to live in, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.