REMODEL – Master Bath

The old master bath was long and narrow, which didn’t leave room for even my small scooter to move much.   Adding a new roomy master bath onto the side of the house was a much better use of space and allows plenty of room to maneuver a scooter or wheelchair.

The new bath has a full-sized roll-in shower, easy to access sinks, plenty of grab bars, and it is pleasing to look at.  We chose not to include a tub, but left a space where one could fit if a future owner would want one.

     

There is a pull-down grab bar on one side of the toilet to complement the bar on the half wall.  Here it is in its up and down positions:

The half wall allows some privacy, and a place for a grab bar and toilet paper dispenser.

Next to the toilet, against the half wall, I use a basket with a fold-up cover to house items that need to be within reach.

While I love the look of tile showers, I knew a one-piece fiberglass molded stall would be easier to maintain and clean.  From my experience in handicapped hotel rooms, I was certain built-in seats often ended up ridiculously far from the spray nozzles with no ability to adjust position, so I opted to use a free-standing shower chair – a great decision for me as I have changed sizes and designs of chairs already as my abilities decrease.  To avoid dating the room, I chose basic white for toilet, sinks and shower.

The shower stall has two nozzles, one at a height suitable even for those who are tall, and one on a vertical sliding bar that also serves as a grab bar.  There are horizontal grab bars that cover more than half the shower and I asked for vertical grab bars on walls at both ends of the shower.   All grab bars are textured for easy gripping.  To place shampoo, soap, etc. where they could be accessed from a seated position, I found a mesh caddy to hang on the horizontal grab bar.

   

Mr. Legs wanted a window in the bath and the natural light is nice.   I’m happy with my choice of fixtures above the sinks.  It was a priority to have sink faucets that require just one hand and are easy to control.  The oversized sinks are easy to get under with a rollator, scooter or wheelchair, but they do take a lot of counter space (If given a redo, I would choose similar, but smaller, sinks).    The swivel mirrors are very handy, especially with the end of the sinks far from the mirror .  I love the cabinetry between the sinks, especially the drop-down door that hides the wall outlet and the small items that use it.

 

I found a shower curtain I liked on ebay, but its line had been discontinued so I was unable to purchase curtains for the window.  However, I later found a comforter set on ebay and made window coverings from the comforter and was very pleased to discover that a pillow sham fit perfectly over a tension rod in the open area under the accessible sink thereby hiding the pipes.

With no cabinet space under the sink, I found a used microwave stand and had a matching cabinet pull put on it to pull it out from the wall and push it back.  It easily holds makeup, hair dryer, etc. where it can easily be grabbed.

Every time I shower, I’m grateful for the planning I was able to do and the addition of this great space.