In 2000, when Susy McBride oversaw the design and construction of a new home for herself and her family in Fountaingrove, she found herself considering details that most people take for granted. He thought about fixtures, electrical outlets, cabinet heights, and ledges; but they were taken into consideration not just for their looks, but also for how easy they were to use.

He turned his eyes to everything and tried to look at the house through the eyes of his daughter Alexa, who had cerebral palsy and was only 9 years old at the time. Alexa, now in her thirties, relies on a wheelchair for mobility and has other motor skill challenges that can make navigating spaces difficult.

McBride, an experienced interior designer, universal designa new idea that has become much more common over the last 25 years and has revolutionized the way many people plan and build their homes.

Universal design goes beyond the basic requirements for accessibility defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It takes into account the comfort and use of features by all people, regardless of size, age or physical agility and strength. This means that almost anyone can live in a home with relative ease, without needing additional help.

“When you think about universal design, you also have to think about people who have arthritis and can’t pinch, for example. It is more difficult to turn a round knot than to push a handle up or down. And a pointy faucet in the bathroom is a lot harder to reach than a lever,” McBride said.

This could be something as simple as providing a long prep counter and a shorter counter to a customer whose 6-foot-tall husband is the cook in the family. Universal Design is the kissing cousin of the one designed for Aging in Place; Both are popular as Baby Boomers and Gen Xers seek to create permanent homes that they won’t have to leave if they experience physical problems. This could be a hip problem that requires a walker, or a shoulder injury that makes reaching difficult, or a knee strain that makes bending painful.

An award-winning designer

When McBride was brought in to do interior design work for a contractor building a custom home in the Tubbs Fire burn zone, McBride decided to put his years of knowledge to the test. Worked into many universal design ideas throughout the home. The trick, he says, is not just to design for functionality and ease of use, but to make it beautiful — so beautiful you won’t notice it was designed with accessibility or aging customers in mind. The modern home features warm neutral tones in white, pale gray and light wood tones. Sprinkling like Easter eggs are nice tricks to make things easier for someone who is aging or has mobility or range of motion issues.

Bathroom attracted the attention of International Judges Design Society’s latest awards. They named him Designer of the Year in the Universal Design/Aging in Place category. It was one of 41 categories covering everything from small powder rooms to entire homes and every interior in between. Universal Design was one of nine specialization categories. Designers from across the country participate in the awards.

Firstly the shower is curbless, with double doors that swing in both directions so that a wheelchair can get in easily. There are two doors and two shower heads that swing both ways; One of them is on a pole that can be adjusted in height so that it can be used by someone who uses a wheelchair, shower chair, or is short.

The dressing table floats in the middle so the wheelchair can move up. However, if you do not need a wheelchair, you can place a stylish chair there. Mirrors are illuminated by touch and all cabinets feature easy-to-grip pull handles. Faucet handles are levers. Although the other cabinets in the room don’t float, McBride at least added extra space underneath them so the wheelchair could slide under the footrests. The room lights are turned on with a push-button switch that can be turned on with an easy touch.

All surfaces are easy to clean. The countertops are quartz and the tiles are large format (24 x 48 inches) so the grout lines are small. Since there are no privacy issues on the site, he said he installed clear windows 8 feet high, up to almost 10-foot ceilings, to access light, nature views and promote healthy living.

They design their homes

McBride considered many details when designing her Fountaingrove home with Alexa in mind.

“Of course I didn’t have to think about the kitchen, but I definitely had to think about the bathroom and walkways to the house. Instead of putting in stairs, we built a beautiful, meandering walkway to the door,” McBride recalls of the house he built in 2000 and sold in 2017, just before The Tubbs Fire. “Instead of a 36-inch door, we have a wider, 42-inch door. inch wide door. We had crazier hallways and even thought about the turning radius coming out of the bedroom. “When you are a wheelchair user, you should think about these things.”