Image: Trueform Concrete
Even though the material is thousands of years old, in the past few years concrete has learned new tricks. Today it can be found being used as countertops and is flexible in its look. Colored dyes and stamped forms can make concrete look like tile, brick, and other materials. What was a very utilitarian material has turned chic. An example of this is in the making of bathroom sinks. A couple of nice looking examples of roll-under sinks are these by Trueform Concrete.
Image: elio
When designing an accessible space for someone that is elderly or visually impaired, is lighting. For someone that is elderly, lighting is important because we lose some ability to see contrast as we age. Being able to see a path or what we’re grabbing onto can be a safety issue. Especially for someone who is new to low vision as their body slows down. Last year I wrote an article about a lighted grab bar called the Balance Beam. Today I’m featuring more LED grab bars by elio of Holland, Michigan.
Image: Jacuzzi
After taking a shower or bath, standard procedure calls for us to immediately grab a towel and dry off quickly. That’s because we’re usually pretty darn cold with the water still on our bodies. A luxurious way to combat this is to have a warm towel to dry off with. This can be done with a wall mounted towel warming rack. Another way is with this towel warming drawer by Jacuzzi. A drawer that can be mounted at any height and can also warm more than just towels.
Image: Dyson
Whether it’s rolling ball vacuums or bladeless fans, Dyson has become a familiar name brand. Their (his) products are innovative and stand out from other products. Although the price points are very high and product effectiveness can be overstated. That being said, I do like their Airblade hand dryers. If you’ve been to a new or remodeled restroom you may have seen and used these. Dyson has now incorporated this technology into a faucet tap. With the Dyson Airblade Tap (DAT) hand washing and drying can be done touchless and in one place.
Sometimes in life there are things that seem like they would be a simple process but turn out to be complicated. Installation of grab bars can be one of those processes. Just putting them anywhere on the wall won’t work. You need to make sure you’re mounting to a stud or wood backing. If none are available, wall anchors can used but not on all types of walls will work. Plus all these processes involve drilling holes. Which some may not want to do on their nice and expensive tile walls. There’s also the risk of cracking the tile when drilling. To solve this dilemma, a no drill option is available. Nie Wieder Bohren (aka No Drilling Required) is grab bar mounting system that utilizes high strength adhesives. The grab bars can be found in some stores and online websites so many of you may already be familiar with them. But for those who are not let’s see how they work.
Image: Moen
When most people think of grab bars, they think of the plain functional ones they see in public restrooms. Which of course work just fine and serve the purpose they were designed for. But now with more people making their home more accessible, they want to add some style to their function. One way to do this is to combine functions with grab bars. This disguises the main function of the grab bar. These stylish grab bars by Moen are good examples of this.
Image: Miscea
As I’ve stated before in previous articles, one of the standard design features for an accessible sink is an accessible faucet. Meaning one that can be controlled easily with one fist. So no knobs that require grasping or gripping. Single lever faucets are ideal though dual levers also work. Touch and touch free faucets are other options. All of these solutions allow a person who has difficulty using their hands an easier time using a faucet. Another solution now available is the Miscea. A touch free faucet with sensors that can activate water flow, temperature control, along with soap and disinfectant dispensers.
Image: {a href=”http://www.artweger.at/en/equipment/twinline_32″ target=”_blank”}Artweger{/a}
One of the first articles I wrote on this blog was on the Teuco walk-in bathtub and shower combos. They were luxury models that had a lot of style with the benefit of a bathtub and shower. Another player in this market is Austrian company Artweger with their Twin Line walk-in bathtub and shower combos.
Posted in Bathroom, Stylish Products
Tagged aging in place, artweger, disabilities, elderly, handicapped, inclusive design, twin line, universal design, walk in bathtub, walk in shower, walk in tub
