When Nancy and Mariano Lim began to redo the small, dark primary bathroom in their 1964 ranch house in Ashton, they had Nancy’s needs in mind. Nancy uses a cane, and they anticipated her mobility might diminish. Their goal was to remodel the bathroom with a beautiful design that didn’t appear to have accessibility modifications.
Integrating safety, ease and convenience into stylish spaces—an approach called universal design—is in demand for homeowners who want to age in place, prepare for multigenerational inhabitants, or accommodate those with physical conditions or other requirements. Universal design is of particular importance in the bathroom, where falls and other mishaps can occur, says Bethesda-based interior designer Sheryl Steinberg.
Safety features should be baked into the design, Steinberg says. As an example, she suggests “layers of lighting” that include general illumination, task lighting and motion sensor lights for nighttime use. All light fixtures, cabinetry and other products selected for the bathroom should be “damp rated,” she advises, to ensure safety and durability.
For slip prevention in wet areas such as the shower and bath zones, Steinberg recommends flooring with small nonglossy tiles and many grout lines. Storage should be designed for use without having to bend or strain; that means roll-out drawers and easily reached shelves.
Originally a typical 5-by-7-foot space, the Lims’ bathroom, which was finished in 2022, is now 8 by 12.4 feet and has been tailored to Nancy’s needs. “It’s very roomy now,” Nancy, now 75, says. “I like the feel of it, and I don’t feel afraid of falling. It’s a real blessing.”
But in a nod to universal design being truly for everyone, the bathroom was put to the test after the Lims’ adult daughter broke her wrist and leg. She used a wheelchair for weeks and couldn’t manage a standard bathroom. She used her parents’ bathroom instead and “got around fine,” Nancy says.
The work had been done by WLC-Design of Rockville. Russell Wickham and David Lin, co-owners of the architectural design company, absorbed space from an unneeded adjacent hallway to enlarge the bathroom. The old space had no bathtub, just a shower stall separated from the room by a 4-inch threshold. The new space features a bright and open wet room that incorporates a tub and a curbless shower with a rain showerhead, handheld spray, jets to wash the entire body, and easy-access controls.
Ample built-in seating serves both the tub and shower. Nancy says the illuminated storage niche above the seating “has been great. We have it on so when we get up at night we have lighting.” Recessed LED ceiling fixtures bathe the entire room in balanced, shadowless light, while sconces add task lighting. An overhead sun tunnel suffuses the room with natural light. “We installed reverse blinds at the window” that close from the bottom up, Wickham adds, “to let light through but provide privacy.”
Penny tiles in the shower area are slip-resistant. They form a stylish complement to the nonslippery slate-looking porcelain flooring elsewhere in the room. A barn door at the entry conserves floor space. The multifunction comfort-height commode has bidet settings. (Comfort-height toilets are 17-19 inches tall, the height of most chairs.)
Grab bars, some vertical and some horizontal for practical use, are in place by the shower, tub and toilet. Nancy splurged on a sleek cherry vanity and custom linen cabinet. Not only is the vanity beautiful—“I saw something like it in a magazine and I had to have it,” she says—but it also has large easy-glide drawers and is firmly attached to the wall so Nancy can lean on it for support. Lever handles for the faucets and doors are handsome and easy to use, as are the wide, slider light switches.
Glickman Design Build of Rockville specializes in work that enables clients to stay in their homes, refreshing them with chic designs that incorporate safety and accessibility features, while also preparing habitats to meet changing needs. Owner Russ Glickman’s company website offers a printable checklist for aging-in-place remodeling that covers what to do in all areas of the house. The checklist recommends such specifics for the bathroom as contrasting colors to identify the edges of countertops, and a wall-supported vanity that can be removed easily for height adjustments and is finished under the sink to allow legroom for a seated user.
While none of the families in this story used property tax credits for their renovations, Glickman says credits can be claimed for medically necessary home accessibility modifications. Montgomery County Design for Life credits include 50% of eligible costs up to $2,500, with an annual limit of $100,000. Program details are at montgomerycountymd.gov/design, including a “program at a glance” in the resource center. Eligible bathroom modifications include maneuverable space, reinforced walls with grab bars, and a walk-in or roll-in shower or tub.
Maryland’s Independent Living Tax Credit allows state claims of up to 50% of qualifying expenses, with an annual maximum of $5,000. See marylandtaxes.gov/tax-credits.php. Federal tax deduction rules for medical expenses are described in IRS Publication 502; no specific dollar amounts are included.
Glickman says federal credit claims require a doctor’s note identifying the person’s medical need along with the home modifications indicated, and also a report listing the costs that pertain to the accessibility improvements. An appraiser’s report on what the modifications add to the value of the home is a good idea, too. It’s best to consult a tax professional for financial advice on qualifying for all these tax credits. Glickman’s company and others can provide the tax professional with supporting documentation.
Sally and Richard Skillman have loved nearly everything about their house in Potomac for all of its 34 years. About 10 years ago Sally began thinking about ways to update the primary bathroom, which was dated and made poor use of space. Now that the Skillmans, both in their 70s, have had hip and knee replacements, the bathroom also needed to be made safer.
The 13-by-12-foot space was ample, but a large whirlpool tub hogged one end of the room, making a significant chunk of the double vanity’s surface unusable. Plus, the windowless room was dull, with tired colors, spotty lighting that created shadows, and a dim, cavelike shower stall. Rockville-based House to Home Solutions reinvented the room in 2020 by creating an expansive wet area featuring a large curbless shower with a gently sloped, nonslip mosaic tile floor for water drainage, and a freestanding soaking tub that isn’t as deep as the whirlpool and is easier to enter. Wall niches, an attached bench, and easy-access sprays and controls make the shower safe and pleasurable. A tub-side shelf is convenient and doesn’t protrude.
For comfort, House to Home Solutions President Daniel Carrero always recommends an inline heater to keep tub water hot. He also suggests installing heated floors and a quiet exhaust fan equipped with a sensor for efficient humidity control.
Polished nickel grab bars at the bathtub, shower and commode match the rest of the Skillmans’ bathroom hardware. An ample amount of open floor space provides maneuverability for a wheelchair, a walker or a person accompanied by an assistant. The electrical switches on the wall next to the bathroom door have been placed to allow the doorway to be widened if needed.
Taraneh Razavi and Stuart Schlisserman are middle-aged internists in Menlo Park, California. Razavi grew up in the Chevy Chase, Maryland, house where her mother still lives. When the next-door neighbor died a few years ago, the couple bought the property. In coming years, they hope to spend winters in their Chevy Chase house, perhaps retiring there in a decade or so.
Landis Architects | Builders of Washington, D.C., rebuilt the 1,600-square-foot 1950s bungalow as a 2,800-square-foot, two-story home in a modern farmhouse style in 2023. Zahraa Alwash of Zee Design Studio, Architecture and Interior Design in Vienna, Virginia, led the creation of the house’s interior, including the bathroom design. The primary bedroom and bath are on the main floor to enable one-story living for Razavi’s mother, should she ever move in with them, or for the couple themselves.
The 10-by-9-foot bathroom is loaded with accessibility features. Openings into the room, shower and commode area are 34 inches wide to accommodate a wheelchair or walker. A pocket door slides out of sight to provide floor space. The shower entry is curbless, and its glass door panels are fitted with grab bars. Additional blocking was added behind the wall for the easy installation of more grab bars in the future. A wall niche keeps shower items in reach. Radiant floor heating helps keep the nonslip floors soothing and dry.
Razavi requested good water pressure in the shower; it’s a necessity, she says, to help relieve “the aches and pains of arthritis. I wish more people would do this. It’s a very necessary item.”
It’s wise to plan for bathroom function and accessibility modifications sooner rather than later. As a physician, Razavi knows well that “things happen, and then people can’t use their bathrooms.” She adds, “I can’t tell you how many of our patients have to go back and make these adjustments to their homes when it’s a big hassle for them.”
Writer Wendy A. Jordan lives in upper Northwest, D.C. Her books include Universal Design: Great-Looking, Great-Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances.
This story appears in the March/April issue of Bethesda Magazine.