Life is unpredictable, and preparing your home to accommodate changing needs can save you from potential challenges down the road. Perhaps you have a family member who has a disability, or you’re planning ahead for aging in place. How can you plan to make sure everyone can live comfortably and enjoy the space for many years to come?
In today’s luxury home-building landscape, inclusivity has emerged as a crucial design element. Accessibility is becoming the single most important consideration. But an accessible home does not necessarily mean you have to sacrifice style, taste, or preferences. That’s the beauty of building a custom home – your home, your way!
Inclusive design for all is an effective way to cater to the functional needs of the space while also keeping design and aesthetic top of mind. TLCH is here to explore the core principles and practices involved in designing inclusive luxury homes, showcasing the key features and benefits that elevate these spaces to a new standard of excellence and comfort.
The Rise of Inclusivity in Luxury Home Design
As luxury home design evolves, accessibility has become a priority for many homeowners. Today’s homeowners value being able to accommodate and welcome everyone. According to a HUD study, it was only revealed that less than 5% of homes throughout the United States contain features for completely mobility-impaired persons, further affirming the demand for accessibility in the home construction and improvement processes.
In 2023, over 52% of American homeowners expressed plans to renovate their homes, with a significant portion focusing on inclusivity and accessibility, especially as aging in place becomes more important. This trend is further reflected in the rise of remodeling, which grew by 8.6% in 2023, catering to the increasing demand for needing more accessible living spaces.
Why Accessibility Matters When Building a Custom Home
Do you have a loved one with a physical disability, or want to welcome guests with physical impairments into your home? Or maybe it is more forward-thinking, in which it is understood that you may need to consider different living requirements as you grow older. Whatever the case may be, including the features in a house should not only be considered an act of kind-heartedness and benevolence, but a social obligation and long-term investment that will pay off!
Making spaces accessible guarantees that any family member, friend, or guest who has a disability (or assistive device) can navigate your home without strain or obstacles. Plus, when it comes to aging in place, preparing ahead of time with strategic home features can make your life easier down the road (should you ever need a cane, walker, or wheelchair). Read on to learn more…
The Benefits of Inclusive Design for Homeowners
It is important to understand that incorporating thone ccept of inclusive design goes beyond accessibility and brings significant advantages. Here are some of the key advantages of incorporating these features into your custom home:
- Aging in Place: When you are young, you may need this kind of mobility, but as you advance in age your needs might change. It is beneficial to create the home so that it is useful as you age so that you will not have to redesign the house in the coming years.
- Family and Guest Friendliness: Modification of homes to make them accessible is essential as it makes them comfortable and welcoming to guests of all ages; the infants, the elderly, or even the physically challenged guests.
- Increased Resale Value: Homes with accessibility features are very attractive to customers since many people are looking for accessible homes. It can also help in increasing the value of your home in the future whenever you decide to sell the home.
- Enhanced Safety: Some of the features that make the home more accommodating for everyone include the flooring that is slip-resistant, doorways and corridors that are wider, and the bars for holding onto.
- Promoting Social Inclusion: Accessible areas allow the homeowner to provide spaces for entertaining and allow friends and family members with disabilities to visit.
- Luxury and Style: Luxury and accessibility can often go hand in hand without much compromise between the two. If done right, there is no reason that one cannot have an elegant home that is also accessible
How TLCH Can Design Homes with Accessible (and Luxurious) Features in Mind
At TLCH, we believe that accessible design should be a natural extension of luxury. One should not have to sacrifice the other! Our professional architects and talented designers are ready to pay utmost attention to your unique needs. It’s our goal to create a special, gorgeous living space that is not only beautiful and functional, but also comfortable and caters to your specific needs.
When you build a custom home with TLCH, nothing is out of reach! We pride ourselves in exceeding every client’s expectations and priorities. Here are some examples of how accessibility features can be designed into your bespoke new home that everyone, regardless of ability, will find easy to move in and comfortable to live in…
1. Entrance and Exit
Ramp Access: For those who require wheelchairs and walkers, there are means of getting up ramp designs that have the least slope. These can be incorporated into the design to enhance the overall look of your home while preserving the architectural exterior view.
Wide Doorways: Doors must be 36 inches wide at the minimum for wheelchair and pram access in order for everyone to be able to get from one room to the other without much difficulty.
Lever Handles: Lever-style door handles are easier to operate than traditional knobs, particularly for individuals with limited hand strength.
2. Interior Layout
Open Floor Plan: An open floor plan consists of large open spaces and layouts that have fewer barriers, and this makes it easier for clients with mobility to maneuver around the compound. The transition between rooms is smooth while it has functionality and elegance.
Non-Slip Flooring: It is recommended that the floor should be textured or have some grip on it like tiles or wooden floor with a plain and dull surface can prevent falls while beautifying the floor at the same time as well.
Clear Pathways: Corridors and aisles ought to have ample proportions and must not be blocked by furniture and other items in the house.
3. Kitchen
Lowered Countertops: It is recommended for countertops to be put lower and this should be easy to implement since everybody feels comfortable when they use a wheelchair to prepare food in the kitchen.
Pull-Out Shelves: Shelves that are pulled out of cabinets help in the storage of items in a way that one does not need to bend or reach in order to access the items.
Accessible Appliances: Appliances with controls on the front and wall ovens mounted at appropriate heights make kitchen-friendly appliances for everyone.
4. Bathroom
Roll-In Shower: The choice of a Roll-In shower with a seat and hand shower provides both accessibility and comfort. This enables one to access the area without the need of bending over a high threshold hence making the place more friendly for the physically challenged.
Grab Bars: Fixed beside the toilet and shower to offer support in the prevention of falls; these grab bars are tactfully fitted making the bathroom look more stylish.
Adjustable Sink: A height-controlled, fixed wall-mounted basin proves that people of different statutes and disabilities can comfortably use the bathroom.
5. Bedroom
Lowered Bed: It is also true that the height of the bed must be considered with attention to the accessibility of the furniture. A high bed may be hard to climb and descend from while an adjustable bed may provide comfort in that it is adjustable to tastes.
Closet Accessibility: Flat hangers and shorter shelves are placed in closets to guarantee that all the clothing and personal items that are needed are found at an easily accessible height for people in wheelchairs or persons with mobility limitations.
Easy-Access Light Switches: Light switches located at a lower level allow all occupants of the building to operate or turn off the lights with ease without requiring them to bend or stretch.
6. Lighting and Electrical
Motion Sensor Lights: Automatic lights from the motion sensors are very important in areas like the corridor, washrooms, and even the main doors as they only require light and no collaboration from other appliances to switch on or off in order to illuminate the house.
Smart Home Technology: Smart controls with voice commands or operations via an application enable you to manage the lighting and temperature of your home and its security from any place, with the added bonus of ease.
Accessible Outlets: As the electrical outlets are intended, they should be mounted on higher levels and do not aim to bend in order to insert chargers and similar.
7. Outdoor Space
Accessible Pathways: Outdoor pathways should be smooth, wide, and well-lit, making it easy for individuals with mobility devices to move around the property.
Raised Garden Beds: Garden beds provide people of all capability levels with a means of gardening; the result is planting and care of flowers and crops at a comfortable height.
Easy Access to Outdoor Seating: Make designs and constructions for the seating areas level, make the process understandable, and allow everyone to comfortably enjoy the scenes nature has to offer.
8. General Considerations
Contrasting Colors: People with vision impairment find the difference in colors used on the walls, floors, and furniture easier to identify.
Emergency Features: Properly installed emergency alert systems will allow all the inhabitants of the house to be able to easily summon assistance in case of danger.
Clear Signage: Clear, large-print signage throughout the home makes navigation easier for guests and residents alike.
Consult with TLCH to Start Planning Your Custom Home!
At Tom Len Custom Homes, we agree with this concept and we’d like to reiterate that an accessible home is not only a physical requirement for many people, but also a place where all will feel welcomed, safe, and comfortable. Luxury inclusive home design is not simply about making accommodations to meet every need in your existing home, it’s a decision to plan for the future and invest in features that could make all the difference for your family.
By choosing TLCH, you are not only hiring the premier home build firm in the North Shore, but you are partnering with people who really care. We provide architectural services to build the perfect home that not only has the elements of beauty and comfort, but also has features that make life easier long-term. Accessibility or aging in place does not need to equate to boring or dull when you partner with us!
Are you prepared to develop a stunning, one of a kind home that you can be proud of? Contact us to create a home that is as functional as it is breathtaking for all family members. Your dream home awaits!
