Future-Proof Your Home With These Design Tips for Aging-in-Place / November 6, 2023 by Margaret Chambers

Our client needed to use a wheelchair while recovering from a virus when we started this house. We knew everything needed to be handicap-accessible. This wide entryway area permits plenty of room for a wheelchair to enter.

Today, more Dallas homeowners than ever are interested in aging-in-place, whether that means making renovations to their current home, finding a home that is wheelchair-accessible, or building a new home. This is especially true of the baby boomer generation, many of whom watched their parents go to assisted living.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1991 set minimum standards for accessibility in newly constructed public facilities, and since then, these changes have been slowly making their way into the residential sector. The term “accessible design” encompasses homes designed for a variety of people with disabilities, but for this article, I’ll focus on wheelchair accessibility. Many of these design features can make the home more convenient for any homeowner, which is why some people refer to accessible design as “universal design.”

To be wheelchair-accessible, a home must have a wider doorway (preferably 36 inches) and a zero-step entrance. There should be no level changes in the house, not even a threshold for a door. ADA-compliant transition strips can help smooth thresholds between rooms. Since wheelchairs require a turning radius of 60-by-60 inches, open floor plans are a sensible choice.

If making the entire home wheelchair-accessible seems out of reach, consider making your home partially accessible. Even if you are not disabled or do not plan on retiring in your current home, you may wish to make your home more accessible so that aging or disabled parents, relatives, and friends can still visit you.

Carpets are a hassle for those who use assistive devices (interior designers like myself generally don’t like carpeting either). Go for hardwood flooring if you can, preferably with either flat-weave rugs or no rugs at all. Rugs should be secured to the floor with double-sided tape. If you must have carpet, choose cut-pile carpet or carpet with a thinner level loop.

Another accessibility feature we added to this Dallas home was a pair of grab bars in the shower.

Curb-less showers are not just accessible, but glamorous as well, making them a desirable feature. If you’re building a new bathroom, install plywood or solid wood blocking behind the shower wall so that it’s already reinforced if you need to add grab bars later. It’s also very important that the floor tile is slip-resistant.

Cabinets under the sink should be removed and replaced with plumbing that is installed tightly against the back wall. This creates knee space for wheelchair users to roll up to the sink. Some freestanding tubs are labeled “handicap-accessible,” but I don’t recommend them. It’s safer for someone to be able to sit on the side of the tub area, and swing their legs over, which freestanding tubs don’t allow.

If you’re building a new house for a handicapped person, the kitchen counter should be set 28-30 inches high. Multi-level countertops allow a person in a wheelchair to prep food alongside someone else who needs a higher countertop. In accessible homes, microwaves are often set into lower cabinets, somewhere between 15 to 37 inches from the floor. Also, keep in mind that the freezer is easier to reach when it is side-by-side with the refrigerator instead of stacked on top or on bottom.

When designing a home for clients who want to age-in-place, we will typically replace doorknobs with lever handles because they are much easier to use for those with arthritic hands.

A one-story house is better than a two-story house, but if you need the extra space, a two-story home with an elevator is another good option. The easiest place to install an elevator is where two closets are stacked. If you’re building a new house but don’t want the added expense of an elevator, you can include two stacked closets in the design just in case.

More interior designers are finding ways to make homes accessible without sacrificing style. It’s important that your home feels warm and welcoming, filled with things you find beautiful, rather than cold and clinical. After all, no one wants their home to feel like a hospital or a retirement home. Some designers bring their own experience with disability to their craft. For example, the famous modern architect, Michael Graves, became an advocate for accessible home design after he needed to use a wheelchair following illness.

If you’re looking for a home and accessibility is a priority for you, give us a call at 214.651.7665 or send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com. As a member of ASID, every year, I take 12 hours of continuing education classes to keep my registration, including a class on accessibility. I pride myself in my ability to design a timelessly beautiful home perfectly suited for my Dallas clients and their families’ needs.

Four Crucial Steps for Designing an Open Concept Space / September 28, 2021 by Margaret Chambers

This project has an open concept space where the dining room, kitchen, morning room, and living room are all connected.

There’s a reason why open floor plans have become so ubiquitous in Dallas homes over the last few decades. Open concept interior design promotes a feeling of togetherness, which is especially attractive to young families with busy schedules.

However, people who are furnishing an open concept home for the first time may be intimidated by all the extra room. How do you make sure that your home feels warm and inviting instead of empty and cold? How do you balance the lighting and ensure that you’re getting the most use out of the space? For answers to these questions and more, read on.

Step 1: Choosing Flooring and Paint Colors

If you’re building a new home or having one remodeled, you should try to use the same flooring material throughout your open concept space. For paint colors, we as designers suggest choosing a neutral color for the walls. Some open concept homes feature an accent wall painted in a different color. Even in this case, I would recommend painting the trim all in the same color (or even the same color as the walls) for a feeling of continuity in the room.

If you have a high ceiling, you might also consider painting the ceiling a darker shade, which helps the room feel cozy and cave-like. Regardless of what paint colors you choose, don’t leave your walls bare: make sure to fill all that open wall space with art and mirrors.

Large windows filter light into this open concept kitchen during the day, while chandeliers illuminate it at night.

Step 2: Plan Your Lighting Ahead of Time

It’s very important that your open concept space be well-lit at all times of the day. An open floor plan that is shadowy in spots feels unbalanced and unwelcoming. The easiest way to create an even coverage is by installing overhead lights and scattering lamps across the space. When I design an open concept space, I make sure to plan the positions of the furniture and floor outlets ahead of time. That way, we can plug the lamps in the floor outlets without running the cords across the floor.

Step 3: Furniture Shopping

If you have an especially large open floor, you’ll want to “anchor” it with appropriately sized furniture, such as a large dining table and large sofas. You can then pair your bulky pieces with slender furniture. Whenever you can, include multifunctional pieces. Putting a writing desk in your den area makes that space also function as a home office.

This Dallas living area features the same rust, beige, green, and cream colors that we used in the open concept kitchen.

It’s generally not advised to push your furniture up against the walls, so keep in mind that your furniture will be seen from all sides. Make sure to buy pieces that you think look great at any angle.

Step 4: Use Furniture and Rugs to Divide the Space

Once you have your color scheme, furnishings, and lighting fixtures ready to go, the next step is to use them to divide the floor into functional spaces. A good place to start is by identifying a focal point in your room and then organizing a seating area around it. Examples of focal points in an open concept space include gallery walls, large windows, and fireplaces.

Seen here is an open concept morning room. The swivel chairs can be turned towards the fireplace or the kitchen.

Rugs are one of your best tools for visually breaking up a large space and marking off seating areas. By having the legs of your furniture touching a single area rug, it helps bring them together. You can also create separate areas in your space by using shelving units, decorative screens, sectionals, or console tables.

To prevent each of these areas from clashing too much, coordinate them by using similar colors and materials in each zone. It’s not necessary to use the same colors and patterns throughout your whole house, but in the open concept space, everything within eyesight needs to harmonize.

Learning how to decorate an open concept space is an important skill even if you’re not currently living in one. After all, most newly built homes these days have a floor that connects the family room and kitchen area, so it’s likely that your next home will be open concept.

By planning the space thoughtfully, or working with an interior designer who is experienced with open concept design, you can create a space that feels spacious but also comforting. If you're interested in working with Chambers Interiors for your upcoming project, call our Dallas office at 214-232-9501 or send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com.

Margaret Chambers and her team lead one of Dallas' top award-winning residential interior design firms.