7 Ways to Make Your Bathroom More Accessible, Straight From a Celebrity Designer

When you have guests over, whether they are elderly, disabled, or not, it’s significant that your bathroom is comfortable and simple to get into. It’s significant to accommodate all of your guests, regardless of their needs, to make them feel at ease!

Luckily, Dave Marrs, Co-Star of HGTV’s ‘Fixer to Fabulous’ and National Contractor for Re-Bath has seven tips to ensure your bathroom is ADA compliant.

Update Your Entrway

First, you need to make sure the entryway to your bathroom is easily accessible. Marrs highlights the exact measurements that you will need, saying that your bathroom door should a minimum width of 32 inches to accommodate wheelchair access.

“The floor space needs to be at least 60 inches in diameter for wheelchair users to turn around comfortably,” Marrs says.

Add Grab Bars & Shower Seats

Grab bars are significant for elderly guests to be able to grab hold to if they lose their balance or become unsteady. Grab bars are also great for children and toddlers who are too tiny to reach the handles adults have access to. And of course, shower seats are a wonderful accommodation for disabled guests who can’t stand on their own.

These additions don’t have to ruin the aesthetic of your bathroom and can actually be an investment for aging in place in the future. Marrs says that many bathroom remodeling companies actually do offer a variety of styles and finishes to blend with desired bathroom design to create a space that is both functional and stunning.

Say Goodbye to Curbed Showers

For your shower, it’s significant to choose a design that doesn’t have a curb to get into your shower. For simple wheelchair entry, your shower base needs to be flat and silky.

You can also add a handheld shower head for an easier and seamless shower experience. Small changes like this can have a huge impact on guests while simultaneously being a luxurious convenience for yourself.

Keep Your Vanity/Sink Low

For your guests’ experience, it’s wonderful to have an accessible vanity no matter if they are confined in mobility.

If you’re confused about measurements, we’ve got you covered, Marrs says that sinks and vanities should be installed no higher than 34 inches from the floor with knee clearance of at least 27 inches high, 30 inches wide, and 11-25 inches deep.

Add in Non-Slip Flooring

Non-slip flooring is key to having all of your guests—and yourself—feel and be as sheltered as possible when using the bathroom. You can get non-slip shower bases to prevent any accidents, as well as employ non-slip rugs or flooring for the bathroom floors.

Adjust Lighting and Controls

Motion delicate switches as well as lighting that can be turned on or off with the click of a button will ensure your guests won’t ever be in pitch-black darkness while taking a shower or bath.

Plus, it will leave your vanity and sink with more room for decoration instead of clunky lamps.

Lower Mirrors & Shelving

For his last tip, Marrs emphasizes the importance of keeping your bathroom mirrors and shelving in mind while making the space more accessible—because they’re just as significant as other parts of the room.

“Install mirrors with the bottom edge no more than 40 inches off the floor,” Marrs says. “Place shelves within simple reach, between 15-48 inches from the floor.”