Are your Grab Bar Selections Decorative, Design Neutral or Devoid of Design?

In the past, many hospitality designers and architects paid little attention to their ADA bathroom accessory selections. These selections were not a part of the decorative package, but were merely a utilitarian afterthought.

Grab Bars and shower seats have been excluded from the carefully planned and orchestrated interior bathroom selections. This methodology allowed the specifiers to select the same old reliable products that have always been used, but had the end result of taking away from the look of the finished bathroom.

How many beautiful bathrooms have you seen that have standard stainless steel grab bars?

How did it make you feel?

With shrinking material budgets and more demanding guest requirements, this is no longer a design choice that any design professional can afford to make. Designers now have the option to choose from many of the great decorative grab bars on the market.

There are bars that add flair and the unexpected to bathroom design like the Great Grabz Wave bar.

A grab bar can also be used as a towel bar, allowing for both function and added safety.

The concept of Design Neutral is to make no statement with your design. (this is not the same as being devoid of design) To be Design Neutral in your grab bar selection, try specifying the a Great Grabz Splash bar powder coated in a custom color of your choice to blend in with the shower stone.

Whatever your design style, be sure your guests are Wow'd that you paid as much attention to their safety and comfort as you did for the color of the walls.

Right-Sizing Your Home

Last week I received a copy of Right-Sizing Your Home: How to Make Your House Fit Your Lifestyle by Gale C. Steves. The first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful photography and exceptional layout of the book.  If nothing else, this book is a great resource for those looking for design ideas.

Each chapter focuses on a function in the home: Where you cook, eat, relax, etc. and helps readers assess their individual style and approach to each. Steves then walks the reader through the process of creating a living space that is the “right size” for their lifestyle.

Right-Sizing Your Home has a ton of wonderful ideas, including many Universal Design products. This book covers everything for someone looking to remodel their home.   


Buy your copy here:

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Shower

__ Grab bars should be placed both in and out of the shower to prevent falls anywhere in the bathroom

__ Apply non-slip grip to shower or tub floor
__ Shower seat or bench for a safer way to shave legs or wash feet

__ Handheld shower head
__ Curbless shower entry
__ Lever handles
__ Anti-scald faucets on sink, bathtub and shower

Toilet Area

__ Grab bars next to toilet

__ Supportive toilet paper holder

__ Toilet seats 17” – 19” off the floor for older persons

__ Toilet seats less than 17” for children

Vanity Area

__ Countertops with rounded edges

__ Easy glide drawers that close automatically

__ Bright non-glare lighting

__ Eliminate clutter

Does your grab bar selection compromise your bathroom design?

From mints on the pillow to complementary bathrobes- great hotels know that it’s the details that make a guest's stay memorable.

Even grab bars, which were once installed only to meet ADA code, are being given a second thought when it comes to bathroom design for both ADA and non-ADA hotel rooms.

“There is no excuse for ugly utilitarian grab bars and other universal design elements either. Sophisticated alternatives abound as baby boomers grow older and the spa-as-sanctuary trend expands,” says Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO of J/Brice Design International.

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Great Grabz, the leader in decorative grab bars, is seeing this trend among luxury hotels. They’ve recently partnered with Disney® and Marriott® in providing them with grab bars for all of their guest bathrooms- keeping their guests safe without compromising the bathroom design.

“Institutional grab bars are now a thing of the past as guests demand both safety and style,” says Great Grabz President, Abbie Sladick. "We carry a variety of grab bars at various price levels to meet the needs of the hospitality, commercial and residential markets."

For more information on Great Grabz you can visit them online at: www.GreatGrabz.com. 

6 Tips for Grab Bar Placement

6 Tips for Grab Bar Placement

Customers say to us all the time "I know I need a grab bar, but have no idea where it should go." Here are  6 tips for grab bar placement for you or your client's home.

1-      Grab Bar Height- There is no standard height requirement for residential installation of grab bars, and everyone's needs are different, but as a rule of thumb, in ADA compliant bathrooms, grab bars are installed 33"-36" off the finished floor. The recommended height for children is 17"-28".

If your bathroom will be used for family members and guests who may be of different heights and abilities, the Great Grabz Wave bar is the perfect solution. The Wave sweeps up 3" to cover more area making it comfortable and secure for everyone.

2-      Grab Bar Length- Grab bars should cover as much of the shower wall as possible. If you have a large shower, we suggest a bar for each wall to ensure safety.  

3-      Outside of the shower or tub- Having a small grab bar placed vertically outside of the shower or tub entry is great for assistance stepping to and from a wet surface. Great Grabz's 10" grab bar is ideal for this application.

 4-      Tub Deck- Soaking tubs are all the rage in bathroom design. However, trouble can come quickly if someone is unable to exit the tub. We suggest installing a grab bar on the wall behind the tub and/or a small grab bar on the tub deck.  Be sure the grab bar is in a place where a foot cannot trip on it while entering or exiting a tub.

 5-      Towel bars with strength- Let's face it, when you are about to fall you'll grab on to anything close by - including a towel bar. Why not make towel bars safer by replacing them with grab bars? 

6-      Toilet paper holder-  For those who have a hard time getting up from a seated position, Great Grabz's 10" grab bar can also be used as a toilet paper holder, while still maintaining its strength of supporting 250lbs of force. 

Spa Shower for 2

As a bathroom designer, I learn a great deal about my clients and their showering habits. Many Baby Boomers find that they finally have time to pamper themselves and their spouse for the first time in their married life. Shower and bathing together is one of life's simple pleasures.

Here are a few quick measures to ensure great shower design and performance:

* The minimum width for any shower is 36" and the length should be at least 60" for 2 people.
* Installing 2 shower heads on separate diverters, one wall mounted and one handheld allows for enhanced showering and easy cleaning.
* Shower arms should be set at 84" off the finished floor to accommodate taller bathers.
* Handheld shower head installed on a slide bar allows for flexible showering styles.
* The optimum distance from most body sprays is 30".
* Shower ceilings should not exceed 8 feet in cooler climates.
* Glass enclosures should be a minimum of 3" above the shower head.
* Shower seats and benches should be 18" off floor and at least 14" deep.
* Grab bars should be placed in areas where bathers are stepping in and out of the shower as well as where they are likely to transfer weight on to one leg. (Washing feet, shaving legs etc.)

It is important to ask questions and find out who and how people will be using the shower. A great design can greatly enhance the spa feel of any bathroom.

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Benefits of Aging In Place for your Community

I live in Naples, Florida where we are blessed to have a large elderly population. Some in our society may think this is a shortcoming in the community, but it is one of our greatest assets. This issue is explored by the Partners for Livable Communities and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in their Aging in Place Initiative. “With sizeable amounts of free time and disposable money, a majority of older Americans act as economic generators, philanthropists and volunteers in a community.”

The area prospers when our senior community is able live safely and independently in their residences and get out of their homes to do things in the area. This is one of the reasons why the Sunbelt is such an attractive location for year round residences. There are few days of being snow or ice bound. Shops, restaurants, libraries and parks are utilized when much of the working and school age population are engaged and there is excess capacity. Our community would loose on many levels if seniors are not able to stay be engaged in volunteerism, philanthropy and recreation. Visit the library on any afternoon and to see seniors generously giving their time to teach adults to read and speak English as a second language, and to tell stories to pre-school children.
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“The main purpose of having older Americans age in place is to make them feel comfortable in their surroundings. If the elderly cannot enjoy their latter years due to service, accessibility and program constraints, communities must reevaluate their priorities.” It is our responsibility to develop homes that can be lived in for a lifetime, communities that are welcoming and accessible and public areas that are universally designed to be enjoyed by our diverse and rich population."

Source: http://www.nw.org/Network/comstrat/agingInPlace/documents/agingInPlaceFAQ_000.pdf