A mobility friendly bathroom renovation in Hastings

When this family purchased a new 1950’s weatherboard home in Mayfair, Hastings, they knew that the modern bathroom was not wheelchair accessible or mobility friendly. The homeowner, who is permanently in a wheelchair, decided to get in touch with Refresh Renovations to amend this matter. Renovations specialists Sophia Roydhouse-Ross and Mike Ross were then brought on to help.

Bathroom design

Sophia and Mike listened to the homeowner and understood that the brief was to create a bathroom that was wheelchair accessible, but also suited the rest of the family. Another issue was that the hallway was too narrow for the homeowner to turn into the bathroom via his wheelchair. 
To rectify the issue of access from the hallway, Sophia and Mike came up with the solution of inserting a cavity slider from the client's bedroom to the bathroom. This would give him direct access to the bathroom in his shower wheelchair. It would also provide the client and caregivers with additional privacy, being able to avoid going down the hallway.
Sophia and Mike started with the design and feasibility, then provided the client with an estimated budget of $30,000. Once he was satisfied with all the plans, the renovation was put into motion.

Bathroom renovation

“We designed a wet floor shower with Splashline on the walls so that the bathroom would be functional for both the client and his family,” explains Sophia. “We installed an accessible vanity too, so that the client could fit under it in his wheelchair.”

“The builder really enjoyed working with BBI Splashline,” Sophia continues. “In addition to that, we used Tarkett flooring to achieve a full wet area bathroom. This is the same product that is used in rest homes and hospitals.”
It was extremely vital to get the fall right on the bathroom floor as there were two doorways leading into the bathroom and it was important to ensure the water was contained within the shower space. 
“The challenge was ensuring there was enough space in the wet floor shower area for our client and that all the water remained contained,” explains Sophia. “In addition to the walls, flooring, and adding another access point to the bathroom, we also installed a toilet as there previously wasn’t one in this bathroom.”
Sophia and Mike also took care of the finer details by ensuring that the vanity and mirror were at a practical height for the client in his wheelchair, while also functioning optimally for the rest of the family.

Final thoughts

“We’re very pleased with the final result,” reveals Sophia. “The builder really enjoyed working with the Splashline product, but more importantly, it is great to see a very happy client who now has a practical bathroom that functions well, and looks smart for being the main bathroom in the family home.”

Thinking of renovating?

If you would like to get started on your own renovation project, get in touch with a Refresh renovation specialist today for a completely free consultation!