2016 NARI-Atlanta CotY Award Winner
Our clients wished to stay in their home during their later years, since it was in a great location close to family members. However, the husband had developed some mobility issues that made accessing their upstairs master suite difficult for him. They requested Atlanta Design & Build create a master suite addition on the main floor that would offer the accessibility the husband needed, as well as the elegance the couple desired.
“We wanted a master bedroom on the main floor. We love our home and decided to ‘age in place’. The only way to do that was to add an addition that provided a suite specific for that purpose.”
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Universal design is easily incorporated into remodeling projects; in the same way clients choose materials or products, they also customize their living space to fit their current and future needs. Universal design takes thoughtful planning and creative thinking to design spaces for access across entire life span. Elements of universal design are integrated into the overall design becoming virtually invisible. Read about the 7 principles of Universal Design here.
The master suite addition was thoughtfully planned so it could be entered from the dining room inside our clients’ home. From the driveway to the master suite entrance there are no steps or other obstacles. The walking distance from the home’s front door to the master suite is a manageable 15 ft. To ensure privacy and maintain separate identities for the dining room and the master suite, the entrance is disguised through the use of a frameless, trimless, flush door with a flush handle.
Utilizing Universal Design Throughout the Master Suite
Inside the master suite, everything was carefully designed to meet Universal Design criteria. Rocker light switches, lever door handles, and 3 ft. wide doors were installed throughout. Pocket doors were used in the bathroom hall since they take up less space than a swinging door, allow smooth traffic flow through the hall, and for people with mobility issues they are much easier to maneuver. The doors open with minimal effort due to the heavy-duty pocket door hardware.
Natural daylight floods the bathroom through glass block windows in the shower and an octagonal window in the water closet, contributing to both the beauty and safety of the space. A frosted glass entry door to the master bath and to the water closet furnishes privacy and light transference.
The shower, our client’s favorite part, features a curbless threshold and a sliding glass door, offering a barrier-free entrance. Honed tile on the floor provides a non-slip surface. Radiant heat warms the tile in the shower floor, the bench seat and the entire master bathroom floor. Inside the shower, grab bars are strategically placed for sitting down and getting up from the bench seat and for standing at the ADA handheld shower or rain head shower. The faucet controls were installed by the bench seat to provide ease in turning the water on and off while remaining out of the water flow. An artistic blend of glass tiles in the shower and crystal knobs on the shower controls reflects the elegance of our clients’ treasured bathroom chandelier.
See more photos of this beautiful master suite addition on Houzz.
His-and-her vanities in the master bath feature recessed medicine cabinets and custom cabinetry with rollout storage solutions. Next to the shower, a Health Mate sauna is custom crafted from Canadian western red cedar and uses infrared radiant heat. The new master suite is a completely self-contained unit with its own tankless water heater and central A/C.
A few words from our delighted clients
“At every stage Atlanta Design & Build listened to our needs, our wants, and what the end stage should be like. They were attentive to what we said and worked with us as partners. In the end, the addition looks like it has always been a part of the house! The design was perfect to imperatively accommodate our art collection.
The shower is our favorite part of the project—it is huge with the biggest rain shower we could find. There is also a bench in case you need to sit to bathe. The barn door shower door allows entry for a transport chair, if needed. The crystal chandelier fixture takes the space “elegantly” over the top!”