http://www.aipathome.com/universaldesign/index.html#universal_design_principles
Grab bars have been considered a necessary evil- to be avoided if possible due to their ugly, utlilitarian design.
Ginger, the bath accessory company gingerco.com has changed all that. Now you can get grab bars that are the same design as your towel bars, etc- so you can prepare for the future without your bath looking like it’s wearing pocket protectors.
A great showroom for Ginger and all stuff plumbing related, is Crawford Supply, crawfordsupply.com. Martie runs the showroom and is very knowledgeable- and fun to work with!
I write about Robern bath cabinets a lot, because they are so innovative. The newest is the Uplift- a door that moves up and down to open the cabinet, not from a side hinge like a normal cabinet.
What’s the big deal?
You can put the cabinet right behind your tall faucet, even all the way down to the counter.
You don’t have to worry about crashing into light fixtures, shower doors, spouses, etc, with the swing of the door.
Because the mirror can sit on the counter, you can sit down in front of the sink, for makeup application, instead of having a separate area. This will also benefit accessibility/ADA.
The mirror can be opened partially, so you have mirror AND access to contents at the same time.
Yes, you can get all the fun Robern features along with the Uplift, including an LCD TV mounted inside.
see them at: http://www.robern.com/press/release.rbn?articleId=uplift
(this is the hardware that makes your cabinetry open and shut, not the knobs…)
Blum has a new Servo-Drive product, that automatically opens drawers with a light touch or a light pull on the handle. It can be stopped in any position and can be combined with Blumotion for a silent close. http://www.blum.com/gb/en/01/30/60/index.php Go ahead, get messy while you cook- you don’t mess up the cabinetry! This product also has accessibility benefits. There are even 2 Youtube videos about this product- you know where to find them.
Mepla-Alfit’s Illuxo system has an LED light on the hinge, so that when the cabinet is open there is light. No power connection or transformer required! http://www.mepla-alfit.com/content/EN/products/illuxo.html
Not hardware- but a great way to use all the space available- Base ToeKick Cabinets use the formerly wasted toekick for maximizing storage. http://www.diamondcabinets.com/news/pr_details.cfm?pr=11
Gaggenau’s Lift Oven doesn’t have a door on the front- instead, the whole bottom drops down, exposing the food completely.
The heat stays up in the box, because heat rises- conserving heat.
The bottom drops down to just above counter height, so it’s accessible from a wheelchair or for those who can’t reach.
Photos and more details: http://www.gaggenau-usa.com/US_en/Highlights-and-News/Highlights-Detail.do?protocol=BL+253+Lift+Oven&contentId=10665546
A client walked much of the floor with me, and here are some of the items he liked a lot:
-stainless steel sink in farmhouse style- an update of the classic
-different colored cabinetry in the same kitchen- one designer room had 7! and, the furniture style cabinets are still prominent
-”one room borrowing from the next”- vignettes where the colors or materials trended into the adjacent room, creating flow
-stacked dishwashers, with one drawer on top of the other
-Elkay’s matte finish on some of their stainless products
-matte finish on some of the synthetic surfaces
-stainless steel tambour style door in wall, like appliance garage but full height and very cool looking
-Kohler’s Belay handrail, K1846-SHP, a less institutional approach to incorporating a handrail in the shower, where the lower part of the shower is built out 4″; the handrail also serves as a shelf, of sorts, for shampoo, etc. It’s more of a stealth handrail, so you prepare for the future but don’t look like it.
