We recently downsized our living from a four-bedroom three-bath home to a two-bedroom one bath home that is totally wheelchair accessible. All of our kids have grown up and flown the coop so there really didn’t seem to be a need for a great big house to manage. Besides that, reducing our square footage from 2300sq. to 1200sq really means huge savings in utilities, taxes, and upkeep. Less money going out each month means more money to play, travel and enjoy. For a retired couple approaching 60 years old, that sounds like a WIN!
We like the idea of staying close to our kids and Grandkids so we started looking for land in the general area that we currently lived. We found two wooded acres that the owners were willing to sell and bought them on the spot. The land was heavily wooded so we hired a land clearing company to come in and clear away all of the scrub brush and trees leaving only the larger trees in place. The setting was rural Texas so it was perfect for a low maintenance metal barndominium cabin. We knew we would need a matching garage to secure all of my husband’s toys and tools as well as nice sidewalks and a driveway for easy accessibility of my wheelchair. I drew up the plans to build a totally wheelchair accessible home.
Of course, we didn’t build it ourselves. With me being totally disabled and my husband having bad knees and a bad back we had to sub out a lot of the work. We had a general contractor to do the foundation work, build the structures to dry shell stage including most walls, ceiling, and floors. We hired another contractor to tile the shower and yet another to build the cabinets. An air conditioning and heating company did the ductwork. We also had a guy come out and shoot foam insulation all over the walls and ceiling. My husband did all the plumbing and with help from his Brother (an electrician), did all of the wiring. We have several accent walls made of old refinished fence pickets that I sanded and stained while my husband nailed to the studs. My daughters came over and helped stain and varnish the trim work around the windows and walls. My husband also built shelves in every closet out of industrial pipe and wood.
All doors are 36 inches wide. The doorknobs are all paddle-type to make it easier to grip. All windows are low enough for a person in a wheelchair to see out without strain. We opted for all wood walls versus sheetrock for durability from wheelchair bumps and scrapes. For our floors, we chose waterproof vinyl planks. Carpet was out of the question. There is just no way to keep it clean and looking good for any length of time. The floor plan was simple. You enter the house through the front door into the open living area. A kitchen bar divides the living area from the open L-shaped kitchen. Under the sink and stovetop, we left it open to allow knee space for someone in a wheelchair to cook and access the sink. I bought some really cute curtains to go over the cutouts and dress the kitchen up a little. We tried to pick appliances that allowed for the most accessible features including a wall oven that opens from the side allowing a wheelchair to get closer. Top of the line appliances was not in the budget but we didn’t need stainless steel anyway. I designed the bar to have enough overhang on one side to allow for extra seating when family or guests are visiting.
The hallway leading down to the bedrooms is 4 foot wide. This makes it much more manageable. It gives you a little more room to make the corners into the bedrooms without bumping and scraping the door frames. Because our house is all wood on the inside it has a vacation cabin or lodge feel to it. We just love that about it. We opted for sliding barn doors for the interior rooms. I was worried at first that they might be difficult or heavy to push but they are really smooth and easy to manipulate.
Our bathroom has one of the most important features. A roll-in shower. We made ours about 5’ square. We used porcelain tile with river rock accents. We also installed a rain shower head along with a handheld wand. Next to the shower is a small toilet area and on past that is our sink, cabinet, and shelves for linens. This is also where we have the washing machine and dryer.
In the spare bedroom, there is a very small closet used for storage. We plan on using this room as an office/art room/guest room.
Our bedroom has plenty of space for my wheelchair to get to everything including the bed and walk-in closets
Outside we have 8 foot wide porches across the entire length of the front and back of the house allowing us to enjoy the outside protected from the rain and Texas sun.
We still have a ways to go. We need to order more dirt for landscaping, have the driveway paved, plant our grass and shrubbery. I want to get some fruit trees and berry bushes planted along with some raised garden planters built so that I can get back to gardening. My husband is working on building a fence for our puppy dogs to help keep them protected from the wild hogs and coyotes that are known to inhabit the woods and pasture surrounding us.
Hopefully, by the end of the summer, we will have everything just about like we like it. We really love to enjoy the outdoors and plan to build a fire pit to sit around in the evening and cook an occasional steak or two, crank up the music and pour an adult beverage, invite a few friends over and enjoy the good life.
If you have any questions about designing a wheelchair friendly living space, please feel free to leave a comment below.
