Outside In

If your idea of an accessible bathroom is installing a couple of grab bars, take a look at this room. Designed to be a quiet retreat for pampering and relaxation, it also emphasizes safety and function.

The homeowners, a retired professional couple, wanted to be able to enjoy the sweeping view from their window -- and they wanted to share it with their visiting grandchildren. The designers opened the bathroom, as well as the shower and toilet area, for wheelchair access and added a flush shower floor and decorative grab bars.

To accommodate the homeowners' desire for abundant natural lights and a view, a picture window was installed in the tub area. Light also streams in from a skylight and windows on each side of the vanity area. Painted soft green walls complement the tiles and are in keeping with the natural feel of the bathroom. A geometric-patterned shower curtain completes the design and adds texture to the room.

This room earned a second-place award in the large bathroom category of the National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2003 Design Competition.

Designer: Beverly Staal, CKD, The Showplace Inc.; Kirkland, WA

Co-designers: Michele Marquardi, Ectypos Lucia Pizzio Biroli, Mercer Island, WA

Photography: Northlight Photography Inc.