Help! How do you design a family room, bedroom, and bath for a wheelchair-bound toddler while still maintaining functionality and style? We are putting an addition on for our little girl and have no idea how to design the space. It will eventually be a bedroom for her, but for the next couple of years, we are going to use it as a family room. It has to accommodate her getting around in a wheelchair. —Michele
Dear Michele,
I am happy you are giving me the opportunity to advise and help you with your design dilemma, because together we will solve it!
To begin, I suggest you employ the services of a good architect who is familiar with designing spaces for those using wheelchairs. Also, since yours is an addition, I strongly recommend you make sure the addition takes on the look of your existing exterior architecture. An addition should never look like an addition. It should look as if it were originally part of the house.
Your interior designer and architect should be employed at the same time so they may work together from the onset of the project. Each will have input that is important to the other. Working together from the start will eliminate costly changes as the project proceeds.
Actually, your dilemma is not really a dilemma after all! A family room/bedroom and bath for your sweet toddler daughter can be both functional and stylish. The key to success in your project is to keep the space open while at the same time ensuring an intimate feeling by paying attention to details.
Eventually this will be a bedroom for your daughter, so we need to have one wall to accommodate her bed, nightstands, and lamps. There should be electrical outlets and a telephone jack on this wall, along with an emergency call button for her safety. The bed should always, if possible, be placed on the wall that faces the door so it is the first thing you see as you enter the room. Windows should be placed on the side walls to allow maximum natural light into the space. In your case, the bathroom should be close to the bed, with no obstacles in between.
Bookcases flanking a window allow for a display of books and your daughter's special "treasures." It is a detail in a room that adds functionality, color, and style without taking much space. On the opposite wall it would be nice to have a table in front of the window—one high enough for her to easily slide her wheelchair beneath the tabletop. A glass-topped table will make the area seem even more open. Here she can read, do crafts and homework, and use the computer. There will be natural light during the day, and a lamp can be placed on the table for night use.
As you visualize this room, you can see that the space is very open and wheelchair-accessible. Flooring, paint colors, fabric choices, furniture selection, and art are the details that will make this a cozy bedroom for your daughter.
In the meantime, as a family room, the wall where the bed will eventually be placed is the perfect place for a TV, whether free-standing or on the wall. I suggest a sofa placed in the center of the room, with end tables and lamps on either side, and a coffee table in front. Be sure to have a recessed floor outlet added where the sofa will be placed. If the room is large enough, a pair of club chairs facing each other, between the sofa and TV, will add extra seating. The placement should allow for plenty of space for your daughter to easily maneuver between the pieces of furniture.
As for flooring, I suggest carpet that has a harder finish to allow your daughter to easily navigate her wheelchair. There are many styles and patterns from which to choose. If you select a neutral color, it can then transition to the future bedroom. Tile and hardwood are other options, of course, but carpet is a noise absorber and it also softens the room.
I hope you can see that successful planning and completion of your project is very attainable, Michele! Again, it's attention to detail that gives you the functionality and style you seek. Color, fabric, furniture, and art selections are the things that make a room unique and comfortable.
The employment of a professional interior designer not only ensures the beauty of your home, but also saves you costly mistakes during the project. Begin by seeking his or her advice!
Sincerely,
Tom Manche, Allied Member ASID
Tom Manche Interiors
