A Seattle Mid-century Condo Was Designed with Accessibility in Mind
Thoughtful and useful design choices were made.
Miranda Estes
Interior designer Shannon Adamson had such a trusted relationship with her longtime clients that they tapped her to help design a condo for their adult son who lives with mobility issues. She was even included in touring different condos in the landmark building that sits on the edge of Lake Washington before they ended up choosing this two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom unit.
Miranda Estes
The condo was in need of a lot of work, Shannon says. Updates were made by the previous owners in the 1980s that didn’t make a lot of sense: the kitchen had a cramped layout with its windows covered in cabinets and sliding shoji screens that blocked out the natural light; both bedrooms had large black lacquered built-ins and half of the main bedroom’s windows were blocked off with opaque sliding panels; and the bathrooms needed better flow and more open space.
Miranda Estes
“There were also some safety issues that needed to be addressed within the condo,” Shannon explains. “A variety of different flooring materials were used throughout, creating awkward trip hazards. Existing door and cabinet pulls were unnecessarily complex, and the in-unit dryer was not vented properly. A lot of the lighting and electrical needed to be brought up to code as well, and there was some evidence of past water intrusion at one of the exterior door sliding doors.”
Miranda Estes
Miranda Estes
The main goal for the renovation was to create a welcoming, comfortable, and functional space that allowed the client to live independently.
“They wanted the overall aesthetic to fit with the surrounding lake views, and for finishes to be durable and forgiving,” Shannon says. “Some specific items on our client’s wish list were a video game-playing space that could double as a guest room, pet-friendly furniture for his assistance dog, and plenty of lamps to provide welcoming lighting at night.”
Miranda Estes
The first order of business, Shannon says, was to tackle the mix of flooring types throughout the space. An environmentally-friendly engineered hardwood floor was chosen for all rooms except the tiled bathrooms. Replacing all the flooring ensured that there were completely level transitions, avoiding trip hazards.
Miranda Estes
“The kitchens and bathrooms all needed some serious space planning help,” Shannon explains. “Fortunately, that is one of my favorite parts of design! In the kitchen I used a simplified galley layout to create better flow and openness, and cabinetry placement was streamlined to open up the floor-to-ceiling window. Next came the primary bathroom, where we eliminated built-in closets that made the space feel claustrophobic. An old walk-in bathtub was replaced with a shower, the dropped ceiling was removed, and electrics were brought up to code.“
Miranda Estes
The powder room and guest bathroom were simplified and opened up as much as possible. A ventless heat pump dryer was installed to eliminate any venting issues. For accessibility in the bathrooms, the shower curb heights were made as low as possible and grab bars in both showers were installed. Plenty of lighting was added to the bathrooms and kitchen for better visibility.
Miranda Estes
In the bedrooms, those heavy black built-ins were removed and replaced with custom-made furniture pieces. The video game/guest bedroom was covered in a deep blue textural wall covering from Arte, which Shannon says creates both softness and acoustical benefits. Another big priority was choosing pet-friendly durable and cleanable surfaces, fabrics, and area rugs in the condo for the client’s service dog.
Miranda Estes
Other accessibility considerations included replacing hardware throughout the home. “Most of the original door and cabinet hardware was difficult to grasp, so we replaced the door knobs with lever-style door handles, and replaced small cabinet knobs with longer, smooth cabinet pulls for easier grip,” Shannon says. “We also opted for lever-style faucet and shower handles that are easier to operate than designs with cross-shaped handles or other knob-style controls.”
Miranda Estes
Shannon also utilized technology to make things more accessible. There aren’t many overhead lights because of the building’s concrete structure so many of the rooms have lamps—smart lightbulbs were integrated so the lamps could be controlled as a group instead of having to turn on and off each lamp individually. All the window shades are motorized and can be operated with a remote. The only thing that didn’t get a tech-y update was the thermostat—instead of using a complicated digital one, they went with a simpler analog design.
Miranda Estes
All of the thoughtful updates and renovations really paid off—Shannon’s client is truly thriving in the space. “I’m very happy to say that I’ve received reports that my client is enjoying living on his own in the newly completed condo, and that the design functions really well for him and his assistance dog,” she adds.
