A tiny home addition the size of a vanity cabinet transformed this couples home and transformed their lives. In 2007 John explained to Christine that he was experiencing a weird tingling on his right side and extraordinary fatigue in his back. Eventually they went to see a Neurologist. The doctor had answers but not the kind anyone wants to hear. No one suspected MS initially, “it does not typically afflict a man in his late 40’s” Christine said. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
Christine “I was searching the web when I ran across this story about Carl & Oscar. Carl was confined to a wheel chair trapped on his main level just like John was trapped on our lowest level. Twin companies Signature Kitchens Additions & Baths and Signature Elevators & Accessible Design transformed Carl & Oscar’s house and transformed their lives. I immediately called and schedule an appointment with an amazing kitchen and bath designer.”
Last month Signature Kitchens Additions & Baths finished John’s new bathroom. To say it was transformative would do the remodel injustice. Signature built the smallest house addition it has ever built. A home addition just 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide. But an addition which made all the difference in the world. Instead of a cramped toilet bordered by vanity and door. The toilet now had enough space between it and the door for a wheelchair so John could transfer “slide over” from wheel chair to toilet.
The vanity no longer abutted the hall way entry it was recessed into the addition. This gave John a 48” turning radius, a commercial standard. The shower was in the same place but the doorway had been widened from 28” to almost 36”. Imagine a tight country road vs a super highway. Moreover, it was now properly plumbed and beautifully finished. The shower controls were located at the shower entrance, so John could adjust the water before getting in. It’s the little things! Strategic grab bars allow John to pull himself from the chair to the shower bench. Extra lighting and a powerful fan are for John simply more important than most of us could imagine.
John “The bathroom remodel makes all the difference to me. I have my independence back. From the simple to the complex; the widening of the doorways to 36”from the original 28”, the ability to wheel my chair directly to the vanity so my chair and knees slide under. That allows me to shave and groom myself. It is hard to describe what that means. It means quite a lot.”
Christine “The bathroom is so beautiful the tile design, the layout, most people would never guess it was designed for someone in a wheel chair. They would simply think this is a really spacious and well designed bathroom. That was exactly what I wanted, utility hidden by great design. The designers and the installers at Signature Kitchens Additions & Baths are very, very creative problem solvers in addition to understanding everything the average kitchen and bathroom remodeling or kitchen and bathroom design company would understand.”
